TURKS

ATATURK:  FATHER OF THE TURKS ATATURK PHOTO GALLERY ANCIENT TURKS PIRI REIS MAP-ANCIENT WORLD MAP ANCIENT TURKS' LANGUAGE TURKS' RECENT HISTORY WHO ARE TURKS? KIPCHAK TURKS OGUZ TURKS TURKS AT AMERICA MIGRATION & CENTRAL ASIA NE MUTLU TURKUM DIYENE HISTORY BEGINS WITH TURKS TURAN ATATURK'S  GREAT SPEECHES ANTI-TURKISM -TURK DUSMANLIGI

TURK

 

Linguistically, TURKs are any of various peoples whose members speak languages belonging to the Turkic languages. The world's Turkic peoples, numbering over 400 million people in all, are the descendants of the first inhabitants of Central Asia and large groups of people who were originated in Central Asia, in a land known as Turkistan, or Turan, which is the geographical region between the Ural and Altay mountains from West Asia to East Asia(Khazar sea to Uighur/Baikal lake) and from North Asia to South Asia( Siberia/Sakha to Tanri/Tengri mountains(Pamir/Hindukush/Tibet) from north to south.

Anthropologically, TURKs belong to Turanic race (brachycephalic) which was originated at Central Asia(Turkistan) and Eurasian steppes.                     

Genetically, Turanic(Ancient Turks) Turkic race was originated from Central Asian haplogroup K. Turanic Haplogroup K includes its subgroups of Turanic/Turkic Alpine/Eurasian race(Haplogroup K2-K526) and Turanic/Turkic Semitic (Haplogroup K1-LT)) race. Turanic Haplogroups K subgroups' (K1(LT,T,L) and K2(Q,R/R1/R1A/R1B,M,N,P,O)) migration to all over the world has a perfect correlation with the historical migration of ancient Turks/Turanians. Genetically, most Turks have Central Asian Haplogroup K or its subgroups but also some Turks have Haplogroups of J2(Turkicized Persians-origins at Mesopotamia), haplogroups of G/H(origins at Caucasus) and also Haplogroup I ( origins at Caucasus then migrated to Northern Europe). Ancient Turks of Turanic race later were mixed with people of Nordic(haplogroup I), Mongoloid(haplogroup C) and Middle Eastern/Northern African(haplogroup E, J) people due to the migrations at different times of history. Please also note that 80% of the populations at today's Europe(mostly Celtic and Slavic from Spain/France/England/Ireland to Turkey and from north Italy to Russia/Finland/Norway) and 80% of the populations at Asia(mostly Central Asians from Turkey/Azerbaijan/Turkmenistan to Yakutsk/Uighur/Kirghiz and from India/Pakistan/Tibet to Siberia) and 80% of the populations at America (North/South Americans as wells as Northern/Southern American Indians' descendants) and 50% the populations at today's Nordic/Northern Europe countries and 50% of the populations at Mongolia/Korea/Japan/Southeastern Asia, 25% of the populations at Arabic Middle East and and also 25% Northeastern African populations like South Egyptians, Ethiopians, Sudanese, Somalis, northern Kenyans, north Africans; all have Turanic  genes descended from haplogroup K(Turanic gene).

Today, the largest group of Turkic people is living in Turkey. Other major Turkic people live in Azerbaijan, Kazakstan, Kirghizstan, Russia, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Additionally, other Turkic people live in the Xinjiang region of western China, South Azerbaijan region of Iran, northern Iraq, in Afghanistan, Moldova, the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, Europe and the Balkans.

 Similarity in language and culture which is evident in literature, folklore, garments (clothing and dresses,) instruments, symbols, dances, food and traditions unites Turks as part of a greater family of peoples. The Turkic family tree is traditionally divided into 6 branches, each branch producing different nations.

