Argyn (Uzbek: Арғын) tribe is one of the main constituents of the Kazakh people, of possibly Mongol descent (Ongut), and a main component in the Middle jüz sub-confederation in Kazakhstan, which historically consisted of three tribal conglomerations of Great jüz, Middle jüz, and Little jüz.
Present Argyns in the Kazakh Middle jüz are the former Basmals, and these names are equivalent ("mixed tribe"). As a proof serves the description of the "Tenduk" country by Marco Polo, which says that the prevailing tribe of that country are Argon Christians (i.e. Argyns), which means Basmul. Early Middle Age location of Basmals are given in the Tszychji tuntszyan, where Basmals' residence is named in Beitin, in the Bogdoshan ridge in Guchen area.[2]
Mahmut Kashgari (11th century) listed Basmyls as one of ten prominent Türkic tribes, enumerating location of the Türkic polities from the borders of Greece to the borders of China in the following sequence: Bechen (Badjinak), Kyfchak (Kipchak), Oguz, Yemek (Kimek), Bashgyrt (Bashkort), Basmyl, Kai, Yabaku, Tatars, Kyrgyz. He also noted that the tribes Kai, Yabaku, Tatar, and Basmyl are bilingial, speaking in Türkic alongside their own languages, while Kyrgyzes, Kyfchaks, Oguzes... have their own Türkic languages, and the languages of Yemeks and Bashkirts are close to them.[3]