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54-691: Originally a forest people, Basmyls eventually grew in importance and played a prominent role in the Turkic politics from the 6th century. At one point Basmyls even overthrew the Second Turkic Khaganate 's dynastic clan and briefly held the Khaganate with the help of Karluks and Uyghurs , who later turned against Basmyls. Basmyl supreme leaders were the first to use the term Ydyk-kut , which replaced khagan ; Qocho Uyghur rulers of Turpan likewise titled themselves Ydyk-kuts. The title contains two components:

108-533: A 'tribute' of 30 horses. He refused to ally with the Tibet Empire against the Tang dynasty. His wisdom was praised by Zhang Yue (Tang dynasty) . The deaths of Tonyukuk (726) and Kul Tigin (731) removed Bilge's best advisors. It is reported that Bilge was killed by poison, but the poison was slow-acting and he managed to kill his murderers before he died. Bilge was followed by his elder son Yollig Khagan , and later Yollig

162-596: A crossing over the Syr Darya in pursuit of the retreating Türgesh, leading his troops to the border of Tokharistan . However, in battles with the Arabs near Samarkand the Türk forces were cut off from their rear services and suffered considerable losses; they had difficulty in returning to the Altai in 713–714. There they reinforced the army that was preparing to besiege Beshbalik . The siege

216-429: A group including Qutluğ Säbäg Qatun , Bilge Khagan 's widow, and Tonyukuk 's daughter, took refuge in the Tang dynasty. The Tang emperor legitimised her as a princess and she was appointed as the ruler of her people. (Chinese reading) (Chinese reading) (Chinese reading) (Chinese reading) Under Ilterish, the traditional structure of the Turkic state was restored. The empire created by Ilterish and his successors

270-485: A lowly tarkhan , causing discontentment within the upper nobility. The Eastern Shad Pan-kül attacked the court, killed Tengri-khan, and enthroned a son of the deceased. But Kut Yabgu (Chinese Gudu ), a rival of Pan-kül, killed the new kagan after replacing him with his brother, then in 741 Kut killed his protégé and usurped the throne. In 742 the Uyghurs, Basmyls and Karluks rebelled simultaneously, attacking and killing

324-511: A time when the empire founded by his father was on the verge of collapse. The western lands seceded for good, and immediately after the death of Qapagan, the Türgesh leader Suluk proclaimed himself kaghan. The Kitan and Tatabi tribes refused to pay tribute, the Toquz Oghuz revolt continued, and the Türk tribes themselves began to rebel. Feeling unable to control the situation, Bilge kaghan offered

378-567: The Argyn of the Middle Juz of modern Kazakhstan . Marco Polo apparently mentioned them as "Argons" in a country called " Tenduc " (around Kuku-Khotan, or modern-day Hohhot ), during the 13th century. Polo reported that this tribe who had "sprung from two different races: to wit, of the race of the Idolaters of Tenduc and ... the worshippers of Mahommet . They are handsomer men than the other natives of

432-631: The Tokuz-Oguzes or Nine Tribes. Unlike the Ashina Türks, the Tokuz-Oguz Uyghurs were a leading but not a dominating tribe. After quelling the Basmyls and Karluks, the Uyghurs accepted them as equals. Inscriptions on the " Selenga stone " are a main source for the record of events around 750. In 753, the Uyghurs continued their violent struggle against the Basmyls and Karluks. The war ended in 755 with

486-654: The Uyghur Kaganate , so called after the Uyghurs captured the leadership of the Türkic Kaganate in 752, until its demise at the hands of Yenisei Kyrgyz in 840. There is controversy regarding the spread and decline of Nestorian Christianity in Central Asia. Bishops were reported in Merv and Herat from the 5th century onwards. Christian and Jewish merchants were active in trade at the time between China and Provence . While

540-671: The Western Turkic Kaganate , dominated by the Eastern Turks . Following state administrative reforms in favor of the eastern part of the Kaganate, the Basmyls lost their position of primacy along with the tribes of Karluks , Yagma , Kipchaks , Chumi , Chuyue (from whom emerged Shatuo ). In 641 disgruntled tribes, including the Dzunaria Basmyls, joined a revolt by pretender to the throne Yugu-Ukuk. The Chinese Tang empire used

