The establishment and dissolution of the Türk empire

doi:10.1017/CHOL9780521243049.012

11 - The establishment and dissolution of the Türk empire

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 March 2008

Denis Sinor

Edited by

Denis Sinor

Show author details

Denis Sinor: Affiliation:
Indiana University

Book contents

Get access

Summary

In the 540s there appeared on the Chinese horizon a people previously barely known which, within a few years, not only changed the balance of power in Mongolia – the traditional basis of great, nomad empires – but also introduced into the scene of Inner Asian and world history an ethnic and linguistic entity which in earlier times could not be identified or isolated from other groups showing the same cultural characteristics. It bore the name Türk, an appellation left in legacy to most later peoples speaking a Turkic-language. It stands to reason that the Türks of Mongolia were not the products of spontaneous generation and that one must, by necessity, reckon with other Turks living there or elsewhere in centuries preceding the foundation of the empire bearing their name. Yet, such considerations notwithstanding, it should not be lost from sight that the Türks are the first people to whom we can attribute with certainty a Turkic text written in a Turkic language, and that their name – so widely used ever since their rise to power – cannot be traced with absolute certainty before the sixth century A.D.

Early mentions of Türks

It could be that the first mention of the name Türk was made in the middle of the first century A.D. Pomponius Mela (I,116) refers to the Turcae in the forests north of the Azov Sea, and Pliny the Elder in his Natural History (VI, 19) gives a list of peoples living in the same area among whom figure the Tyrcae.

Information

Type: Chapter
Information: The Cambridge History of Early Inner Asia , pp. 285 - 316

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CHOL9780521243049.012 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 1990

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Book purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Ahrens, K. – Krüger, G., 1899, Die sogenannte Kirchengeschichte des Zacharias Rhetor, Bibliotheca Teubneriana (Leipzig).Google Scholar

Barthold, W., 1899, Die alttürkischen Inschriften und die arabischen Quellen, in Radloff, W., Die alttürkischen Inschriften der Mongolei, Zweite Folge (St. Pétersbourg).Google Scholar

Barthold, W., 1935, 12 Vorlesungen über die Geschichte der Türken Mittelasiens, Deutsche Bearbeitung von Theodor Menzel (Berlin).Google Scholar

Batmanov, I. A. – Kunaa, A. Ch., 1963, Pamjatniki drevnetjurkskoj pis'mennosti Tuv: (Kyzyl).Google Scholar

Bazin, Louis, 1976, “Eine Inschrift vom Oberen Jenissei als Quelle zur Geschichte Zentralasiens,” Materialia Turcica, 2.Google Scholar

Bazin, Louis, 1974, Les calendriers turcs anciens et médiévaux (Lille).Google Scholar

Bazin, Louis, 1981, “Kül Tegin ou Kö1 Tegin?,” Scholia. Beiträge zur Turkologie und Zentralasienkunde. Annemarie von Gabain zum 80. Geburtstag am, 4. Juli 1981 dargebracht von Kollegen, Freunden und Schülern,. Veröffentlichungen der Societas Uralo-Altaica, Bd. 14.Google Scholar

Beckwith, Christopher I., 1979, “The Tibetan Empire in the West,” in Tibetan Studies in Honor of Hugh Richardson (Oxford).Google Scholar

Bombaci, Alessio, 1964–1965, “Qutluy bolzun! A Contribution to the History of the Concept ‘Fortune’ among the Turks,” Ural-Altaische Jahrbücher. 36; 38.Google Scholar

Bombaci, Alessio, 1970a, “Qui était ǰebu xak'an?,” Turcica, 2.Google Scholar

Bombaci, Alessio, 1970b, “On the Ancient Turkic Title eltäbär,” Proceedings of the IXth Meeting of the Permanent International Altaistic Conference (Napoli).Google Scholar

Bombaci, Alessio, 1971, “The Husbands of Princess Hsien-li Bilgä,” Studia Turcica, edited by Ligeti, L. (Budapest).Google Scholar

Bombaci, Alessio, 1974, “On the Ancient Turkish Title ‘šaδ’”, Gururājamañjarikā. Studi in onore di Giuseppe Tucci (Napoli).Google Scholar

Bombaci, Alessio, 1976, “On the Ancient Turkish Title šadapït,” Ural-Altaische Jahrbücher. 48.Google Scholar

Cannata, Patrizia, 1981, Profilo storico del I° impero turco (metà VI–metà VII secolo), Istituto di Studi dell'India e dell'Asia Orientale (Roma). [Possibly the best modern presentation of the Türk empire].Google Scholar

Chabot, J. B., 1899–1924, Chronique de Michel le Syrien, patriarche Jacobite d'Antioche, I–IV (Paris).Google Scholar

