CHAPTER (BLM) 3

TURKIC STATES IN HISTORY-1

(TARHTEK BYK TRK DEVLETLER)

GREAT HUN EMPIRE

According to our knowledge of history, the first Turkish state established in
Central Asia is the Great Hun Empire.
It is possible to track the exact date of the political Hun formation starting from
the IV. Century B.C. which expanded from the rivers Orhun-Selenga and the with
the tgen suburbs as center which was respected as the blessed country by the
Turks, down to the Huang-ho river in the south.
The first historical document about the Hun's was an agreement, that was dated
in 318 B.C.
"Hun" meant human and people in the old Turkish.
Because Huns were nomadic tribes, they migrated and moved usually not only to
China, but to all parts of Asia.
Elements that make up the main administrator of the Hun Empire were the
Turkish tribes.
For this reason, official language of the state was Turkish.
Other Central Asian nations such as the Mongols and Tungus had taken place
within the empire.

Moreover, Turkish cavalry played

an important role in military and
had a superiority to the other
states in this period.
Turkish cavalries had an ability
of rapid mobility.
They could suddenly attack any
time to the enemies.
For this reason, Huns became
Empire in a short time.

At this time, the Chinese were using chariots, but they had no cavalry army.
The Chinese were forced to equip their armies so as Hun and soldiers were
dressed like Huns.

After long defensive fights the local dynasties had started to surround their
settlements and military concentrations with city walls in order to protect from
the Hun cavalryman.
In order to close his north walls totally against the Hun attacks, Si-huang-ti from
the Chinese dynasty (259-210
B.C.)
tore down the
inner parts of the city walls
and with the materials they
gained he filled the blanks
formed the outer walls
to the famous Chinese Wall.

Line of defense called Great Wall of China emerged in this period (214 B.C.).
A comprehensive archaeological survey, using advanced technologies, has
concluded that the Ming walls measure 8,850 km.

The first great leader of the Huns was Teoman Yabgu (220 B.C.E.).
At that time, the Turkish leader was called as "Yabgu".
He unified the Turkish tribes living apart from each other.
In Hun language this expression means the emperor title and shows that he was
not an ordinary leader of a clan but a president of a state that was formed long
time ago.
After Teoman, his son, Mete, became the leader of Huns.

During the Mete Han period, the territory of Hun Empire extended from the
Caspian Sea to the Sea of Japan.

In this land, Altaic tribes were also living as well as other various Turkish tribes.
Mete period was the most brilliant time of the Hun Empire in the World history
(209-174 BC).
Chinese were more advanced in civilization compare to the Huns on that period.
Although Chinese population was higher than Huns and Chinese had a very
powerful army, they could not stop the expansion of the Huns through the
Chinese territory.
This shows that the reason for the success of Huns was not only military power.
The Huns were really very advanced in terms of founding organizations and
administrations.
The great Hun Emperor had collected all the tribes of Turkish race that lived on
the continent Asia for this period at his administration under one flag.

From the letter Mete Han had sent to the Chinese government in 177 B.C. it is
seen that the number of tribes dependent to the Turkish State was 26 and all of
them, according to Tan-hu's statement became "bow stretching folk" which
means "Hun".
General Characteristics of the Mete Han Period
As it can be seen, this state was mostly founded on steppes with rich grassland
and convenient for breeding contrary to the restricted agricultural areas that
were under his direction.
The commercial base was - horses on first line - stockbreeding.
Depending to this the social standard differed in many ways to the "farmer"
culture of the large-lands owning Chinese class and the slave class.
Neither large estates nor land-slaves were something that could be observed at
the Hun's.

However, they always lived as disciplined and self-defending armed tribes

(groups) in social and political unions that were constituted by families that were
tied together with blood-relations.
The states were established due to the close cooperation of these tribe unions
(bodun's) among themselves.

Due to this formation and especially after the organization of the army by Mete
Han, the government became more a "military organization" that was centrally
directed which had a military character and since the required conditions (to be
educated on the steppe, horses and weapons) were ready they were open for
conquests.
In this point they separated from the "farmer" Chinese government.

Although "feudalism" was the regime in China, centralism was very determined
in the Hun state.
Small officers and some counselors may had been Chinese, but the armed forces
under their direction and the high positioned functionaries who at the same time
were commanders and the responsible first rank owners always were from Hun
origin.
Also the government organization (e.g. left-right or east-west partition) had
nothing to do with the Chinese; breaking the tribal efforts in community, Mete
Han realized the arrangement of the 10-formation in the army that almost formed
the government to a military community.

During the foundation of the steppe Turkish Sky God (Gk Tanr) believing Hun
Empire, that had in respect of conviction no relations with neither the Mongolian
totemism nor the Chinese land theism.

It should not be taken into consideration that the "Chinese Empire" model was
more than the mutual cultural influences in normal measurements apart the
common point of view.
First, the Empire was not built on Chinese land, but on the area of the Hiungnu.
Second, it is questionable that Mete Han gave himself the title "Son of the Sky".

Third; the concept "Son of the Sky" is originally not Chinese but of Turkish origin.
This all leads to the conclusion that the Great Hun Empire, that took his definite
form in the time of Mete Han, from ethnical aspects and sense of rulership, his
social structure, his administrative and military foundations, his religious and
world viewpoint is a main source of the Turkish nations history and cultural
prosperity that has last for two thousand years.
Therefore it carries an important meaning in the Turkish and world history.