594-529: The "courageous and powerful" Basmyls numbered 2,000 families, and had leaders but no princes Since 552, the Turkicizing Basmyls were a part of the First Turkic Khaganate , who might have recognized Basmyls' economic or political importance enough to appoint an Ashina yabghu over the Basmyls. When this khaganate split into Eastern and Western Kaganates in 604, the Basmyls found themselves in

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648-635: The 8th century. Under an unrealistic plan concocted in 720 in Chang'an , China against the Türkic Kaganate, the Kidans and Tatabi, and the south-western Dzungaria Basmyls were to simultaneously converge on the Bilge-kagan court from different directions. The Yenisei Kirghiz were also pressing from the north, and the Türgeshes from the west. Bilge-kagan's chancellor Tonyukuk developed a counter-plan, which involved facing

702-866: The Az and the Chik, crossed the Sayan mountains (Kögmen yïš in Turkic texts), and inflicted a crushing defeat on the Yenisei Kyrgyz . The Kyrgyz ruler, Bars beg, fell in battle, and his descendants were to remain vassals of the Göktürks for several generations. In 711 the Türk forces, led by Tonyukuk , crossed the Altai Mountains , clashed with the Türgesh army in Dzungaria on the River Boluchu, and won an outright victory. Tonyukuk forced

756-573: The Basmyls as one of ten prominent Turkic tribes and enumerates the locations of the Turkic polities from the borders of the Eastern Roman Empire to the borders of China in the following sequence: Kashgari also noted that "Among the nomadic peoples are the Čömül - they have a gibberish ( raṭāna [رَطَانَة]) of their own, but also know Turkic; also Qāy , Yabāqu , Tatār and Basmil - each of these groups has its own language, but they also know Turkic well"." The Basmyls may be ancestral to

810-536: The Basmyls killed Ozmysh-khan and sent his head to Chang'an. His brother Baimei-khan Kulun-beg was enthroned in his place, but most of the Türkic nobles joined in the election of the Basmyl leader Elterish (Ch. Sede Ishi) as supreme Khagan. The allies soon split apart; Uyghur leader Peilo attacked and defeated the Basmyls whose leader Elterish-kagan was beheaded and his head was sent to Changan with an offer to recognize Peilo with

864-564: The Bishbalyk operation. Likely written by a Basmyl resting behind the walls of the Bishbalyk fortress who was later probably ambushed and captured, this inscription is of dual interest as a historical document and a cultural monument. It is the first Turkic poem to be written with rhythm and rhyme, with syllabic rhythm of 4, 5, and 8 syllables in three lines making a stanza , where the eight syllable lines have central rhyme sounds as two tetrameter lines. The defeated Basmyl carved his composition on

918-816: The Bogdoshan ridge in the Guchen area. Anvarbek Mokeev put forward a hypothesis «about the origin of the Kyrgyz tribe Basyz from the circle of the forest tribes of Altai , who migrated there after the collapse of the once powerful union of the Basmyl tribes.» According to A. Mokeev, the Basmyls were incorporated into the Altai Kyrgyz . He identifies the ethnonym «Basmyl» with the Kyrgyz «Basyz». Second Turkic Khaganate ( Tokhara Yabghus , Turk Shahis ) The Second Turkic Khaganate ( Old Turkic : 𐱅𐰇𐰼𐰰:𐰃𐰠 , romanized:  Türük el , lit.   'State of

972-463: The Kaganate. Some Karluks and Uyghurs apparently also adopted Christianity. When a new war between the Uyghurs and Türgeshes flared up in 752, the anti-Uyghur coalition united Basmyls, Türgeshes, and defenders of the " trinity ". By the 13th century, however, Marco Polo alluded only to the presence of " idolatry " and Islam in the territory of the "Argons". In modern times, the Argyn tribe has been one of

