IS KAZAKHSTAN THE HOMELAND OF THE TURKS?

Today, Kazakhs live in many of these areas, including the western part of the Bayan-Ölgii province in Mongolia and the Altai Mountains. Khakassia, Tuva, and other parts of southern Siberia are especially important, and I would also include the Tannu-Ola and Sayan mountain ranges.

Thus, I consider southern Siberia to be the earliest homeland of the Turkic peoples.

In East Kazakhstan, near Öskemen, there are the Berel kurgansiThe Berel kurgans are ancient Saka burial mounds in eastern Kazakhstan, dating to between the fifth and third centuries BCE. They are notable for well-preserved horse sacrifices, gold artifacts, and frozen organic remains under permafrost.. Numerous archaeological finds associated with the ancient Turks have also been discovered at Eleke Sazy in eastern Kazakhstan and in the Tarbagatai Mountains on the China-Kazakhstan border. Therefore, I think we can confidently say that the earliest homeland of the Turks was Southern Siberia and northeastern Kazakhstan.

Do you see a connection between the Xiongnu Empire and the later Turkic Khaganate?

I think the very first thing written about the Turkic Khaganate in most Chinese sources, including the Zhou Shu and Sui ShuiBoth the Zhou Shu (Book of Zhou) and Sui Shu (Book of Sui) are official Chinese dynastic histories that record the Northern Zhou dynasty and the brief Sui dynasty respectively. They form part of the canonical Twenty-Four Histories., is that the Turks were descended from the Xiongnu, or the Huns. That is how the narrative begins. Therefore, we may assume that the ancestors of the Turks were the Xiongnu.

Of course, some European scholars believe the Xiongnu were of Indo-European origin. Some Japanese and Mongolian scholars argue that they were Mongolic. My own view is that the Xiongnu were of Turkic origin.

In the mid-sixth century, the state of Bumin Khagan appeared on the historical stage. What factors allowed the Turks to unite such vast steppe territories?

Before independence, there were three main stages. First, Bumin KhaganiBumin Khagan (died 552 CE) was the founder of the First Turkic Khaganate, who united the Turkic tribes and declared independence from the Rouran Khaganate. established diplomatic relations with the Western Wei dynastyiWestern Wei was a Xianbei-led dynasty ruling western northern China from 535 to 557 CE, with its capital at Chang'an..

Second, he developed international trade. The Turks sold horses and other steppe products, while importing silk and other goods from China along the Silk Road. Third, in 545, the Chinese emperor sent an envoy to Bumin.

Most importantly, however, Bumin united all the Töles tribes, stretching from Mongolia to the Black Sea across the territories of present-day Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Mongolia. Some of these tribes also lived in northern China. He then sent an embassy to the Rouran khagan requesting a dynastic marriage with a princess, intending to demonstrate that the Turks were equal in status to the Rouran.

However, the Rouran khagan replied insultingly:

It was a deliberate insult, a sneer aimed squarely at the Turks' long-standing tradition of metalworking. Soon after, conflict erupted and Bumin attacked the Rouran Khaganate. After defeating and destroying it, he declared independence, and in 552, the independent Göktürk Khaganate was established.

What distinguished the early Göktürk Khaganate from other steppe empires?

I think its greatest distinction is that we possess original Turkic inscriptions. Carved in stone on the steppes of Mongolia, the Orkhon monuments stand as the earliest surviving Turkic inscriptions. From the inscriptions of Tonyukuk, Bilge Khagan, and others, we know the names of rulers, ideas of statehood, political philosophy, and many other aspects of the Göktürk Khaganate. This allows us to understand this state far better than the Xiongnu or many other nomadic empires. In my opinion, the Turkic Khaganate became a model for the entire Turkic world.

If we want to understand the history of modern Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and other Turkic peoples, we should look to the Turkic Khaganate as their historical root. It was Bumin who established the first independent Turkic state after defeating the Rouran.

Today, in the twenty-first century, we speak of the ‘Turkic world’. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Türkiye, and other Turkic peoples all belong to a tradition that goes back to the Turkic Khaganate. We speak Turkic languages—Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Uzbek, Turkmen, Turkish, Tatar, and others—and all modern Turkic peoples are directly connected with its legacy.

For example, there is still a small community in Manchuria known as the Fuyu Kyrgyz. Only about 1,200 people remain, but they still speak a Turkic language. In Türkiye, there are about 85 million people. We speak Turkish and can also understand Kazakh. Thus, today’s Turkic world is directly connected to the tradition of the Turkic Khaganate.

What caused the decline and collapse of the Göktürk Khaganate?

I think there were three main reasons. The first was the poor rule of the last khagans. The second reason was the constant rebellions among the subject tribes. Third, Chinese diplomacy and policy, especially the activities of Chinese spies and agents, who sought to divide the Turks, particularly in the Eastern Turkic Khaganate.

Did the Turks adopt elements of Chinese administration or military practice? And did they influence China in return?

Some Turks were indeed assimilated into China over time. China was always a wealthy country with abundant food and more comfortable living conditions than others in the region. However, Chinese rulers did not actually want the Turks to become fully integrated into their society.

It is worth remembering at this point that the Eastern Turks were outstanding warriors. The Chinese wanted to use them primarily as soldiers rather than assimilate them into their society. Therefore, I would say that from roughly the sixth to the ninth centuries, the Turkic aristocracy and military elite played a major role in China’s military history.

Which question about early Turkic history remains the most controversial today?

The main problem is the lack of sources. Most written sources are in Chinese, and they are extremely difficult to interpret correctly. Moreover, the available sources are insufficient. As a result, scholars often draw conclusions that are not always reliable.

Archaeologists in Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and Russia have made important discoveries, but the overall picture is still incomplete. I believe that the Turkic peoples themselves—Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and perhaps also Mongols and other peoples of the region—should study their own history independently and as objectively as possible.