Chavannes, Edouard, 1903, Documents sur les Tou-kiue (Turcs) Occidentaux, (St. Pétersbourg). (Reprint 1941?).Google Scholar

Chavannes, Edouard, 1904, “Notes additionnelles sur les Tou-kiue (Turcs) Occidentaux”, T'oung Pao. 5. (Reprinted in the reprint of the Documents).Google Scholar

Chavannes, Edouard, 1905, “Jinagupta, (528–605 après J.C.),” T'oung Pao 6.Google Scholar

Chavannes, Edouard, 1912, “Epitaphes de deux princesses turques des T'ang,” Festschrift V. Thomsen (Leipzig).Google Scholar

Clauson, Gerard Sir, 1971, “Some Notes on the Inscription of Toñuquq,” Studia Turcica edited by Ligeti, L., (Budapest).Google Scholar

Czeglédy, K., 1954, “Monographs on Syriac and Muhammadan Sources in the Literary Remains of M. Kmoskó,” Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae. 4.Google Scholar

Czeglédy, K., 1958, “Bahrām Čōbīn and the Persian Apocalyptic Literature,” Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 8.Google Scholar

Czeglédy, K., 1962, “Coγay-quzï, Qara-qum, Kök-öng,” Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 15.Google Scholar

Czeglédy, K., 1972, “On the Numerical Composition of the Ancient Turkish Tribal Confederation,” Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 25.Google Scholar

Czeglédy, K., 1973, “Gardizi on the History of Central Asia (746–80 a.d.),” Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 27.Google Scholar

Czeglédy, K., 1980, “Zur Geschichte der Hephtaliten,” Acta Archaeologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, 28.Google Scholar

Czeglédy, K., 1983, “From East to West: the Age of Nomadic Migrations in Eurasia,” Archivum Eurasiae Medii Aevi, III. [Translated from Hungarian by Golden, P. B.].Google Scholar

Daffinà, Paolo, 1985, “La Persia sassanide secondo le fonti cinese,” Rivista degli Studi Orientali, 57.Google Scholar

Doblhofer, E., 1955, Byzantinische Diplomaten und östliche Barbaren. Aus den Excerpta de legationibus des Konstantinos Porphyrogennetos ausgewählte Abschnitte des Priskos und Menander Protektor (Graz).Google Scholar

Doerfer, Gerhard, 1962, “Zur Bezeichnung der Westtürken”, Central Asiatic Journal 7.Google Scholar

Dowsett, C.J.F. (trans.), 1961, The History of the Caucasian Albanians by Movsēs Dasxurançi (Oxford).Google Scholar

Dunlop, D. M., 1957, The History of the Jewish Khazars (Princeton).Google Scholar

Ecsedy, H. 1965, “Old Turkic Titles of Chinese Origin,” Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 18.Google Scholar

Ecsedy, H. 1972, “Tribe and Tribal Society in the 6th Century Turk Empire,” Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 25.Google Scholar

Ecsedy, H. 1977, “Tribe and Empire, Tribe and Society in the Turk Age,” Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 31.Google Scholar

Enoki, Kazuo, 1959, “On the Nationality of the Ephtalites,” Memoirs of the Research Department of the Toyo Bunko 18.Google Scholar

Enoki, Kazuo, 1955, “The Origin of the White Huns or Hephtalites,” East and West, 6.Google Scholar

Enoki, Kazuo, 1969, “On the Date of the Kidarites (1),” Memoirs of the Research Department of the Toyo Bunko 27.Google Scholar

Enoki, Kazuo, 1970, “On the Date of the Kidarites (2),” Memoirs of the Research Department of the Toyo Bunko 28.Google Scholar

Gabain, A. von, 1950, “Steppe und Stadt im Leben der ältesten Türken,” Der Islam, 29.Google Scholar

Gabain, A. von, 1953, “Inhalt und magische Bedeutung der alttürkischen Inschriften,” Anthropos.Google Scholar

Gumilev, L. N., 1967, Drevnie tjurki (Moskva).Google Scholar

Hamilton, F. J. – Brooks, E. G., 1899, The Syriac Chronicle of Zachariah of Mitylene (London).Google Scholar

Hamilton, James, 1962, “Toquz-oγuz et On-uyγur,” Journal asiatique.Google Scholar

Hamilton, James, 1972, “Le nom de lieu k.č.n, dans les inscriptions turques runiformes,” T'oung Pao 60.Google Scholar

Hannestad, K., 1955–7, “Les relations de Byzance avec la Transcaucasie et l'Asie Centrale aux 5e et 6e siè;cles,” Byzantion, 25–7.Google Scholar

Harmatta, J., 1962, “Byzantinoturcica,” Acta Archaeologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, 10.Google Scholar

Harmatta, J., 1970, “Irán és Kina kapcsolatának történetéhez,” Antik Tanulmányok 17.Google Scholar

