We call Turks the various peoples whose language is part of the Turkic language family. An estimated 150 million people belong to this group. They are probably the descendants of large tribes originating in Central Asia.
Terminology
The oldest mention of the term “Turk” that has reached us comes from the Göktürk of the 6th century. A letter from the Emperor of China to the khan köktürk Isbara identifies him as the "great Turkish khan" in 585. The Orkhon steles, contemporary, use the term "Turuk".
It could be that some earlier sources refer to Turkic peoples, such as a tablet from the 21st century BC. found on the site of Mari in Syria (which speaks of a people called "Turukku", migrating to the regions of Tiguranim and Hirbazanim - we do not know what these Sumerian names correspond to), or a text Chinese dating from 1328 BC. BC (speaking of a neighboring people called "Tu-Kiu"), or the name of one of Noah's grandsons, "Turk", in the texts of the Avesta. It cannot be said that there is a link between these terms, which appear to be morphologically close, and the Turkish peoples proper; however, many people think they have found there sources attesting to the antiquity of both the term and the peoples themselves.
Today, in modern Turkey, the popular explanation of the root of the word "Turkish" states that the term means "strong" or "mighty".
In French, the use of the term “Turkish” can lead to confusion, insofar as only the context makes it possible to distinguish between its two possible meanings; on the one hand the Turkish people, that is to say the ethnic majority in present-day Turkey, and on the other hand the Turkish peoples in the broad sense, the subject of this article. Other languages such as English use two separate terms, “Turkish” and “Turkic” respectively. Similarly, in modern Turkish, the word “Türk” is used when talking about the ethnic group inhabiting Turkey, while the word “Türki” refers to the wider Turkish peoples and cultures.
History
The Turkic peoples are believed to originate from Central Asia. Some historians consider a more western origin, followed by a migration to Central Asia during prehistoric times.
Comparisons between Sumerian and modern Turkic languages seem to indicate the existence of a common vocabulary; from this follows the thesis that the Sumerians are the oldest attested Turkic people and that they originated from the eastern Caspian Sea but nevertheless established their civilization in Mesopotamia. This thesis is however controversial, insofar as the majority of linguists consider Sumerian as a linguistic isolate, and can be assimilated to a product of Pan-Turkish ideology.
The Huns, whose origins date back to at least 1200 BC. AD, are considered one of the first Turkish tribes.
Besides scholarly controversies, the exact date of the Turkish emergence from its geographical cradle is not known. The first state to bear the name “Turkish” was that of the Köktürks (or Göktürks) in the 6th century. This would lead one to believe that the Turks lived mainly in Mongolia and probably in Kazakhstan during the first millennium of the Christian era. Turkey has programs for the restoration of existing Turkish monuments in Mongolia.
Among the later Turkic peoples, we note the Karluks (8th century), the Uyghurs, the Kyrgyz, the Oghouzes and the Turkmens. It was during the formation of their states that these peoples came into contact with the Muslim world and gradually adopted Islam. However, there are still Turkish populations belonging to other religions, including Christianity, Judaism (cf. Khazars), Buddhism, and Zoroastrianism.
From the 10th century, the Turkish soldiers of the Abbasid caliphs established themselves as rulers of the Muslim Middle East, with the exception of Syria and Egypt. The Oghuz Turks and other tribes seized control of various regions under the aegis of the Seljuq dynasty, later appropriating Abbasid and Byzantine territories.
Simultaneously, the Kyrgyz and Uyghurs were fighting among themselves and against the mighty Empire of China. Finally, the Kyrgyz settled permanently in the region now called Kyrgyzstan. The Tatars settled in the Volga basin, ousting the Volga Bulgarians from local power. This same region is today called Tatarstan and is an autonomous republic of the Russian Federation; its large cities, especially Kazan, have one or more mosques, the Tatars being traditionally Muslim.
Following the great Mongol invasion of the 13th century, the Seljuk Empire was in decline and it was on this basis that the Ottoman Empire emerged, undoubtedly the best known of the Turkish empires, for the richness of its history and its over time, eventually occupying regions from the Balkans to Iraq and from southern Russia to North Africa. Simultaneously, other Turkic groups founded smaller states, such as the Safavids of Iran and the Mughal Empire in northern India. Successive wars against Russia and Austria-Hungary, as well as the rise of nationalism in the Balkans will be the main causes of the decline of the Ottoman Empire; its final fall came at the end of the First World War and gave rise to the current state of Turkey.
Be that as it may, the similarities between the various contemporary Turkic languages seem to indicate that the initial break-up of the original Turkic geographical core is a relatively recent phenomenon, except for the Chuvashes and the Yakuts.
Geographical distribution and ethnic divisions
Currently, the densest Turkish ethnicity resides in Turkey. Other significant Turkic groups are in Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. They are also found in Crimea, Xinjiang (extreme western China), northern Iraq, Afghanistan, Moldova, the Balkans (particularly Greece), Bulgaria, Romania and the former Yugoslavia.