The main branches of Turks are:

1) OGUZ branch (also referred to as the western/southern Eurasian Turk branch) which includes: Turks of Turkey, Azerbaijanis (including Karapapaks, Shahsevans and Afshar tribal Turks,) Turkmens, Qashqayi Turks, Khorasani Turks, Gauguz (Gokoguz) Turks, Balkan Turks (Turks of the former Yugoslavia,)and the Turks of Iraq (referred to as Azerbaijanis or Turkmens.), Southern Uzbeks and also Iranian and Afghanistan/Pakistan/Indian Turks

2) KIPCHAK branch (also referred to as the northern and north/western Eurasian Turk branch) which includes: Turks of Turkey, Hungarians, Tatars, Nogays, Crimean Turks, Karaim Turks, Kazaks, Northern Uzbeks, Kirghiz, Karakalpaks, Bashkorts, Tavli (Karachay-Balkar) Turks, and Kumik Turks, Cossacks, and also Finns/Norwegians.

3) Karluk branch which includes: Eastern Uzbeks, Uygurs, Yellow (Sari) Uygurs and Salars.

4) Siberian (Sibirya) branch which includes: Altay, Tiva, Hakas, Dolgan and Baraba.

5) Chuvash/Bulgar branch which includes the Chuvash Turks of Russia.

6) Sakha (Yakut) branch which includes the Yakut Turks of Siberia.

The Oguz-Turk and Kipchak-Turk branches are the most populous, numbering more than 500 millions of people on earth.

Table of contents
1 List of modern Turkic nations
2 List of Turkic peoples in history
3 Turkic States & Empires in history
4 Turkic/Mongol States
5 Name
6 Ancient Origins
7 The Hun period until Islam
8 Characteristics
9 See also
10 External links

List of modern Turkic nations

  • Azerbaijanis

The Azerbaijanis are a Turkic people who number approximately 45 million. They live mostly in the South Azerbaijan region of Iran, the Republic of Azerbaijan, Russia, Georgia, Turkey and the surrounding region. They are the descendants of various bodies of Turks, but primaraly the Oghuz Turks who migrated in mass numbers to the region in the 10th and 11th centuries.

Turkic peoples of Russia in the Caucaus region.

  • Bashkirs

Natives of Bashkortistan republic in the Russian federation. Natives of Karachay-Balkar.

  • Chuvashs

Christian Turks of Chuvashia republic in the Russian federation.

Christian Turks of Gaugauz Autonomous republic in eastern Moldova. Their proper designation is "Gok Oguz" which means "Blue Oguz."

  • Karachays

Turkic peoples of Russia in the Caucaus region. Natives of Karachay-Balkar.

  • Karakalpaks

Peoples of the Karakalpak Autonomous district in Uzbekistan.

  • Karapapaks

Large Turkic tribe of South Azerbaijan region of Iran. They are a tribe of the Azerbaijani nation.

  • Kazaks

Turko-Mongol peoples of Kazakstan and the surrounding region.

  • Khorasani Turks

Oguz Turks of Khorasan province. They number close to one million.

  • Kirghiz

Turko-Mongol peoples of Kirghizstan and the surrounding region.

One branch of the Turks living in Russia's Dagestan republic.

  • Qashqays

Turkic peoples of southern Iran who inhabit primaraly Fars province and the surrounding region. They are nomadic and pastoralists.

Turkic (often referred to as Turko-Mongol) people of Tatarstan republic of Russia.

Oguz Turks who inhabit Turkmenistan, northeastern Iran and northwestern Afghanistan. They are related to the Azerbaijanis, Turks of Turkey and Gauguz as well as others stemming from the Oguz branch.

  • Turks of Turkey

The largest group of Turkic peoples of the world. They number more than 70 million in Turkey and are the most advanced of the Turkic peoples.

  • Tuvans

Turko-Siberian peoles of Tuva republic of Russia. They are Shamanists.

  • Uigurs

Turkic people of the Xiang Uygur autonomous region of western China. They number more than 10 million and are one of the most historically rich Turks.

Turkic (often referred to as Turko-Mongol) peoples of Uzbekistan and the surrounding region. They number more than 28 million and their native land, Uzbekistan, is the most populous of the central Asian region.

  • Yakuts

Turko-Siberian peoples of Yakutia of the Russian federation. They are Shamanists.

