Göktürk Khaganate: Map & History
Göktürk Khaganate is mapped in the atlas for 555 CE – 586 CE, with a peak mapped extent of about 6,419,739 km².
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The First Turkic Khaganate, also referred to as the First Turkic Empire, the Turkic Khaganate or the Göktürk Khaganate, was a Turkic khaganate established by the Ashina clan of the Göktürks in medieval Inner Asia under the leadership of Bumin Qaghan and his brother Istämi. The First Turkic Khaganate succeeded the Rouran Khaganate as the hegemonic power of the Mongolian Plateau and rapidly expanded their territories in Central Asia. The khaganate became the first Central Asian transcontinental empire from Manchuria to the Black Sea.
Modern Countries Once Part of Göktürk Khaganate
At its mapped extent, Göktürk Khaganate covered territory in 9 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
- Uzbekistan561–586 CE · nearly all
- Mongolia555–586 CE · nearly all
- Kyrgyzstan561–586 CE · nearly all
- Tajikistan561–586 CE · nearly all
- Kazakhstan555–586 CE · most
- Turkmenistan561–586 CE · a large part
- Afghanistan561–586 CE · a large part
- China555–586 CE · a small part
- Russia555–586 CE · a small part
States and Provinces
- Nei Mongol, China
- Almaty, Kazakhstan
- Rostov, Russia
- Qaraghandy, Kazakhstan
- Xinjiang Uygur, China
- Chita, Russia
- East Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan
- Qyzylorda, Kazakhstan
- Zhambyl, Kazakhstan
- Aqtöbe, Kazakhstan
- Atyrau, Kazakhstan
- Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan
- South Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan
- Tashkent, Uzbekistan
- Jalal-Abad, Kyrgyzstan
- Leninabad, Tajikistan
- Buryat, Russia
- Qostanay, Kazakhstan
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Göktürk Khaganate's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Göktürk Khaganate in Depth
History
The origins of the Turkic Khaganate trace back to 546, when Bumin Qaghan made a preemptive strike against the Uyghur and Tiele groups planning a revolt against their overlords, the Rouran Khaganate. For this service, he expected to be rewarded with a Rouran princess, thus marrying into the royal family. However, the Rouran khagan, Yujiulü Anagui, sent an emissary to Bumin to rebuke him, saying, "You are my blacksmith slave. How dare you utter these words?" As Anagui's "blacksmith slave" (Chinese: 鍛奴; pinyin: duànnú) comment was recorded in Chinese chronicles, some claim that the Göktürks were indeed blacksmith servants for the Rouran elite, and that "blacksmith slavery" may have indicated a form of vassalage within Rouran society.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: First Turkic Khaganate (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Göktürk Khaganate: Key Facts
| Capital | Suyab |
|---|---|
| Official languages | Old Turkic, Sogdian, Rouran |
| Founded | 551 CE |
| Dissolved | 603 CE |
Succeeded by
- Eastern Turkic Khaganate
- Western Turkic Khaganate
- Kangar Union
Facts from Wikidata Q15146034 (CC0).
Göktürk Khaganate Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 6,419,739 km² in 568 CE.
Göktürk Khaganate: Frequently Asked Questions
When did Göktürk Khaganate exist?
Göktürk Khaganate is dated to 555 CE – 586 CE, in the Early Middle Ages era.
What was the capital of Göktürk Khaganate?
The capital of Göktürk Khaganate was Suyab.
How large was Göktürk Khaganate at its peak?
At its peak in 568 AD Göktürk Khaganate covered about 6,419,739 km².