Göktürks
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The Göktürks or Kök-Türks were a Turkic people of ancient North and Central Asia, Eastern Europe and northwestern China. Known in medieval Chinese sources as Tujue (突厥 Tū jué), the Göktürks under the leadership of Bumin/Tuman Khan/Khaghan (d. 552) and his sons, established the first known Turkic state around 552 in the general area of territory that had earlier been occupied by the Huns, and expanded rapidly to rule wide territories in Central Asia. The Göktürks originated from the Ashina tribe, an Altaic people who lived in the northern corner of the area presently called the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China. They were the first Turkic tribe to use the name "Türk" as a political name.
The state's most famous personalities other than its founder Bumin were princes Kül Tigin and Bilge and the vizier Tonyukuk, whose life stories were carved on the famous Orkhon inscriptions.
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[edit] Etymology
Kök-Türks is said to mean "Celestial Turks", but this is contested. Alternate meanings are "Blue Turks", and "Numerous Turks"; as kök meant both "sky" and "blue" in the Köktürk language, and a similar sounding word stands for "root". According to the ancient East Asian cosmology outlined in the theory of the Five Elements (五行 Wǔ-xíng), to which the Turks have also ascribed since ancient times, the color blue is a symbol representing the eastern direction, and it is associated with good omens. The Guardian Deity of the Eastern Direction is the Azure Dragon. Thus, it would not be surprising if the Göktürks had chosen to call themselves "Blue Turks" in the primary sense of "East Turks", with all the associated connotations of "first," "rising," "dawning," "auspicious," and so forth. Göktürk is pronounced IPA: [ɡʲøkʲˈtʏɾk].
[edit] Origins
Two hundred years after the collapse of Hun power in Asia, leadership of the Turks was taken over by the Göktürks. The Göktürks inherited the Huns' traditions and administrative experiences. From 552 to 745, Göktürk leadership bound together the nomadic Turkic tribes into an empire, which finally fell due to internal conflicts over transfer of power. The great difference between the Göktürk Khanate and its Hunnish predecessor was that the Göktürks' temporary Khans (lords) were subordinate to a sovereign authority that was left in the hands of a council of tribal chiefs. The Göktürks were the first Turkic people to write their language in a runic script. See Orkhon script. The Khanate received missionaries from the Buddhists, Manicheans, and Nestorian Christians, but retained their original shamanistic religion, Tengriism.
[edit] First unified empire
The Turks' rise to power began in 546 when Bumin Khan made a pre-emptive strike against the Tiele tribes who were planning a revolt against their overlords, the Rouran. For this service he expected to be rewared with a Rouran princess, i.e. marry into the royal family. But there was to be no princess. Enraged, Tumem allied with the Wei state against Rouran, their common enemy. In 552, Tuman defeated the last Rouran Khan, Yujiulü Anagui. He was formally recognized by China, and married the Wei princess Changle. Thus proving himself both in battle and diplomacy he declared himself Il-Qaghan (great king of kings) of the new Göktürk empire at Otukan, the old Xiongnu capital. He died one year later; the Göktürk state was really built by his son Mukhan. Tuman's brother Istämi (d. 576) was titled yabghu of the west and collaborated with the Persian Sassanids to defeat and destroy the White Huns, who were allies of the Rouran. This war drove the Avars into Europe. Istämi initiated diplomatic contact with the Byzantine Empire, and together they built an alliance against the Persians. Both rival states in north China paid large tributes to the Göktürks from 581.
[edit] Alliance
The Göktürk Empire continued extremely close ties with the Goguryeo Dynasty of Korea controlling the northern part of the Korean Peninsula. Giving gifts, providing military support, and free trade were some of the benefits of this close mutual alliance. The most significant incident is of the Goguryeo-Sui and Goguryeo-Tang wars, where the Sui and later Tang dynasties of China invaded Goguryeo. The Sui dynasty was annihilated in their invasion by defending Goguryeo troops. The Tang Dynasty was able to overcome Goguryeo with the help of a neighboring Korean state, Shilla, and mark its fall. In this war, the Göktürks opened a second front on the western Chinese border to help ease Goguryeo's plight.
[edit] Civil war
This first Göktürk Empire split in two after the death of the fourth Qaghan, Taspar Khan (ca. 584). He had willed the title Qaghan to Mukhan's son Talopien, but the high council appointed Ishbara. Factions formed around both leaders. Soon, four rival khans claimed the title Qaghan. They were successfully played off against each other by Sui and Tang Dynasty China. The most serious contender was the Western Khan, Istämi's son Tardu, a violent and ambitious man who had already declared himself independent of the Qaghan after his father's death. He now titled himself as Qaghan (Khagan) the supreme ruler, and lead an army to the east to claim Otukan. Ishbara, Khan of the Eastern Khanate fearing defeat became formally subordinate to the Chinese Emperor Yangdi for protection. Tardu attacked Changan the Sui capital around 600 as a warning to Emperor Yangdi to end his interference in the civil war. However, Chinese diplomacy incited a revolt of Tardu's Tiele vassal tribes, and Tardu's reign was cut short in 603. Among the dissident tribes were the Uyghur and Syr-Tardush.