List of Turkic peoples in history

Turkic States & Empires in history

  • Huns
  • Great Huns (13th century BC-1st century AD)
  • Western Huns (379-496)
  • White Huns (Hephthalites) (5th-7th centuries)
  • Avars (6th-9th centuries)
  • Khwarezm-Shahs (1097-1231)
  • Khanate of Kazan (1438-1552)
  • Khanate of Astrakhan (1430s-1554)
  • Khanate of Crimea (1430-1778)
  • Safavids of Azerbaijan & Iran (1502-1737)

Independent Turkic Countries

Autonomous Turkic republics in the Russian federation

Other Autonomous Turkic regions

  • Gauguz Autonomous region of Moldova
  • Karakalpak Autonomous region of Uzbekistan
  • Nakhchivan Autonomous region of Azerbaijan
  • Xiang Uygur Autonomous region of China

Turkic/Mongol States

Name


There are different theories as to where the word Turk originates from. The name "Turk" was officially used for the first time in Central Asia by the Gok-Turk (Blue Turks of the 6th century) who in the Orhun inscriptions wrote the name as "Turuk". Prior to this, the name Turk or varitions of it was written down in 2,000 B.C. in the ancient city of Mari near Tell Hariri in northern Iraq. In a tablet, it is written that a people named "Turukku" are coming to lands named Tiguranim and Hirbazanim. Also, the Chinese in 1328 B.C. referred to the Turks as "Tu-Kiu". In the Torah narratives, the name "Turk" was traced back to Noah's grandson. Some believe that one of the early tribes which descended from Noah used the name Turk.

The name became official with the letter that the Chinese Emperor wrote to the Gok-Turk Khan named Isbara in 585 A.D., where he describes him as "The Great Turkish Khan." Isbara wrote the Chinese empreror back stating that: "it has been past 50 years since the Turkish State has been established by God".

The most popular theory regarding the root of of the word "Turk" is that it means "strong" or "powerful."

Ancient Origins

Turks are first and original habitants and natives of central Asia. Comparisons to the ancient language of the Sumerians (labeled as an Ural-Altaic language by most historians) to modern Turkish languages confirms many common words and religious terms. Ancient Sumerians were the ancient Turanians(Turks), who were originated at east of the Caspian Sea in Central Asia but who established a civilization in present-day southern/northeastern Iraq. The Sumerian language had many words that are appearant in other modern Turanian(Ural-Altaic) languages such as Turkish, Hungarian and Finnish.

The ancient roots of the Turks have been diminished by some historians who seek to clarify an "Indo-European" presence in parts of Asia and Europe before the period of the Huns. Thus, Turkish and some western historians who have based their researches on clear facts rather than "guesses" have concluded that after the Sumerians up until the time of the Huns, the Turks were the people who became known as Scythians, Massagetae, Alans, Cimmerians and Sarmatians, whom have been labeled as "Iranian/Persian?" or "unidentified?" peoples without any vital linguistic or anthropological facts. According to genetical and historical researches, the civilizations, existed in Central Asia, western Asia including Caucasia and Eastern Europe, were the predecessors of Western Turks of Kipchak and Oguz Turks, basically ancient Turanians.

 

The Hun period until Islam

"Oh race of Turks, children of iron and fire, founders of a thousand homelands, wearers of a thousand crowns. If the sky above did not collapse and the earth did not give way, oh noble race, who would be able to destroy your nation and institutions..."

- Oguz Khan

HUNS

The Huns, whose origins go back to 1200 BCE, are considered the first Turks by scholars. In ancient Chinese sources they were referred to as "Hsiung-Nu" and as the "colored-eyed" people. The Huns are famous for four empires which they established:

1) The Great Hun Empire which was founded by Mete (Bagatir) in 204 B.C. and which covered an area which at the north was Siberia, to the south Tibet and Kashmir, to the east the Pacific Ocean and to the west the Caspian Sea.


2) The Western Hun Empire which was founded by Panu in 48 A.D. and covered the area of central Asia.


3) The European Hun Empire which was founded by four brothers by the names of Muncuk, Oktar, Rua and Aybars. This empire covered what is southern Russia, Romania, Northern Yugoslavia, Hungary, Austria, Czech republic, southern & central Germany and the area from eastern France to the Ural mountains; from northern Hungary to the Byzantine Empire.

4) The White Hun Empire which was founded in 420 A.D. by Aksuvar. This empire covered most of Turkistan (central Asia) as well as parts of northern India and also Afghanistan.

