Turkic Khaganates
In Central Asia, the Great Turkic Khaganate (552-744 years) emerges. The Turks considered Ashina, the mythical son of a she-wolf, to be their ancestor. Here is what the legend says about this.
A small clan was attacked by enemies. The warriors fought bravely, but the invaders outnumbered them - there were 40 enemies for each warrior. No one shied away from battle, no one asked for mercy. The enemies were ruthless; they exterminated everyone - men, women, children, and the elderly. Only one son of the chieftain was left alive. They cut off both of his hands and threw him into a swamp.
Let your brave lineage be reborn from you! - they laughed wildly. Their ominous laughter echoed in the boy's ears for a long time.
Night fell. Slowly losing consciousness, the boy still heard the howling of jackals, the hooting of an owl, and the hissing of snakes in the nearby grass. Then, from a distance, he heard the howl of a wolf. It was getting closer and closer... At the edge of the swamp, a huge she-wolf appeared. The unfortunate child had no strength to scream, and he silently watched her. But the she-wolf was clearly not looking for prey. She grabbed the boy by the collar of his outer garment with her teeth, pulled him out of the swamp, and began to lick his wounds. Then she fed him with her milk...
Years passed. The boy, who was lovingly cared for by the she-wolf, grew up and turned into a slender young man. After some time, he was killed by enemies. The she-wolf sought refuge in the distant Altai Mountains, where she gave birth to ten sons. They grew up, married girls from the Turfan lowlands, and each became the head of a separate clan. The most energetic and active of them - the eldest son Ashina remained in Altai, and from him descended the ancient Turks. The second led the Kyrgyz, who settled along the Yenisei. The other brothers chose different territories for their continuation.
A legend is a legend. But the Turks associate their origin precisely with the wolf. And there is nothing surprising in this. Many peoples of Asia consider various animals to be their ancestors. In the traditions of the Turks, it is said that the Kyrgyz are one of their branches, that they have a common ancestor.
The Ashina clan in Altai initially submitted to the Juan-Juan, who dominated Central Asia. The main occupation of the clan was cattle breeding, as the Altai Mountains with their rich diversity created favorable conditions for this. Then people mastered the extraction and smelting of iron from ore. Having learned to make weapons from iron, the Ashina clan gained strength.
Apparently, at this time the name "Turk" appeared, which meant "strong," "powerful." Initially, only the rulers of the clan were called Turks, but gradually this name spread to the clan as a whole, to tribes, tribal alliances, and later to the entire state. The name "Turk," according to Chinese sources, is first mentioned in 542 as "Tujue."
The Great Turkic Khaganate was founded by Khagan Bumyn, a descendant of the Ashina clan. Like many others, his clan was under the power of the Juan-Juan. His relatives mined ore, smelted iron, and made weapons, necessary tools, etc. However, at the same time, Bumyn trained his warriors to wield swords and bows, arming them and preparing for the fight against the enemy.
In the winter of 552, Bumyn attacked the Juan-Juan and completely defeated them. After this victory, Bumyn took the title of rulers of the Juan-Juan - "Ilig Khagan." Thus, the great Turkic Khaganate emerges in Central Asia (552—603 years). Some time later, the Kyrgyz also came under the power of the Turkic Khaganate.
The rise of the khaganate is associated with the reign of the khagans Muhan, Istemi, and Taspaar. They managed to subjugate the territories of other tribes and thus expand the possessions of the khaganate, develop trade with other countries and tribes. Even the Chinese state paid them tributes.
However, the main external enemies of the khaganate - China and Iran made every effort to weaken the strength and power of the khaganate. Moreover, there were growing intrigues among those close to the court within the khaganate itself. As a result, in 603, the great Turkic Khaganate split into two independent states - the Western Turkic and Eastern Turkic Khaganates.
The Western Turkic Khaganate (603—704 years) included a large part of Central Asia, including Semirechye, Tian Shan, Fergana, and Eastern Turkestan. The capital of the state was initially the city of Talas, then it was moved to the Chuy Valley - the city of Suayb (not far from the modern city of Tokmok).