[edit] Dual empires
The civil war left the empire divided into an east and west. The east retained the name Göktürk as vassals of the Sui Empire, and the newly independent Western Turkic Khaganate was called Onoq (ten arrows)[citation needed]. Khan Hsien of the East attacked China at its weakest moment during the transition between Sui and Tang dynasties. He was brought down by a revolt of his Tiele vassal tribes (626-630), allied with Emperor Taizong of Tang. This tribal alliance is recorded as the Huihe (Uyghur). The Khan was taken prisoner and his empire was zoned into protectorates by the Tang dynasty. The Western Khan Tung Sche-hu was murdered in 630 by Persian diplomacy, despite strong support by the Byzantine Empire against the Persians. The Onoq were divided into east and west factions called Tulu and Nushipi respectively[citation needed]. They were conquered by the Tang general Su Ding Fang in 657. By 659 the Tang Emperor of China could claim to rule the entire Silk Road as far as Po-sse (Persia). The Turks now carried Chinese titles and fought by their side in their wars.
[edit] Inter-imperial era
The era spanning from 659-681 was characterized by numerous independent rulers weak divided and engaged in constant petty wars. In the east, the Uyghurs defeated their one time allies the Tardush, while in the west, the Turgish emerged as successors to the Onoq..
[edit] Second empire
Nonetheless, Ilteriş Şad (Idat) and his brother Bäkçor Qapağan Khan (Mo-ch'o) managed to refound the Khanate which in a series of wars from 681 onward gained control of the steppes beyond the Great Wall of China, extending by 705 to threaten Arab control of Transoxiana. Their power centered at the Changai Mountains (then: Ötükän). The son of Ilteriş, Bilge, was also a strong leader, but at his death in 734, the empire declined. They ultimately fell to a series of internal crises and renewed Chinese campaigns. After Kutluk (Ko-lo) Khan's military victory in 744, the successors to the Göktürks became their more China-friendly junior partners, known as the Uyghurs.
[edit] Rulers (Qağan or Kağan)
- See also Göktürk Qağans
[edit] First Göktürk Empire
- Ashina Tuwu
- Yili Qaghan / Ashina Tumen 552 - 553 elder son of Tuwu
- Yixiji Qaghan / Ashina Keluo 553 - 554 son of Tumen
- Shabolue Qaghan / Ashina Shetu 581 - 587 son of Kelou
- Xiegashiduona Dulan / Ashina Chuluohou 588 - 599 son of Shetu
- Tuli Qaghan or Qimin Qaghan / Ashina Rangan 599 - 609 son of Chuluohou
- Shibi Qaghan / Ashina Duoji 609 - 619 son of Rangan
- Chuluo Qaghan / Ashina Qilifu 619 - 621 younger brother of Duoji
- Jiali Qaghan / Ashina Duobi 621 - 630 third son of Rangan
- Tuli Qaghan or Qimin Qaghan / Ashina Rangan 599 - 609 son of Chuluohou
- Xiegashiduona Dulan / Ashina Chuluohou 588 - 599 son of Shetu
- Yehu Qaghan or Mohe Qaghan / Ashina Yongyulu 587 - 588 brother of Shetu
- Shabolue Qaghan / Ashina Shetu 581 - 587 son of Kelou
- Mugan Qaghan / Ashina Qijin 554 - 572 younger brother of Kelou
- Tuobo Qaghan / Unknown name 572 - 581 younger brother of Qijin
- Unknown title / Ashina Anluo 581 son of Tuobo Qaghan
- Yixiji Qaghan / Ashina Keluo 553 - 554 son of Tumen
- Yili Qaghan / Ashina Tumen 552 - 553 elder son of Tuwu
[edit] Rival Qağans of Ishbara
[edit] Western Qaghans
- Ashina Tuwu
- Istämi Yabghu 553 - 573 (defacto qağan in west) second son of Tuwu
- Tardu Datou Khan 599 - 603
- Nili Khan 603 and Chulo 603 - 611
- Shekuei 611 - 618
- Tung Yabğu 618 - 630
- Yiwu Khan 630
- Simo Khan 641 - 644
- Chebi Khan 644 - 649
- Baz Khan (chief of the Oghuz, self-proclaimed Göktürk) -682
- Muchuo Khan 681 (or 682) - 712
[edit] Second Göktürk Empire
- Ilteris Sad (Idat) 680 - 691 (or 692)
- Qapagan Khan (Mo-ch'o) 691 - 716 (murdered)
- Inäl Khan 716
- Bilgä Khan 716 - 734 (murdered)
- Kul Tigin Khan 716 - 731 (co-ruler with Bilge)
- Yollug Khan 735 -
- Icen Khan - 744
- Etimis Khan 744-747 (in exile)
