Turkic Khaganate

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The First Turkic Khaganate at the end of the 6th century
The First Turkic Khaganate at the end of the 6th century

Turkic Khaganate was a large medieval state in Asia, created by the Türkic (Türküt) tribal union. During its greatest expansion (end of the 6th century) Turkic Khaganate controlled territories of Northeastern China (Manchuria), Mongolia, Altai, Xinjiang, Central Asia, Middle Asia and Northern Caucasus. Between its inception in 552 CE and Chinese conquest in 604 CE it is usually directly referred to as Turkic Khaganate, or a First Turkic Khaganate. The restored Khaganate of the 682-745 period is usually referred to as Second Turkic Khaganate. This article covers the First Turkic Khaganate period.

Contents

[edit] Historical Outline

[edit] Formation of the Khaganate

After decline of Usun power Jeti-su became a constant war arena. In the 5th century groups of Jujans invaded Jeti-su and forced Usun to relocate their pasture routs from its steppe part to Tien Shan. Remains of Yuechji attempted to settle on the vacated lands, but after wars with Jujans in 418-419 they had to flee to Middle Asia, where they encountered Persians and Hephtalites. The upper courses of the rivers Chu and Talas were occupied by Kangars, who stopped the western spread of Jujans. Jeti-su and East Kazakhstan were fringes of Jujan state, it did not render them enough attention, but however there in Altai emerged a force capable to resist Jujans. Populous tribes of Tele people settled in the northeastern Jeti-su, river Irtysh valley, and Dzungaria rose against Jujans, and in the 482 created their own state. It did not last for long, and in 516 Tele again fell into Jujan dependence. Tribe Ashina, one of Altai tribes, supplied Jujan empire with iron. This tribe received a special role in the history of Eurasia. Ashina compatriots subsequently began to be called Türks. The word "Türk" means solid, strong. A. Kononov determined that originally it was a political name for family members of the steppe aristocracy constituting the leading clan of Ashina tribes, and only later it became a name for all tribes subordinated to Turkic Kagan.

In 545 Tele tribes rose again against Jujans and in the head of the new state was raised a ruler of Ashina Türks Bumyn. In 551 has concluded an alliance with China, and after crushing Jujans accepted a title "Ilkhan" (Khan of the country). After Bumyn death in 552 to the throne was raised his son Kara-Issyk Khan, who completely defeated Jujans. After his victory, khan mysteriously died, and to the throne was raised his brother Mugan Khan. In 553 Jujans were defeated again, and Türks became rulers of all steppe east from Altai. Next year began a Turkic campaign to the west, headed by Bumyn younger brother Istemi Kagan. Usuns, weakened by Jujan raids, did not resist, and already by 555 Istemi army reached suburbs of Tashkent and Aral sea. However, the Avar and Hyon tribes, north from Aral, furiously resisted and were subjugated only in 558. Türks have reached Itil (Volga), but did not cross it. So, in a short time was created a huge nomadic empire, covering territory from Itil to Greater Khingan mountains.

[edit] Culmination of Turkic Empire

The head of new state was Kagan, a second official was a relative with a title "Yabgu". The high officials were also Shads, Eltebers and Tutuks. Kagan relatives had a title "Tegin" (prince). Türks also called the highest officials "tarkhan", and the lowest, consisting of 24 classes, "buyuruk". Succession was by avuncular system, where father was succeed not by his son, but an elder brother by a younger brother, and a younger uncle by a senior nephew. In line to the throne, Shads received provinces (uluses) to rule.

In 568 the Turkic state was divided into four uluses, and in 576 already into eight. The capital of Kagan was in Altai. Socially, the Türks were divided into three levels, beks, karabudun - the main masses, and slave tats - prisoners of war. The Tele tribes, subordinated to Türks, were called oguzes (tribes). Just having emerged, the Turkic Kaganate at once became equal with the world empires of that time. In 560es Türks intervened in the struggle between Chinese Wei-Sui and Wei-Zhou states, and forced both of them to render tribute. Tobo-khan Kagan was saying: "If only two boys in the south (Zhou and Sui) were obedient, poverty would not threaten us".

In a 560 war with Hephtalites in Middle Asia, Türks captured Tashkent and Zeravshan valley. In 565 the Türks, led by Istemi-kagan, won a battle at Nesef, and Sogd was joined to Kaganate. In 570-576 Türks captured Northern Caucasus, in 576 they captured Bospor. As a result of these gains, Kaganate began controlling all important sections of the Great Silk Road, which provided Turkic aristocracy huge profits from the caravan trade. However, the might of the Turkic state was soon shaken by internecine strifes.