Perhaps the most famous of Hun rulers, Attila was the leader, King and General of the Western Hun Empire from A.D. 433 to 453. and he was ironically called the "scourge of God" by the bloodthirsty Romans. Romans had committed genocide against nations including most Celtic, Germanic, Slavic and Jewish people on the lands they had conquered and also crucified Jesus to death.

 

 GOKTURKS (Celestial Turks)

After the fall of the Hun advent and Turkic domination of Asia and Europe, the next Turkic federation was that of the Gok-Turks who originated from the Ashina tribe who were natives of today's Xiang Uygur. The Ashinas were the first Turkic tribe to use the name "Turk" as a political name. The Gok-Turk empire was established by Ilterish Khagan, and perhaps the most famous of the Gok-Turk princes was Kul Tegin who is mentioned in the Orhun Inscriptions dated back to the 7th century.

The Gok-Turk empire, extending from the Black Sea across central Asia to the Pacific Ocean united the Turks as a nomadic confederation. The great difference between the Gok-Turk and it's preceding Hun empire was the subordination of the Turks and their temporary Khans-Hakans (lords) to a central authority that was left in the hands of a dynasty of tribal chiefs. Shamanism, the worship of nature was the most common practiced religion in the Gok-Turk state, as it was prior to the establishment of the empire.

In 582, shortly after its inception, the Gokturk Empire was divided into two khanates (states) which became known as the eastern and western empires. Both khanates were attacked by the Tang dynasty of China in 630 and were subjugated by the Chinese for years, until the first Gok-Turk state finally collapsed. Fifty-two years later, the Turks revolted against the Chinese and were able to establish the second Gok-Turk empire which lasted until 740.

The first Gok-Turk state

Rulers of the eastern & western portions:

Bumin Khaghan (552)

Kolo (552)

Bek Khan Khaghan (553 - 572)

Taspar Khaghan (572 - 581)

Ishbara Khaghan (582 - 587)

Yehu (587)

Tulan (587-599)

Buchia (599-601)

Jimin Khaghan (601 - 609)

Shibi Khaghan (609 - 619)

Chulo Khaghan (619 - 621)

Illigh Khaghan (621 - 630)

Tardu (Western ruler) (582 - 603)

Shih-keui (603-618)

Tong Yabgu (618 - 630)


Important events in the first Gok-Turk empire:

552: Bumin and Istemi overthrew the Juan-Juans

555: Final defeat of the Juan-Juans

571: Istemi’s campaigns in Azerbaijan and Transoxiana

582: Division of the Turk empire into Eastern and Western khanates

600: Tardu’s campaign against the Chinese

603: Tie Le tribes kill Tardu

610: Rise of the Eastern Khaghanate

618: Rise of the Western Khaghanate

630: Jieli Khaghan captured by the Tang Chinese, Tong Yabgu killed by his uncle, both Turk khanates collapse

659: Last remnants of the Western Turks subjugated by the Tang

682: Khutlugh founded the second Gok-Turk empire


The second Gok-Turk empire

Rulers of the eastern & western portions:

Kutlugh Iltirish Khaghan (682 - 692)

Khapaghan Khaghan (692 - 716)

Inel Bogu Khaghan (716)

Bilge Khaghan (716 - 734)

Turk Bilge Khaghan (734 - not clear)

Tenri Khan (734-741)

Khutlugh Bilge Khaghan (741-743)

Ilitmish Bilge Khaghan (743)

Ozmish Khaghan (743)

Bomei Khaghan (743-744)


Important Events in the second Gok-Turk empire

682: Kutluk and Ilterish founded the second Gok-Turk Empire

693: Kapgan Kaghan’s campaign against the On-Ok and Kyrgyz tribes

701: The Transoxiana Campaigns

710: Defeat of the Kyrgyz revolt

716: Kapgan Kaghan killed by the Bayirku tribe, his son is overthrown by Bilge and Kul Tegin

720: Bilge Kaghan’s Chinese Campaign

725: Death of Ayguji Tonyukuk

731: Death of Kul Tegin

734: Bilge Kaghan’s campaign against the Kitan and Tatabi tribes, Bilge poisoned

742: The "Rebel Alliance" capture Otugen and depose the last Gokturk ruler

 
 

 

Islamic Period

Turkic soldiers in the army of the Abbasid caliphs emerged as de facto rulers of most of the Muslim Middle East (except Syria and Egypt), particularly after the 10th century. Oghuz and other tribes captured and dominated various countries under the leadership of the Seljuk dynasty and eventually captured the territories of the Abbasid dynasty and the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire.

