| |
An Outline of Turkish
History until 1923 |
|
| |
 The Turks and the First Turkish States: The Turks are a national community merged under a language belonging to the Uralo-Altaic linguistic group. They first stepped on the stage of history in the 7th century B.C. at the foot of the Köğmen Mountains. |
| |
| According to Chinese records, the political existence of the Turks in Asia commenced with the Huns (Xiongnu) in the 3rd century B.C. The Huns established a great empire under the reign of Mete Khan. Defeating the Mongols and the Yuechis, they established control over the western gates of China and trade routes. |
| |
| After the collapse of the Asian Hun Empire, the Göktürk Empire was founded at the eastern foot of the Altai Mountains. The Göktürks employed the word “Türk” as an official state name for the first time. Bilge Khagan and Kül Tegin were recorded in history as the most sagacious and heroic figures of Turkish statesmanship. Both these khans and another Göktürk Khan, Tonyukuk, immortalized their accomplishments in texts, entitled the “Orkhun Inscriptions” which are regarded as the first written documents in Turkish history. |
| |
In 741, the Uigurs founded the third Turkish State in history after the Göktürks. However, they were dispersed as a result |
 |
| Orkhun Inscriptions |
|
of a raid carried out by the Kirghiz Turks in the capital.
The West Huns, the descend-ants of the Asian Huns dwel-ling in the Turkistan region close to Lake Aral, left their homeland due to the pres-sure from the Uars and mig-rated to the west of the Volga River. After Başbuğ (big chief) Balamir demolished the East Goths and launched assaults on the West Goths, the Visigoths fled
westward in |
|
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
|
| |
westward in masses. The Hun soldiers continued their raids. This is how the “Great Migration of Peoples” which changed the ethnic outlook of Europe had commenced, extending all the way to Spain and causing turmoil in the northern provinces of the Roman Empire. |
|
| |
| In 434, Attila took control of the West Hun Empire, known as the first Turkish state established in Europe. During Attila’s reign, which put all of the barbarian tribes in Europe and even the Byzantine and West Roman empires into submission, the borders of the West Hun Empire extended over a vast area from the banks of the Rhine River to the Volga River. |
| |
| The West Huns paved the way to Europe for the Turks. The West Huns not only brought their culture and civilization to Europe but also protected the civilizations threatened by barbarian tribes. They put the route from Asia to Europe
for the Turkish migrations that would last for 900 years. |
| |
| The second Turkish tribe proving its existence and power in Europe was the Avars. The Avars, who turned towards the west when the Göktürk State was founded in 552, first settled in Caucasia and the north of the Black Sea. |
| |
Advancing westwards, they dwelled along the banks of the Danube after defeating the Sabirs and Onogurs, and carried out frequent raids on the Balkans. They dominated the area spanning from present day Greek border to Germany. They reigned over the Slavs along the banks of the Danube and the Bulgarians dwelling on the Black Sea coast. They laid siege to İstanbul in 626 together with the Bulgarian Turks, and advanced up to the Byzantine walls. The first Turks in history to besiege İstanbul were the Avars. |
| |
After the Avars, The Khazars came into being in Europe. They established a powerful empire in the 7th and 10th centuries which extended from the Dnieper to the Ural River and from the mid-Volga valleys to Caucasia. The Khazars exercised great religious tolerance on the people of various faiths living in the lands they dominated. A most significant role of the Khazars, who spoke Turkish as the most widespread language, was to name the Caspian Sea (Khazar Sea) after themselves. The Khazars’ political existence as a state came to an end in 968. |
| |
| |
| |
| |
|
