Göktürk

Göktürk, also written Göktürks or Gök Türkler, denotes a Turkic people of the early medieval period and their empire, the Göktürk Khaganate, the first major Turkic state on the Eurasian Steppe. The name means “Celestial Turks” or “Sky Turk,” reflecting Tengriist beliefs at the core of early Turkic political culture.

Origins and rise: The Göktürks emerged from the Ashina clan after breaking away from the Rouran Khaganate in the mid-6th century. Bumin Qaghan and his brother Istemi united various Turkic groups and established the First Turkic Khaganate (also called the Göktürk Khaganate) around 552 CE, with influence extending across eastern and central steppe regions.

Politics, economy, and culture: The empire controlled key sections of the Silk Road, facilitating trade between China, Central Asia, and beyond. It engaged in diplomacy and warfare with contemporary powers, including Chinese dynasties, Sassanid Persia, and Byzantium. The Göktürks sponsored the use of the Old Turkic language and script, and their realm produced the Orkhon inscriptions (8th century), among the earliest major records of Turkic languages and history.

Division and decline: In 603 a civil war split the realm into the Eastern Turkic Khaganate and the Western Turkic Khaganate. The eastern part gradually fell under Tang influence and was absorbed in the following decades, while the western realm endured in various forms until the mid-8th century, weakened by Tang pressure and competing powers in the region.

Legacy: The Göktürks are regarded as the first state-level Turkic polity and a foundational episode in Turkic identity. Their political model, linguistic legacy, and early inscriptions helped shape subsequent Turkic polities and the broader history of Central Asia.