The strengthening of the power of the western Turks coincided with the reign of Ton Jabgu Khagan - 618-630 years. Contemporaries highly valued him as a politician and military leader. Chinese chroniclers wrote about him: "He feared nothing and was a far-sighted man. He emerged victorious from any battle." Ton Jabgu Khagan pursued an active anti-Iranian policy. As a result of a successful campaign, he took Tokharistan from Iran, captured all of Afghanistan and northern India. Securing the support of the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius, he attacked the Iranian possessions in the Caucasus, capturing the cities of Derbent, Tbilisi, and Partav.
Ton Jabgu Khagan carried out an important political and administrative reform, equalizing the rights of the tribal nobility of the nomadic and agricultural tribes living in the oases of Central Asia and Eastern Turkestan. However, the khagan's initiatives did not receive support from representatives of the nomadic nobility, who had previously enjoyed a more privileged position. Their discontent sharply increased, and soon one of them unexpectedly attacked Ton Jabgu Khagan and killed him.
These events marked the beginning of infighting and disputes among the tribes of the Western Turkic Khaganate. However, in the struggle against external enemies, they still took coordinated actions. Only through the unification of efforts were they able to resist the aggressive ambitions of the Chinese Empire. However, even this could not prevent the gradual destruction of the khaganate.
In 704, the 23rd khagan of the Ashina dynasty was killed. The Türgesh khagans, who seized power, formed the Türgesh Khaganate (704-766 years) in Semirechye and Tian Shan.
The Türgesh belonged to one of the Turkic peoples. They were divided into two clans - the "yellow" and the "black," which constantly feuded with each other. At the time of the Türgesh's rise to power, they dominated most of the territory of the Western Turkic Khaganate and also owned territories along the Irtysh River. The Türgesh dealt decisive blows to the Arab conquerors advancing from the west towards Central Asia, thereby preventing their conquest of the Fergana, Talas, and Chuy valleys.
In the mid-8th century, a confrontation occurred in Central Asia between the two largest powers - China and the Arab Caliphate, both claiming dominance in the region. The decisive battle took place in 751 near the city of Atlah on the Talas River. The Chinese army was defeated and suffered heavy losses. In this battle, the local population sided with the Arabs. However, despite this, it did not allow the Arabs to establish their power in Semirechye. The Battle of Atlah was of great significance for the peoples of Central Asia: it marked the beginning of the rapprochement of the Turks of Tian Shan with the developed civilization of Western Asia, rather than with China.
Over time, the struggle for power between the "yellow" and "black" Türgesh intensified, leading to the weakening of the state. This circumstance was skillfully exploited by the Karluk tribes.
The State of the Karluks (766—840 years). The Karluks belonged to the western branch of the Turkic peoples and spoke the Turkic language. They migrated to Semirechye in 746 and quickly established themselves here, consolidating their position and influence.
Taking advantage of the infighting within the Türgesh, the Karluks seized power in the Türgesh Khaganate and established their own state. The ruler held the title of "Jabgu" (ruler). Therefore, in history, their state is also referred to as the Karluk Jabganate.
The power of the Karluks in Tian Shan was initially strong, but gradually it weakened and lost its influence. As a result of constant attacks from the Arabs advancing from the west, who declared a "holy" war for Islam, the Karluks repeatedly lost the territories under their control. Moreover, the tribes of Chigil, Yagma, and Türgesh within this state sought independence and therefore only formally recognized the authority of the Karluk Jabganate.
The weakening of positions and the intensification of political contradictions in the state of the Karluks coincided with another event - the crushing of the Uyghur Khaganate in 840 by the Yenisei Kyrgyz, which occupied territories along the Orkhon River. Pursuing the Uyghurs, the Kyrgyz tribes reached Tian Shan - the territory of modern Kyrgyzstan - and settled next to the Karluks. At this time, the Chigil tribe expanded its sphere of influence in the state of the Karluks, later forming the basis of the emerging state of the Karakhanids.