Harmatta, J., 1972, “Irano-Turcica,” Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae.Google Scholar

Harmatta, J., 1982, “La médaille de Jeb Sahansah,” Studia Iranica II.Google Scholar

Haussig, H. W., 1953, “Theophylakts Exkurs über die skythischen Völker,” Byzantion 23.Google Scholar

Hovdhaugen, Even, 1974, “The Relationship between the two Orkhon Inscriptions,” Acta Orientalia, 36.Google Scholar

Jisl, Lumir, 1968, “Wie sahen die alten Türken aus?,” Ural-Altaische Jahrbücher 40.Google Scholar

Khudjakov, Ju. S., 1980, Vooruzhenie enisejskikh kyrgyzov (Novosibirsk).Google Scholar

Kljashtornyj, S. G., 1971, “Runicheskaja nadpis' iz vostochnoj Gobi,” in Studia Turcica, edited by Ligeti, L. (Budapest), and Livshic, V. A., 1972, “The Sogdian Inscription of Bugut Revised,” Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae. 26.Google Scholar

Kljashtornyj, S. G., 1962, “Problemy rannej istorii plemeni türk (ashina),” in Materialy i issledovanija po arkheologii SSSR 130.Google Scholar

Kljashtornyj, S. G., 1964, Drevnetjurkskie runicheskie pamjatniki kak istochnik po istorii Srednej Azii (Moskva).Google Scholar

Kljashtornyj, S. G., 1977, “Mifologicheskie sjuzheti v drevne turkskikh pamjatnikakh,” Tjurkolo-gicheskij sbornik.Google Scholar

Ligeti, Louis, 1971, “A propos du ‘Rapport sur les rois demeurant dans le nord’,” in Etudes tibétaines dédiées à la mémoire de Marcelle Lalou (Paris).Google Scholar

Liu, Mau-tsai, Die Chinesischen Nachrichten zur Geschichte der Ost-Türken (T'u-küe), 2 vols Göttinger Asiatische Forschungen, vol. 10, Wiesbaden, 1958).Google Scholar

Liu, Mau-tsai, 1958. Die chinesischen Nachrichten zur Geschichte der Ost-Türken (T'u-küe), I–II, Göttinger Asiatische Forschungen 10 (Wiesbaden).Google Scholar

Maljavkin, A. G., 1981, Istoricheskaja geografija Central'noj Azii (Materialy i issledovanija) (Novosibirsk).Google Scholar

Malov, S. E., 1951, Pamjatniki drevnetjurkskoj pis'mennosti (Moskva–Leningrad).Google Scholar

Malov, S. E., 1951, 1952, Enisejskaja pis'mennost' Tjurkov (Moskva–Leningrad).Google Scholar

Malov, S. E., 1951, 1959, Pamjatniki drevnetjurkskoj pis'mennosti Mongolii i Kirgizia, (Moskva– Leningrad).Google Scholar

Marquart, J., 1901, Ērānšahr nach der Geographie des Ps. Moses Xorenac'i, Abhandlungen der königl. Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen, Phil. hist. Kl. NF. Bd. III, Nr. 2.Google Scholar

Marquart, J., 1898, Die Chronologie der alttürkischen Inschriften (Leipzig).Google Scholar

Moravcsik, Gyula, 1958, Byzantinoturcica I, Die byzantinischen Quellen der Geschichte der Türkvölker, II, Sprachreste der Türkvölker in den byzantinischen Quellen, 2nd edition (Berlin).Google Scholar

Mori, Masao, 1965, “On Chi-li-fa, Eltäbär/Eltäbir and Chichin (Irkin) of the T'ieh-lê tribes,” Acta Asiatica 9.Google Scholar

Mori, Masao, 1967, Historical Studies of the Ancient Turkic Peoples, I (Tokyo).Google Scholar

Movsēs, Daskhurantsʿi, The History of the Caucasian Albanians by Movsēs Dasxuranci, trans. Dowsett, C.J.F. (London, 1961).Google Scholar

Nagrodzka-Majchrzyk, Teresa, 1978, Geneza miast u dawnych ludów tureckich (VII– XII w.) (Polska Akademia Nauk).Google Scholar

Nöldeke, Th., 1879, Geschichte der Perser und Araber zur Zeit der Sasaniden. Aus der arabischen Chronik des Tabari übersetzt (Leiden).Google Scholar

Olajos, T., 1979, “Theophylaktos Simokattés és történetíró elődje Menandros Protéktór’, Acta Universitatis Szegediensis de Attile József Nominata, Acta Historica, 66.Google Scholar

Payne-Smith, H., 1860, The Third Part of the Ecclesiastical History of John of Ephesus (Oxford).Google Scholar