1026-618: The Second Turkic Khaganate shifted to the Otuken mountains, and the rivers Orkhon , Selenga and Tola . In 691 Ilterish Qaghan died and was succeeded by his younger brother, who assumed the title Qapaghan Qaghan . In 696–697 Qapaghan subjugated the Khitans and sealed an alliance with the Kumo Xi (Tatabï in Turkic texts), which stemmed the advance of the Tang armies to the northeast, into

1080-406: The Tang emperors felt confident enough to introduce their own bureaucracy to supplant the rule of the traditional Türkic nobility. According to ancient Türkic succession law, a brother succeeded a brother, and a nephew succeeded his uncle in a process of lateral succession . The Chinese thought such an idea absurd, and ignored it in their acts, causing further problems on top of existing resentment of

1134-528: The Tokuz-Oguz Khagan Yaglakar family. The Tokuz-Oguz tribes were in a privileged position not only in respect to the tribal union, but also vis-a-vis the Basmyls and Karluks, who in battles were always "sent in front", because they were less valued and protected. In Dzungaria, the Basmyls lived next to the Karluks and Bayïrku, who were apparently one of the numerous tribes which in 747 battled against

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1188-649: The Turks';, Chinese : 後突厥 ; pinyin : Hòu Tūjué , known as Turk Bilge Qaghan country ([𐱅𐰇𐰼𐰝:𐰋𐰃𐰠𐰏𐰀:𐰴𐰍𐰣:𐰃𐰠𐰭𐰀] Error: {{Langx}}: transliteration text not Latin script ( help ) ) in Bain Tsokto inscriptions ) was a khaganate in Central and Eastern Asia founded by Ashina clan of the Göktürks that lasted between 682–744. It was preceded by the Eastern Turkic Khaganate (552–630) and

1242-555: The Uyghurs on the side of the Basmyls. Another neighbor east of the Türgeshes were the Ograk , one of the aborigional tribes of Dzungaria, still known in the 1st century BCE as Uge . A community of Yduk-kas ("Holy People"), a reference to a Christian community, are mentioned as the Uch-Yduk ("Three Yduks") in the Orkhon inscriptions also resided within Basmyl territory. The Basmyls remained within

1296-519: The Uyghurs subduing the Karluk's eastern pasturing routes extending to the Saur and Tarbagatai . The Uyghur tribal confederation (Tokuz-Oguz) consisted of a leading Uygur tribe (which incorporated Basmyls and eastern Karluks), six established Tele tribes of Pugu, Hun, Bayïrku, Tongra, Sijie, & Qibi, and two new A-Busi and Gulunwugusi, legally considered equal, and several subjugated tribes who paid tribute to

1350-599: The attempt to revolt against the Tang and set a qaghan on the throne was legitimate action. It was the people's fault that they deposed and killed Nishufu, and subduing themselves again to the Tang dynasty. Qutlugh, a distant relative of Illig Qaghan , rebelled in 681, leading to his withdrawal into the Gobi Desert in 682. Once they had established themselves in the Yin Mountains , Qutlugh, his brother Bögü-chor , and his closest comrade-in-arms, Tonyukuk succeeded in winning

1404-660: The country, and having more ability, they come to have authority; and they are also capital merchants ." The Basmyl ethnonym is etymologisable as Turkic : the first component * bas- means "to crush, press, oppress make a surprise attack" in Proto-Turkic ; the other, * -mïl , is the Oghuric cognate of Common Turkic nominalizing suffix * -miš /- *mïs . Thus " Basmıl may be viewed as Oğuric Turkic bas- + -mıl = 'the tribe that crushed (its opponents),' Basmıš in Common Turkic. This

1458-561: The early Tang dynasty period (630–682). The Second Khaganate was centered on Ötüken in the upper reaches of the Orkhon River . It was succeeded by its subject Toquz Oghuz confederation, which became the Uyghur Khaganate . A few decades after the fall of Eastern Turkic Khaganate (630), Ashina Nishufu was declared qaghan in 679 but soon revolted against the Tang dynasty . In 680, he