[edit] Disintegration of khaganate

In 581 China suffered a coup d'état, and Zhou dynasty was replaced by Sui dynasty. The new ruler broke all relations with the Türks, and forbade exporting silk to the steppe, which at once undermined the power of Turkic nobility enriched by duties from caravan trade on the Silk Road. It coincided with death of Tobo khan and following dynastic conflicts between kagan relatives. After long confrontations a son of Kara-Issyk, Shetu, was elected a Great Khan, with a title Yshbara Khan. A second khan became Istemi son Kara Churin-Türk, Mugan-khan son Toremen received title Abo khan (eldest), and ulus on northern outskirts of the state.

Sui diplomacy at once felt the discord between Türks, and by all means began sowing dissensions between khans. It was successful, and in 584 Yshbara, tricked by Chinese, attacked the capital of Abo khan, accusing him of treason. Abo khan fled to Kara-Churin, and with joint forces they begun a war against Great Khan. After many encounters Abo khan retreated to Bukhara, but Yshbara khan died in 587, and the power passed to his brother Chulo khan. All Turkic princes swore an oath to the new Kagan, and Abo khan remained isolated. In the same year he was defeated near Bukhara, but the unity did not last for long.

Already in the 558 the enmity between the khan of the western lands Kara Churin, and the Great Khan flared up. Kara Churin aspired to independence, and the war lasted till 593. Finally, Yshbara khan's son Ün Yollyg became a Kagan, and Kara Churin was an actual ruler. But the break between western and eastern Türks was so great that when China begun a war in 598, the eastern Türks led by Jangar supported Sui Empire. Kara Churin was killed, but Turkic kaganate and did not reunite. In 604 an adolescent Taman, a great-grandson of Kara Churin became a Khan of Western Kaganate, and Jangar became a Khan of Eastern Kaganate. The unified Turkic kaganate ceased to exist. In Western Turkic Kaganate Türks were a minority, and the rulers sought power from the Jeti-su steppe tribes, the descendants of Usuns. They formed two tribal unions: Dulu (Tele) in Jeti-su and Dzungaria, and Onshadpyt (Right Wing) in Tian Shan. Each union included five tribes, and the people received a collective name "people of ten arrows".

Contradictions between the world powers for the control of the Silk Road resulted in forming in the 620es of two coalitions, on one side Western Türkic, China and Byzantium, and on another side Eastern Turkic Kaganate, Persia and Avar Kaganate. The war between these coalitions went on with alternating success, and did not bring a victory to any party. Unhappy with the never-ending war that stressed their forces and caused huge human losses, the Dulu tribes in 630 rose against Kagan and killed him. Sibir khan was proclaimed a new ruler. The later history of Kaganate is full of wars between Dulu and Onshadpyt (Right Wing) for control of the country. Using the troubles of the rulers, Bulgars and Ural Ugrs separated from the Western Türks. In the 635 the constituent tribal unions achieved autonomy, and r. Chu became a border between them. Concessions to separatist tendencies could not strengthen the state, and Türks continued losing their possessions. After Eastern Kaganate submitted to China, Chinese imperial armies came to the borders of Jeti-su. The Turco-Chinese war of 640-648 ended with a Türkic defeat, and Khazars separated from the Kaganate. The last Western Türkic kagan Yshbara khan tried to preserve the unity and independence of the country, but the Chinese aggression continued, and conflicts between Türkic tribes were increasing. As a result the Onshadpyts and Dulu in 656 recognized suzerainity of China, and Yshbara khan, betrayed by his subjects, retreated beyond the river Ili. The ruler of Tashkent turned him over to Chinese, and the Türkic Kagan died in 659 in captivity. Chinese divided the lands of the Western Türkic Kaganate into two governorships, which in turn were divided into districts and counties. However, the Jeti-su Türkic tribes did not accept the Chinese sovereignty.

[edit] Social structure

In the First Turkic Khaganate the initial dynastic coalition consisted of a Kagan fraction (its symbol was a White Deer Golden Horns, i.e. the Sun) and a Katun fraction (its symbol was Snake/Dragon of fertility and prolificacy), deriving its origin from the gynetocratic Yuezhi "clan of the Moon" [1].

[edit] Chronology

Below is chronology of the known events in the history of ancient Türks and Türkic Kaganate. Dates with asterisk are unconfirmed reconstructions.

552 - Türkic kagan Bumyn revolted against Jujans. Destruction of Jujan state. Formation of Türkic Kaganate in Altai. Death of Bumyn. Rise to the throne of Kara Issyk Khan.

553 - Death of Kara Issyk Khan. Rise to the throne of Mugan Khan.

Between 567 and 571 - Türkic Kaganate conquest of Hazars and Bulgars.

572 - Death of Mugan Khan. Rise to the throne of Tobo Khan.

603 - Split of Türkic Kaganate into Western and Eastern Kaganates.

[edit] References

Note: Material in this article is translated directly from the http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/ [1]

  1. ^ Yu. Zuev, "Early Türks: Sketches of history and ideology", p. 74

[edit] External links

[edit] See also

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