In the middle of the 6th century, the confederated state of Turkic nomads called the Göktürks (Tujue) was established mainly on the Mongolian Plateau. The Göktürks formed a vast nomadic empire extending from east to west and are known as the first Turkic people to possess their own script.
The Establishment of the Göktürks (552–744)
- 552: Bumin Qaghan destroyed the Rouran and founded the Göktürk Empire. Qaghan was the title of the ruler.
- At its height, its vast territory stretched from Inner Mongolia in the east to the Caspian Sea and Central Asia in the west.
- It maintained tense relations with China's Sui and Tang dynasties and at one time held overwhelming superiority over both dynasties.
- It divided into the Eastern and Western Göktürks from the end of the 6th century to the beginning of the 7th century. The Eastern Göktürks were conquered by the Tang under Emperor Taizong in 630.
Göktürk Script and Culture
- Göktürk script (runic script family): An original writing system used to record the oldest surviving inscriptions in the Turkic language.
- Orkhon Inscriptions (8th century): Inscriptions erected along the Orkhon River on the Mongolian Plateau. They are important historical sources conveying the social and political ideas of Göktürk society at that time.
- Words expressing ethnic pride, such as “O Turkic people, live forever,” are engraved on them, and they are regarded as the starting point of Turkic national consciousness.
Key Point
The Göktürks and the Silk Road: The Göktürks worked with Sogdian merchants to manage and protect the east–west trade routes, earning large profits by collecting transit taxes. The control of relay trade along the Silk Road by the Göktürk–Sogdian alliance became the economic foundation of their prosperity. One motive for the Göktürks’ westward expansion was control of the trade routes.
The Göktürks and the Silk Road: The Göktürks worked with Sogdian merchants to manage and protect the east–west trade routes, earning large profits by collecting transit taxes. The control of relay trade along the Silk Road by the Göktürk–Sogdian alliance became the economic foundation of their prosperity. One motive for the Göktürks’ westward expansion was control of the trade routes.
The Later Göktürks and Their Fall
The Eastern Göktürks temporarily revived in 682 as the Later Göktürk Empire, but they were destroyed in 744 by the Uyghurs, another Turkic people. Turkic peoples who claimed to be the successors of the Göktürks continued to play leading roles in Eurasian history.
Practice
- State the founder and founding year of the Göktürk Empire, as well as the nomadic people they defeated.
- Explain why the Orkhon Inscriptions are considered important in the history of the Turkic people.
- Explain how the Göktürks worked with the Sogdians to gain economic benefits.