Civilizational Rise and Development: A Study of the Emergence and Rise of the Turks

Authors

  • Irtiqa Javeed Department of Islamic Studies, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India
  • Bilal Ahmad Wani Department of Islamic Studies, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61166/alwadhih.v2i1.32

Keywords:

Turks, Khans, Civilization, Ottomans

Abstract

The work delves into the fascinating origin and history of the Turks, tracing the evolution of civilizations from nomadic societies to established civilizations. This transformation is an important aspect of human history reflecting the shift from a nomadic way of life to settled societies. The primary focus of this journey is on The Xiang nu who transitioned from a stateless existence to a powerful macro_ polity and are considered the forbearers of the Turks. This transition from statelessness to establishing a macro polity is here the intricate and nuanced narrative of the Turks’ beginning to take shape. The Xiang nu served as a crucial bridge for them, it not only laid the groundwork for the Turkic civilization but also contributed significantly to the broader narrative of Eurasian history. The work then delves into the subsequent division of the Turks into two distinct branches. It briefly touches on the political structure of the Turks, illuminating how they governed themselves with the primary focus on the function of their head “Khan or Khagan”.

References

Beckwith, Christopher I. Empires of the Silk Road: A History of Central Eurasia from the Bronze Age to the Present. Princeton University Press, 2009. pp. 42-43

Czaplicka, M. A. The Turks of Central Asia in History and at the Present Day: An Ethnological Inquiry into the Pan-Turanian Problem, and Bibliographical Material Relating to the Early Turks and the Present Turks of Central Asia. Oxford: Clarendon Press.1918 p. 87

Findley, Carter V. The Turks in World History, Oxford University Press, 2005 p. 29.

Findley, Carter V. The Turks in World History. Oxford University Press, 2005 p. 4.

Findley, Carter V., The Turks in World History, Oxford University Press, 2005 p. 30

Findley, op. cit. p. 35

Findley, op. cit. p. 44

Golden, op. cit., pp. 4-5

Golden, P. B. An Introduction to the History of the Turkic Peoples: Ethno genesis and State-Formation in Medieval and Early Modern Eurasia and the Middle East. Otto Harra Scowlitz - Wiesbaden 1992, pp. 3-4

Grousset, R. The Empire of the Steppes: A History of Central Asia. Rutgers University Press.1970 p. 57

Harper parker Edward, The Origin of the Turks, Longmans Green and Co., 1896, p. 441

Ibid, p. 31

Ibid., p. 37

Ibid., p. 37

Ibid., p. 40

Ibid., p. 45

Kramer, S. N. The Sumerians: Their History, Culture, and Character. University of Chicago Press1963 pp. 10-12.

Ross, E. Denison. The Orkhon Inscriptions: Being a Translation of Professor Vilhelm Thomsen's Final Danish Rendering. 1930.p. 33

Yu, Ying-Shih. Trade and Expansion in Han China: A Study in the Structure of Sino-Barbarian Economic Relations, University of California Press, 1986, pp. 38-39

Downloads

Published

2026-06-26

How to Cite

Irtiqa Javeed, & Bilal Ahmad Wani. (2026). Civilizational Rise and Development: A Study of the Emergence and Rise of the Turks. Al-Wadhih: Journal of Islamic History and Civilization, 2(1), 17–28. https://doi.org/10.61166/alwadhih.v2i1.32

Issue

Section

Articles