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile, Kirghiz and Uighurs were struggling with each other and with the mighty Chinese Empire. Kirghiz people finally settled in the region that is now referred to as Kyrgyzstan. Tatar peoples conquered Volga Bulgars in what is today southern Russia following the westward sweep of the Mongols under Genghis Khan in the 13th century. Bulgars was named tatars by Russians mistakenly. Native Tatars lives only in Asia and they are Mongols in origin, European tatars in fact; are Bulgars descended from Kipchak Turks. (Bulgars came to Europe in 7-8th century). Everywhere, Turkic groups mixed to some extent with other local populations.

As the Seljuks declined after the Mongol invasion, the Ottoman Empire emerged as a new important Turkic state which came to dominate not only the Middle East, but also southeastern Europe and parts of southwestern Russia and northern Africa. Meanwhile, other Turkic groups founded dynasties in Iran (Safavids) and northern India (the Mughal Empire).

The Ottoman Empire grew weaker in the face of repeated wars with Russia and Austria and the emergence of nationalist movements in the Balkans, and finally gave way after World War I to the present-day republic of Turkey.

 

Characteristics

The majority of Turkic peoples from Siberia to eastern Europe have a similar linguistic, cultural and historical background, although their regional history (history of each individual Turkic nation) is different.

They often differ in physical appearance due to female partners descended from Asians or Caucasians(but also the Mongol invasion of Asia in the 13th century lead to a Turk/Mongol mixture in some eastern-Turkic regions, But Mongols carry 48% Mongoloid genes(haplogroup C) as well as 52% Turanic/Turkic Central Asian genes(haplogroup K and subgroups.) Kazaks, Kirgiz, Altays, Tatars, Tuvans and Yakuts are often referred to as Turko-Mongol peoples. However, these ethnic groups are linguistically and culturally Turkic and perhaps racially mixed with Mongols(Mongols have 48% Mongoloid features).

Turks from western China to eastern Europe seem to possess the Caucasoid appearance (many Tatars, Turks from Turkey, Azerbaijanis, Bashkorts, Qashqays, Turkmens, Uzbeks, Uygurs of China and also Kazaks and Kirgiz have light features including blue/gray/green eyes and blondish/reddish hair although Turks at Western Asia and Europe mostly look Caucasoid and having blond/brown/black hair and gray/green/brown eyes and light to olive skin features). The majority of Turks seem to have high or round cheek bones, round, long and broad heads and straight to wavy hair.

 

 

Most Turks are Sunni Muslims but some Turks are Jewish as well as Christians. The Azerbaijanis of the Republic of Azerbaijan and South Azerbaijan are the only Turkic/Shia-Muslim people in the world (the Qashqays who live in southern Iran and who are often referred to as Azerbaijanis but are a sepereate Turkic ethnic group are also Shias,) and the Chuvash of Russia and Gauguz (Gokoguz) of Moldova are the only two Christian-Turkic peoples. Some Turks are Shamanist (especially in the eastern-Turkic republics of Russia such as Altay, Hakas and Tiva.) Shamanism (worship of nature) was the predominent relgion of the different Turkic branches prior to the 8th century, when the majority accepted Islam. There are also some Buddhist, Jewish, Zoroastian and Baha'i Turks, however their numbers are few.

It is noteworthy to mention that the term "Turkic" did not exist before the Stalinist era. Today, the term "Turkish" in terms of nationality only refers to the Turks of Turkey, while before the establishment of the Soviet Union, "Turkish" meant all "Turkic" peoples of the world. In the Turkic languages, there is no distinction between Turkish/Turkic and some western sources use the term "Turkish people" instead of "Turkic people". When referring to the different dialects of the Turks, the term Turkish is used (for example the language of the Azerbaijanis is Azerbaijani-Turkish and the language of the Uygurs is Uygur-Turkish.)

Today it should be referred to the Turkic countries, regions and peoples as part of the "Turkish World" (Turkic world) or in Turkish: "Turk Dunyasi." 

 

 

 

See also

External links