1512-406: The enemies one at a time, and the use of audacity and speed to compensate for their lack of forces. At the beginning of the subsequent war, the Basmyls were the first allies to join the Türkic horde but failing to find any other coalition forces turned back. Tonyukuk's Türks left them alone and following a forced march came to Beshbalyk (Ch. Beiting ), which they took by surprise attack. By the time

1566-405: The exhausted men and horses of the Basmyls reached Bishbalyk, instead of rest and provisions they found an enemy waiting. Surrounded under the walls of the fortress, the Basmyls surrendered, and the whole campaign fell apart. The war was immortalized in the Orkhon inscriptions on the Bilge-kagan and Tonyukuk monuments. Another inscription on the same monument takes a completely different view of

1620-713: The far-dwelling peoples nearer to themselves. But after settling down near them these we have come to see their cunning. Camels, women, girls, silver, and gold were seized from Sogdia during a raid by Qapaghan Qaghan . The whole Sogdian people leading by Asuk came and obeyed. Those days the Turkish people reached the Iron Gates . [𐰦𐰀:𐰘𐰼𐰝𐰃:𐰽𐰀:𐰉𐰽𐰞𐰍𐰺𐰆:𐰺𐰑𐰴:𐰉𐰆𐰑𐰣:𐰸𐰆𐰯:𐰚𐰠𐱅𐰃:𐰆𐰞:𐰚𐰇𐰤𐱅𐰀:𐱅𐰏𐱅𐰃:𐱅𐰇𐰼𐰝:𐰉𐰆𐰑𐰣:𐱅𐰢𐰼:𐰴𐰯𐰍𐰴𐰀:𐱅𐰃𐰤𐰾𐰃:𐰆𐰍𐰞𐰃] Error: {{Langx}}: transliteration text not Latin script ( help ) Numerous artifacts of gold and silver are known from

1674-545: The fighting. Kutlug I Bilge Kagan of Uyghurs allied himself with the Karluks and Basmyls , and defeated the Göktürks. In 744 Kutlug seized Ötüken and beheaded the last Göktürk qaghan, Ozmish Qaghan . His head was sent to the Tang court. In the span of a few years, the Uyghurs gained mastery of Inner Asia and established the Uyghur Khaganate . Kulun Beg succeeded his father Ozmish. The Tang emperor Xuanzong decided to destroy

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1728-628: The first component Ïdïq/Ydyk means "[heaven]-sent, sacred"; the second component kut/qut in the title is often found in Old Turkic onomastics and titulature and has the lexical meaning "grace" or "blessing". In 720 CE, the dynastic Basmyl clan were reported to be concentrated at Beiting Protectorate , near Gucheng (Qitai), in the Bogda Shan range, and to be Ashina Turks (Ch. 突厥 pinyin Tu-jue ). Mahmut Kashgari , an 11th-century historian, lists

1782-647: The foothills of the Khingan, and secured the empire's eastern frontier. Between 698 and 701 the northern and western frontiers of Qapaghan's state were defined by the Tannu Ola , Altai and Tarbagatai mountain ranges. After defeating the Bayirku tribe in 706–707, the Türks occupied lands extending from the upper reaches of the Kerulen to Lake Baikal . In 709–710 the Türk forces subjugated

1836-516: The greedy bureaucracy. This 52-year period of relative quiet ended with the rise of the restored Eastern Turkic Kaganate , and its recapture of Dzungaria and the Dzungarian Basmyls by Kutlug and Kul Tegin . Because Chinese Tang forces in the "Western Territories" were negligible, to resist the restoration of the Türkic Kaganate, the Tang government had to accede to the rise of Turgesh , a nation descendent from Xianbei Abars and Mukri, under

1890-470: The ideological and political doctrines of the Turkic Kaganate did not tolerate foreign religions and the spread of Christianity in the Kaganate was limited, some Dzungaria Türks, closely connected with caravan roads and trading cities, absorbed these ideas. The fall of the Kaganate stimulated successes for Christian proselytizing. The Basmals reportedly adopted Christianity after absorbing the fragments of