Pelliot, Paul, 1912, “La fille de Mo-tch'o qaghan et ses rapports avec Kül-tegin,” T'oung Pao 13.CrossRef Google Scholar

Pelliot, Paul, 1915, “L'origine de T'ou-kiue, nom chinois des Turcs,” T'oung Pao 16.Google Scholar

Pelliot, Paul, 1929, “Neuf notes sur des questions d'Asie Centrale,” T'oung Pao 26.CrossRef Google Scholar

Pigulevskaja, N., 1941, Sirijskie istochniki po istorii narodov SSSR, Trudy Instituta vostokovedenija vol XLI. (Moskva).Google Scholar

Pigulevskaja, N., 1946, Vizantija i Iran v rubezhe IV i VII vekov (Moskva–Leningrad).Google Scholar

Pritsak, Omeljan, 1954, “Stammesnamen und Titulaturen der altaischen Völker,” Ural-Altaische Jahrbücher 24.Google Scholar

Pulleyblank, E. G., 1956, “Some Remarks on the Toquz-oghuz Problem,” Ural-Altaische Jahrbücher 28.Google Scholar

Róna-Tas, András, 1982, “A kazár népnévről,” Nyelvtudományi Közlemények, 84.Google Scholar

Roux, J. P. 1962, “La religion des Turcs de l'Orkhon des VIIe et VIIIe siè;cles,” Revue de l'histoire des religions, 161.Google Scholar

Sertkaya, Osman F., 1977, “Probleme der köktürkischen Geschichte: Muss es ‘Inel kagan’ oder ‘Ini il kagan’ heissen?,” Materialia Turcica, 3.Google Scholar

Sinor, Denis, 1963, Introduction à l'étude de l'Eurasie Centrale (Wiesbaden).Google Scholar

Sinor, Denis, 1981, “The Origin of Turkic balïq ‘town’,” Central Asiatic Journal 25.Google Scholar

Sinor, Denis, 1982, “The Legendary Origin of the Türks,” in: Folklorica: Festschrift for Felix J. Onias, edited by Zygas, Egle Victoria and Voorheis, Peter, Indiana University Uralic and Altaic Series vol. 141 (Bloomington, Indiana).Google Scholar

Sinor, Denis, 1984, “Some Components of the Civilization of the Türks (6th to 8th Century, a.d.),” in: Altaistic Studies. Papers Presented at the 25th Meeting of the Permanent International Altaistic Conference at Uppsala, June 7–11, 1982, edited by Jarring, Gunnar and Staffan Rosén, Kungl. Vitterhets Historie och Antikvitets Akademien Konferenser 12 (Stockholm).Google Scholar

Stebleva, I. V., 1965, Poêzija tjurkov VI–VIII vekov (Moskva).Google Scholar

Tekin, Talât, 1968, A Grammar of Orkhon Turkic, Indiana University Uralic and Altaic Series vol. 69 (Bloomington, Indiana), translation of the inscriptions.Google Scholar

Ter-krtichjan, L. Kh., 1979, Armjanskie istochniki o Srednej Azii V–VII vv. (Moskva).Google Scholar

Tezcan, Semih, 1977, “Eski türk¸e buyla ve baγa sanlari üzerine,” Türk Dili Arastirmalari Yilligt Belleten.Google Scholar

Thomsen, V., 1896, Inscriptions de l'Orkhon déchiffrées, Mémoires de la Société Finno-ougrienne V. 1924, “Alttürkische Inschriften der Mongolei,” Zeitschrift der Deutschen Morgenländischen Gesellschaft, 78. Translated from Danish by Schaeder, H. H..Google Scholar

Trijarsky, Edward, 1981, “Die alttürkischen Runen-Inschriften in den Arbeiten der letzten Jahre. Befunde und kritische Ülbersicht,” Altorientalische Forschungen, 8.Google Scholar

Uray, G., 1979, “The Old Tibetan Sources of the History of Central Asia up to 751 a.d.: A Survey,” in: Prolegomena to the Sources on the History of Pre-Islamic Central Asia, edited by Harmatta, J. (Budapest).Google Scholar

Wang, Huan, 1983, “Apa Qaghan Founder of the Western Turkish Khanate, the Splitting up of the Turkish Khanate and the Formation of the Western Turkish Khanate,” Social Sciences in China, 2.Google Scholar

Widengren, Geo, 1952, “Xosrau Anōšurvān, les Hephtalites et les peuples turcs. Etude préliminaire des sources.,” Orientalia Suecana, I.Google Scholar

Zadneprovskij, Ju. A. – Mokrynin, V. P., 1984, “Rannefeodal'nye gosudarstva VI–X vv.,” chapter IV in Istorija Kirgizskoj SSSR I (Frunze).Google Scholar

Accessibility standard: Unknown

Accessibility compliance for the PDF of this book is currently unknown and may be updated in the future.