Remains Turks And Turkic Studies History Xinjiang Region

As one of several strong ancient nomads of the Eurasian steppe zone, the Turks and their Khaganates not only had a great impact on historical development processes of the Inner-Asia at that time, but also profoundly changed national and cultural pattern of the Central Asia and the Western Asia since then. In nearly four centuries when the Turks play an active role on the history, contemporary Chinese, Persian, Byzantine, and Arabian historians recorded a large number of historical events about them from different angles; Disappeared gradually from the stage of history for thousands of years later, they still left old inscriptions, stone statues, tombs, rock art and the other living remains scattered in steppes and valleys, which are telling old stories silently to modern people.This paper is an integration research, trying to make textual research on Turkic history and geography, which absorbs the experiences of predecessor in this field and makes comprehensive use of the latest archaeological data and historical documents. Meanwhile, the author’s fieldwork experience in the Xinjiang region will advantage the research.On the issue of the birthplace and flourishing place of the ancient Turks, the author considers that the Northern Mountain of Gaochang(高昌)in the Turkic original legend now is the Bogda Shan (博格达山)between Turpan and Jimusaer, and so-called "Turkic Cave" where the ancestors of Turkic people hidden should be in the area of Shuixigou (水西沟) and Xindigou(新地沟)in the Southern Mountain of Jimusaer. During this period, the Turkic ancestors had learned metal smelting technology, which laid the foundation for their boom in the future. But at this time the typical Turkic archaeological culture is likely not yet formed. Many indications imply that the ancient Turks’ unique funeral culture, which can be identified by proudly standing stone statues and long-stretched balbals, impossibly came into being after they had moved from the Northern Mountain of Gaochang to the south of Altai.In mid-sixth century, as a result of rising of the Turkic Khanate and extinction of Rouran(柔然),Turkic archaeological culture became popular in wide terrain from the Greater Khingan to the Amu Darya, along with the conquest of the Turks. The entire eastern parts of the Eurasian Steppe entered a new era in which Turkic culture dominant. The Turkic culture had influenced Tiele (铁�')、Kirghiz、Khita、Gaochang, Tang Dynasty and other neighboring tribes or regions in many aspects. On the other hand, we should not ignore that the culture in the Turkic Khanate still full of diversities.The civil war broken out in583led to the disintegration of the Khanate, however, after nearly two decades of scrimmage, the circumstances that the Eastern Turkic Khaganate confront the Western Turkic Khaganate by the Altai had been formed until603.For a long time, the location of the early Orda of the Western Turkic Khaganate has been a highly controversial issue. After analysis and research on ancient Turkic remains of Little Knonakhai(小洪那海)and its vicinity, now we can rule out two locations------the Kunkhays Valley(空格斯河谷)and the Yuledus Valley(裕�'都斯河谷),and confirm that the Tekes Valley in south of ZhaoSu(昭苏)was the most possible place, especially in the hillsides beside the Arkyarz River and the Akedala Village. As the correspondence of the early Orda, another important place called "the Northern Orda"has been ignored by modern historians. The author ascertains that the location of Northern Orda of the Western Turkic Khaganate should be in the vicinity of Tarbagatay(塔城), the Urkhashar Mountain located east of Tarbagatay was the Wu-Zu-He-Shan (乌镞曷山), and the Emil River was the Duo-luo-si-chuan (多逻斯川). Tarbagatay was not only the Northern Orda, but also a base area of A-shih-na Ho-lu(阿史那贺鲁).In the period of Tong Yabghu Qaghan, the Western Turkic Khaganate was once considered at the golden age. however the move of Orda to Sui-ye in Central-Asia broke power’s balance of the Khaganate. Following the death of Tong Yabghu, the might of the Western Turks largely collapsed. About another important places, the author made some new conclusions:Shuang-he(双河)could not have been Borotala, but must have been Altyn-Emel area in Kazakhstan; Jin-ya Mountain(金牙山)could been Jie-dan mountain called by Jia Dan of Tang Dynasty, located in the northern riverside of the Chu River.In addition, this paper also verified the residences of14turkic tribes one by one, and expatiated Sui-ye and Gong-Yue City(弓月城)as the centre of dominion in the times of Turgesh(突骑施)and Karluks. Generally speaking, during two hundred years when Turgesh and Karluks rule the Western Turkic peoples, their cultures had been little change. Until after the middle of9th Century, due to the migration of Uyghur(回鹘)and the rise of the Kara-Khanid Khanate(喀喇汗国),especially when the Kara-Khanid Khanate denounce Islam as the state religion in10th Century, the culture of Western Turkic region ushered in a large-scale transformation. The ancient Turkic archaeological culture identified by stone statues and tomb with balbals had been gradually disappeared, replaced by Islamized Turkic culture.