On the other hand, it is difficult to precisely separate the different Turkish ethnic groups. Here is a non-exhaustive list; in parentheses, their geographical location:Azeris (Azerbaijan) Bashkirs (1,370,000 in Russia) Balkars (Russia, North Caucasus) Gagauzes (Moldova) Kashkais (Iran) Karakalpaks (Uzbekistan, Autonomous Republic of Karakalpakia, south of the Sea of 'Aral) Karapapak (Caucasus, eastern Turkey) Karachais (Russia, North Caucasus) Kazakhs (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Xinjiang (China), western Mongolia) Khorasanis (Iran) Kyrgyz (Kyrgyzstan) Kumyks (Caucasus, Dagestan) Noghais ( Caucasus, Dagestan) Uyghurs (Xinjiang (China)) Uzbeks (Uzbekistan) Tatars (6,320,000 in Russia in 1979) Crimean Tatars Chuvash (1,750,000 in Russia in 1979) Tuvans (Southern Siberia, border with Mongolia) Turkmen (Turkmenistan) Turks from Turkey Turks from Cyprus Yakuts (300,000 in the Republic of Yakutia, Siberia)
Some classify the above ethnic groups into six branches:Oghuz, Kipchaks, Kurluks, Siberians, Chuvashes and Yakuts.
One of the main obstacles one encounters when trying to classify the various Turkish dialects, languages, peoples and ethnic groups is the effect that the Soviet Union and Stalinist policies had on nationalities. Changes to existing borders and mass deportations have had considerable impacts on traditionally ethnically diverse regions. Therefore, the above classification is in no way considered absolute truth, both globally and in detail. Added to this are relatively new elements due to the evolution of the geopolitical situation of the countries of the former communist bloc following the fall of the latter, such as the emergence of a nationalist spirit in the Asian republics center.
Anthropology and linguistics
Turkic peoples are varied in physical appearance. The majority of them, from Europe to China, seem to share traits with the white race. Some have very fair complexion, blue eyes and blond or red hair, although they are generally Mediterranean in appearance (brown eyes, brown/black hair, tan skin, slightly or not). Sometimes, surprising facial characteristics are also observable, such as certain Uzbeks or Tatars who have a visibly Mongolian face, but with light eyes and hair. Other Turks have a purely Mongol character, like some Kazakhs.
Linguists consider the Turkic, Mongolian and Tungusic languages to form a so-called Altaic family. . They have many points in common, such as vowel harmony:the vowels are divided into two groups and each word can only contain vowels from a single group. They are agglutinative languages:words can only be derived by adding suffixes. There is no prefix or infix like in Indo-European languages. These languages, on the other hand, have little vocabulary in common, which may cast doubt on whether they are of common origin. Their resemblance can, in part, be explained by a long neighborhood of their carriers.
In turn, the Altaic family is related to the Finno-Ugric family, which includes languages spoken by Hungarians, Finns, Estonians, as well as the Samoyeds of Siberia. All of these languages are referred to as Uralo-Altaic. These comparisons plead for a Siberian origin of the Turks.
The Turks have other points in common with the Siberian peoples, such as the practice of shamanism. It is in Siberia that this religion is found in its purest form. It is also the exclusive religion of the Siberian peoples. The myth of the ancestor wolf or dog is common to the Turks, the Mongols, the inhabitants of Siberia and North America. The Kyrgyz and Köktürks said they came from a cave, a myth also prevalent among Native Americans. These similarities are not surprising, since the latter are from Siberia.
The Turks especially have a lot in common with the Mongols, which has made the adjective "Turkish-Mongol" common use. Their main deity was the Sky-God, called Tängri by the Turks and Tängär by the Mongols. His companion was a goddess of fertility called Umai, common to Turks and Mongols. These two peoples used the term khan to appoint their kings. As long as we go back in their history, they had a nomadic way of life, using the yurt as their dwelling. These similarities testify to a long coexistence of Turks and Mongols, during which the two peoples mutually influenced each other.
During their westward expansion, the Turks intermingled with Indo-Europeans, who were the earliest known inhabitants of Central Asia. This is the reason why it is so difficult to define a Turkish breed. For example, when arriving in the Tarim Basin, the Uighurs mixed with the former inhabitants of this region, the Tocharians. Even in the myth of the origin of the Köktürks, there is question of interbreeding:while the ancestors still lived in their cave, they married “women from outside”. This cave was located north of Turfan, which was Tocharian territory.
Religion
On the whole, the Turkic peoples are Sunni Muslims. However, many people in eastern Turkey are Alevi, and the majority of Turks in Iran and Azerbaijan are Shia Muslims.
The Chuvashes of Russia and the Gagauzes of Moldavia are predominantly Christians.
Some tribes have even retained their shamanist traditions, while the majority have adopted Islam since the 8th century. They are found mainly in the regions and autonomous republics of Russia neighboring the Altai Mountains, in Khakassia and Tuva.
Finally, there are some Turkish Buddhist, Jewish, Zoroastrian and Baha'i tribes.
“Turkish world” and “Panturquism”
Some often refer to the “Turkish world” when talking about Turkish countries, regions and peoples. By contrast, others are concerned that this evolution of political currents encourages present-day Turkey in its imperialist or hegemonic aims, denouncing the thing as a pure product of Pan-Turkism.
Similarly, some point out that many Arabs feel linked to the Turks in cultural terms, which would constitute an “Arab world” enlarged to Turkish populations and having a much heavier political and cultural weight. There are benefits to this, including an encouragement to cultivate cultural and linguistic ties with a view to achieving common goals, developing the regions concerned and improving security there.
The opposition does not fail to point out that Turkey has a heavy nationalist and imperialist past, and that it is desirable to preserve the cultural, political and religious diversity of the Turkish peoples, rather than to unite them under a pan-Turkish banner which is very artificial and whose bearing in the minds could have a harmful influence on the whole region.
See online:http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turks