Gokturk

Gokturk, also known as Göktürk, refers to a historical Turkic empire that existed in Central Asia from the 6th to the 8th century. The empire was founded by the Göktürk tribe, a confederation of Turkic tribes, and was initially centered in the Tarim Basin in present-day Xinjiang, China. The Göktürk Empire is notable for its significant contributions to the development of Turkic culture, language, and political organization.

The Göktürk Empire was divided into two major khanates: the Western Göktürk Khanate and the Eastern Göktürk Khanate. The Western Göktürk Khanate, which was founded by Bumin Qaghan, was the more powerful and influential of the two. It expanded its territory through military conquests and diplomatic alliances, incorporating various Turkic and non-Turkic tribes into its fold. The Eastern Göktürk Khanate, founded by Istämi Qaghan, was less powerful and eventually fell to the Tang Dynasty of China in 630.

The Göktürk Empire played a crucial role in the history of Central Asia and the Silk Road. It facilitated trade and cultural exchange between East and West, and its political and military systems had a lasting impact on the subsequent Turkic empires, such as the Khaganate of the Eastern Turks and the Uyghur Khaganate. The Göktürk Empire also contributed to the development of Turkic writing, with the creation of the Orkhon alphabet, which was used to write the Old Turkic language.

The Göktürk Empire declined in the early 8th century due to internal power struggles and external pressures from the Tang Dynasty and the Arab Caliphate. The Western Göktürk Khanate was eventually absorbed by the Tang Dynasty in 657, while the Eastern Göktürk Khanate fell to the Tang Dynasty in 630. The Göktürk Empire's legacy, however, continued to influence the region for centuries to come.