Eastern Turkic Khaganate

Quick Facts: Who was Eastern Turkic Khaganate?

Subject:

Eastern Turkic Khaganate

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A powerful nomadic empire that dominated Central Asia during the 6th and 7th centuries.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The Eastern Turkic Khaganate (Chinese: 東突厥; pinyin: Dōng Tūjué or Dōng Tújué) was formed as a result of the destructive wars in the beginning of the 7th century (AD 581–603) after the First Turkic Khaganate (founded in the 6th century in the Mongolian Plateau by the Ashina clan) had splintered into two polities – one in the east, one in the west. The Eastern Turkic Khaganate was defeated and absorbed by the Tang dynasty, and Xueyantuo occupied the territory of the former Turkic Khaganate. In 552–555 the Göktürks replaced the Rouran Khaganate as the dominant power on the Mongolian Plateau, forming the First Turkic Khaganate (552–630). They quickly spread west to the Caspian Sea. Between 581 and 603 the Western Turkic Khaganate in Central Asia separated from the Eastern Khaganate in the Mongolian Plateau.

Career & Major Achievements

In the early period the Central Plain regimes were weak and paid tribute to the Göktürks at times. The Tang dynasty overthrew the Eastern Turkic Khaganate in 630. Türküt, > Middle Chinese as 突厥: early * dwət-kuɑt > late * tɦut-kyat > Mandarin Tūjué or Tújué) is ultimately derived from the Old-Turkic migration-term 𐱅𐰇𐰼𐰰 Türük/Törük, which means "created, born", from the Old Turkic word root * türi-/töri- 'tribal root, (mythic) ancestry; take shape, to be born, be created, arise, spring up' and derived with the Old Turkic suffix 𐰰 (-ik), perhaps from Proto-Turkic * türi-k "lineage, ancestry", (compare also the Proto-Turkic word root * töre- to be born, originate). or "strong", or originally a noun and meant "'the culminating point of maturity (of a fruit, human being, etc.), but more often used as an [adjective] meaning (of a fruit) "just fully ripe"; (of a human being) "in the prime of life, young, and vigorous"". The Chinese Book of Zhou (7th century) presents an etymology of the name Turk as derived from "helmet", explaining that this name comes from the shape of a mountain where they worked in the Altai Mountains.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Hungarian scholar András Róna-Tas (1991) pointed to a Khotanese-Saka word, tturakä "lid", semantically stretchable to "helmet", as a possible source for this folk etymology, yet Golden thinks this connection requires more data. In 439 a man with the surname Ashina led 500 families west from Gansu to Gaochang near Turfan. In about 460 the Rouran moved them east to the Altai, which was an important source of metalwork for Siberia and Mongolia. David Christian says that the first dated mention of "Turk" appears in Chinese annals in 542 when they made annual raids across the Yellow River when it froze over. In 545 the future Bumin Qaghan was negotiating directly with the Western Wei (535–557) without regard to his Rouran overlords.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1991: 1991 Milestone — Hungarian scholar András Róna-Tas (1991) pointed to a Khotanese-Saka word, tturakä "lid", semantically stretchable to "helmet", as a possible source for this folk etymology, yet Golden thinks this connection requires more data.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Eastern Turkic Khaganate

True or False: “The Eastern Turkic Khaganate was directly defeated by the Tang dynasty in its prime.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): The Eastern Turkic Khaganate was ultimately overthrown and absorbed by the Tang dynasty in 630 AD.

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