1944-510: The last traces of the Turkic khaganate and sent general Wang Zhongsi Kulun's forces. Meanwhile, Ashina Shi was deposed by Kutlug Bilge Qaghan . Wang Zhongsi, defeated the eastern flank of Turkic army headed by Apa Tarkhan. Although Kulun Beg tried to escape, he was arrested by the Uyghurs and was beheaded just like his father in 745. Most of the Turks fled to other Turkic tribes like Basmyl . However,

1998-554: The leadership of an Wuzhile . In effect, the territory captured by Tang by 659 was divided between the Chinese, the Türkic Kaganate, and Türgeshes, a people who did not belong to the Tiele , Chuy , or Eastern Türküt (東突厥) group, but are first known as one of the five Duolu tribes of the Western Türküt . The Türgeshes numbered 5–700,000, and although this represented a large state for

2052-635: The main constituents of the Middle Juz sub-confederation in Kazakhstan , and are regarded as an integral part of the Kazakh people . The link between the Basmyls and Argyns is reinforced by Marco Polo 's description of the country he called Tanduc. Polo reported that the prevailing tribe of the country were a Christian people called "Argon". A similar location is given for the Basmyls in the early Middle Ages text Zizhi Tongjian : in Beiting Protectorate , on

2106-521: The rock: "In the Year of Monkey, in the ninth month, we secretly went to Bishbalyk. A felicitous hero is in hardship, his army in ambush. Let this man be happy there!" A turbulent period in the history of the Second Turkic Kaganate began in 740. During Tengri-khan 's rule, Tonyukuk 's daughter Katun-mother Po-beg had managed to consolidate power into her hands. She then entrusted rule to a favorite,

2160-594: The support of most of the Turks and conducted successful military operations against the imperial forces in Shanxi between 682 and 687. In 687 Ilterish Qaghan left the Yin Shan mountains and turned his united and battle-hardened army to the conquest of the Türk heartlands in modern-day central and northern Mongolia. Between 687 and 691 Toquz Oghuz and the Uyghurs , who had occupied these territories, were routed and subjugated. Their chief, Abuz kaghan, fell in battle. The centre of

2214-497: The throne to his brother, Kul Tigin. The latter, however, would not go against the legal order of succession. Then, at last, Bilge decided to act. Kul Tigin was put at the head of the army, and Tonyukuk , who had great authority among the tribes, became the kaghan's closest adviser. In 720 Emperor Xuanzong of Tang attacked but Tonyukuk defeated his Basmyl cavalry and the Turks pushed into Gansu. Next year Xuanzong bought him off. In 727 he received 100,000 pieces of silk in return for

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2268-473: The time, they were under pressure from Arabs from the south. Given the complexity of the situation, Tang diplomacy succeeded in drawing the Basmyls into an anti-Türkic alliance that already included the Kidans , Tatabi , and a 300,000 strong Tang expeditionary army. This involved the Basmyls into one of the most exciting events of the century, and bestowed on them a place in the most celebrated Türkic compositions of

2322-411: The title Kutlug-Bilge Kül-khan. The Basmyls, under pressure from the Karluks, then joined with the Uyghurs. Al Marwazi mentioned that a chief named Basmyl was the namesake of one group among the Šārī , who were possibly Yellow Uyghurs . Kypchak Türkic domination over the Uyghur lasted from 688 to 741. The Uyghur leader received the title Shad from his father and in 742 consolidated his people into

2376-451: The turmoil in the Western Turkic Kaganate to become the dominant regional power, and by 649, as a result of the military defeats, Bukhara and the Basmyls submitted to the Tang rulers. The period from 649 to 703 is the best documented in Basmyl history due to the existence of Chinese annalistic records. This was also a prosperous period; vassalage did not impose any obligations and was instead afforded Chinese luxuries provided as gifts, until

