TURKMENS ARE ONE OF THE MOST ANCIENT AND VALOROUS PEOPLES IN HISTORY

It is well known that Turkmens are one of the most ancient and valorous peoples in history. Here is some brief information about the main known stages in the Turkmen history.

The ancient Turkmen people and the oldest Turkmen state was established about five thousand years ago when the descendant of the prophet Noah, Oghuz Khan, created a state on the territory of the bigger Central Asia. When the Oghuz Khan’s state conquered territories from China in the East to Egypt in the West and India in the south, a huge empire emerged. In ancient times, the Turkmens called themselves Oghuz, they also used their tribal names. Such large Turkic tribes as Khalaj, Karluks, Kypchaks, Kangly, Uyghurs and Agachari in the ancient times and the Middle Ages were also part of the greater Turkmen people.

Twenty-four of the oldest tribes of Oghuz-Turkmens were divided into Dashoguz (outer Oghuz) and Ichoguz (inner Oghuz). In the 7^th century BC, the Ichoguz tribes are recorded by the Assyrian sources as "Ishguzai", who conquer Near Asia and establish a state. Ancient Greek historians call the Ichoguz Turkmen “Iskut” or “Skut”, later this name will be transformed into the ethnonym “Scyth” or “Scythian”. Many Oghuz (Turkmen) tribes are recorded by ancient Greek historians as Scythian.

In the 3^rd century BC, in the eastern part of Central Asia, the state of Xionghu (or Hunnu) was founded  by the descendants of Gün Khan, one of the sons of Oghuz Khan. This empire exists for about 500 years. Subsequently, other medieval Turkmen states were created in these and adjacent territories: the Turkic Khaganate, the Oghuz Yabgu State, the Kimak Khaganate and others.

In the 3^rd century BC, the Oghuz Turkmens found the powerful Parthian Empire in the western part of Central Asia and the Middle East, which became one of the largest world powers of its time and existed for almost 500 years. In the second century BC, ancient Turkmens create a state in South Asia, which is now known as the Indo-Scythian kingdom, it has existed for about six hundred years.

In the first millennium of the new era, the Turkmen (Oghuz) dynasties found such states on the territory of Central and South Asia as the Kushan Empire, the State of Ephthalites (or the White Huns), and others.

In the 4^th century AC, the Turkic speaking Huns conquered Europe, amonng there there were many Turkmen (Oghuz) tribes. One of the largest Hun tribes was the Turkmen tribe of Agachari, which is mentioned in ancient Greek and Latin sources as "Akatsir".

From the 7^th century AC, the Oghuz who converted to Islam begin to call themselves Turkmen (“Turkmen” from the words “Turk” and “Iman,” that is, Turks who saw the light of Islam “iman”). After the 13^th century, the name “Turkmen” completely supplants the name “Oghuz”.

In the 10-11^th centuries, Turkmens were the most numerous and powerful ethnic group of Central Asia. From the 11^th to the 16^th centuries, large conquering migrations of Turkmens to the territory of Asia Minor, the Near and Middle East, and India took place. Turkmens create such states as: the Seljuk Empire, the State of  Khwarazm Shahs, the Ottoman Empire, dozens of small principalities (beyliks) on the territory of Anatolia and the Middle East, the State of Garagoyunly and Akgoyunly, the Delhi Sultanate, the Mughal Empire and others. Turkmen dynasties rule the territory of modern Iran for almost a thousand years.

The descendants of the Turkmens of these conquering migrations are the Turks and Turkmens of Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Palestine, Jordan, Greece and Bulgaria, Azeri Turks of Iran and Azerbaijan. Historically, many Turkmens assimilated with the local population of modern Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. Such Turkic-speaking peoples as Kazakhs, Karakalpaks, Uzbeks, Tatars, Bashkirs and others were formed by mixing with various medieval Turkmen ethnic groups. The Turkmens of modern-day Turkmenistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and Russia are the descendants of the ancient and medieval Turkmens who stayed in Central Asia.

For a thousand years, the main population of Khwarazm have been Turkmens and ethnic groups of the Turkmen origin. For the past several centuries, Turkmens have been actively involved in the ruling of the Khiva Khanate.

M.Bayramov,

Ashgabat, Turkmenistan