2430-592: The usurper then quickly created their own state. The Basmyl leader became supreme Khan, the leader of Uyghurs an eastern Yabgu , and the elteber of Karluks became a western Yabgu. The warring Türkic nobles came to terms and chose Pan-kül's son as Khagan with the title of Özmiş Khagan . These events were recorded in the " Selenga stone " inscription, which immortalized the feats of the Uyghur khan Moyanchur ( Bayanchur ). The Tang court offered Ozmysh-khan asylum whereupon he sent his son to China with five thousand covered wagons containing families, and fled his horde. In 744

2484-418: The words of the Türk inscriptions, the khan controlled the state and was head of the tribal group (el tutup bodunïm bašladïm). The principal group in the empire was composed of twelve Turkic tribes headed by the dynastic tribe of the Ashina. Next in political importance were the Toquz Oghuz . The basis of the economy of the Türk tribes was nomadic cattle-raising. Organized hunting in the steppes and mountains

2538-441: Was a territorial union of ethnically related and hierarchically co-ordinated tribes and tribal groups. They were ideologically linked by common beliefs and accepted genealogies, and politically united by a single military and administrative organization (el) and by general legal norms (törü). The tribal organization (bodun) and the political structure (el) complemented one another, defining the strength and durability of social ties. In

2592-401: Was defeated by Pei Xingjian . Shortly afterwards, Nishufu was killed by his men. Following Nishufu's death, Ashina Funian, another scion of the royal clan, was made qaghan and the Eastern Turks once again rebelled against Tang rule. The early stages of the rebellion brought about some victories for Funian, however later, they were once again defeated by Pei Xiangjin. According to Tonyukuk ,

2646-718: Was not stored. The advantage of the horse was that it could be at grass all the year round, feeding even under a light cover of snow. Sheep and goats followed the horses, eating the grass that they themselves would have been unable to clear of snow. Bulls , yaks and camels are also frequently mentioned in Türk texts as valuable items of livestock. Tengrism was the official religion of the Second Turkic Khaganate. Khagans believed that ruling Ashina family gained legitimacy "through its support from Tengri ". Chinese sources state that Bilge wanted to convert to Buddhism and establish cities and temples. However, Tonyukuk discouraged him from this by pointing out that their nomadic lifestyle

2700-409: Was of military as well as economic significance: during these hunts the warriors were trained and the various detachments were coordinated. A Chinese chronicler describes the economy and way of life of the Türks thus: "They live in felt tents and wander following the water and the grass". Horses were of vital importance to the Türks. Although the economy rested on cattle-raising, winter feed for livestock

2754-403: Was succeeded by his brother Tengri Qaghan . After the death of Tengri Qaghan, the empire began to disintegrate. The Ashina tribe was less and less able to cope with central power. The young Tengri kaghan was killed by his uncle, Kutlug Yabghu, who seized power. War broke out with the tribal groups of the Uyghurs, the Basmils and the Karluks, and Kutluk Yabgu Khagan and his followers perished in

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2808-422: Was typical of Turkic tribal names that denoted aggressiveness." This prompted Golden to further posit that Basmyls were Oghuric speakers who remained east after their cousins had migrated west According to Tongdian , the Basmyls originally lived dispersed on the snowy mountains, hunted on skis , and dwelt south of Beiting Protectorate and the Northern Sea (i.e. Lake Baikal ) and southeast of Yenisei Kyrgyzes ;

2862-409: Was unsuccessful and, after losing in six skirmishes, the Türks lifted it. In violation of custom, the throne was taken by Qapaghan's son Inel Qaghan (716). Inel, who had no right to the throne, and his supporters, were killed by Kul Tigin , who had support of many Turkic families, and set on the throne his elder brother Bilge Qaghan , who ruled from 716 to 734. Bilge Qaghan mounted the throne at

2916-569: Was what made them a greater military power when compared to Tang dynasty . While Turks' power rested on their mobility, conversion to Buddhism would bring pacifism among population. Therefore, sticking to Tengriism was necessary to survive. While I have ruled here, I have become reconciled with the Chinese people. The Chinese people, who give in abundance gold, silver, millet, and silk, have always used ingratiating words and have at their disposal enervating riches. While ensnaring them with their ingratiating talk and enervating riches, they have drawn

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