NMC103H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Azerbaijani Language, Eurasian Steppe, Ulugh Beg
18 Oct 2016
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NMC103H1-F
Turkic peoples and cultures
Oct 28, 2014
Terms Turk, Turkic, Turkish
• Turk is ethnic term, used for all Turkic peoples in history
• Turkic is linguistic term, denoting languages belonging to the Altaic group of languages
• Turkish is adjective relating to the language and modern nation-state of Turkey
• in medieval times,“Turk” meant a nomad vs “Tajik,” a sedentary Iranian language-speaker
Distribution of Turkic languages and peoples
• historically in Eurasian steppe (grasslands) north of Caspian Sea, later also Pontic steppe
• migration and/or incursions into Central Asia, Middle East, esp. in 11th century
• examples of modern Turkic languages: Turkish, Azerbaijani/Azeri, Turkmen, Uzbek,
Kazakh/Qazaq, Kirghiz/Kyrgyz, Karakalpak, Uighur, Tatar, etc. (Note: not all Muslim peoples)
• modern states: Turkey, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kirghizistan
• total population: ca. 180–200 million; Turkey 74, Uzbekistan 26, Kazakhstan 9 million
Culture and characteristics
• originally pastoral nomads; excellent horsemen, cavalry archers, military men par excellence
(reading from Jahiz, d. 869, on “The Merits of the Turks”)
\Turkish language was spoken by the Euroasian Steppe
• 180 million Turkic speakers?
• Excellent horseman, cavalry men.
• There was a symbiotic relationsip with the sedentary people esp Iranians.
• TURKS AND IRANIANS:
• Reflected in the change of exchange of productions in 2 different modes of production;
trading from nomads or other products made in urban centers exchange with…
• Assimilated to the islamic regions in which they lived
• They became sematirized
• symbiotic relationship with sedentary peoples (esp. Iranian)—epitomized by Old Turkic proverb
(“There is no Turk without an Iranian just as there is no hat without a head”), exchange of
products of two different modes of production
• gradual acculturation > assimilation > semi-sedentarization>sedentarization
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• Turkicization of Azerbaijan, Anatolia (from 11th c.), Central Asia (esp. from 16th c.)
- Same process as azarbaijan
• social organization: tribe/clan, concern with genealogy, role of women
• political culture: loyalty to tribal/charismatic leader, notion of corporate sovereignty
• native religions and cultures (animistic, shamanistic, Tängri religion); Islamization; champion
Sunni (Hanafi) Islam—in Europe, “Turk” meant “Muslim”
• literature: oral epic (e.g., Manas, DedeKorkut); development of Turkic literary languages
(Chaghatay—poet Mir AlishirNava’i, Ottoman—poets Fuzuli, Baki), influence of Persian
• prominent cultural figures: philosopher Farabi, mystical poet Rumi (although he was Iranian
and wrote in Persian), ruler/astronomer Ulugh Beg, founder of Mughal empire Babur,
contemporary Turkish author (Nobel prize laureate) OrhanPamuk; prominent modern artists
Historical background
- Turkic and Turco-Mongolian polities dominate the history of theIslamicWorld
- In East: Ghaznavids,Seljuks,Mongols,Turkme dynasties,Timurids, Safavids,Mughals,etc.
- In West: Mamluks, Ottomans.
• pre-Islamic: KökTürk, Uighur empires
• use of Turkic mercenaries/slave soldiers by early Islamic polities: Abbasids, Samanids, Buyids,
Ghaznavids, etc.
• Oghuz confederation—frontier regions, Islamization; move into the Middle East 11th c.
• dominate the medieval (especially Iranian) Islamic worldpolitically:
-in east: Karakhanids (10th–11th c.), Ghaznavids (10th–12th c.), Seljuks (11th–14th c.),
Mongols (13th–14th c.), Türkmen dynasties (15th c.), Timurids (15th c.), Uzbeks (16th
c.), Safavids (16th–18th c.), Mughals (=Timurids, 16th–19th c.)
-in west: Mamluks (13th-16th c.), Ottomans (15th–20th c.)
• modern times:
• Turkey first nation state in Mid East 1923—nationalist leader Ataturk—military man,
caliphate abolished 1924, Shari‘a replaced 1926 with Swiss code, dress code change
1925, Arabic script abolished 1928; women given right to vote 1934; by 1928 no mention
of Islam in constitution, Turkey secular state; legacy of “Kemalism” today?
• Central Asian republics independent 1991—had been part of SRussian empire, Soviet
Union; secular states based on Soviet boundaries drawn up 1920s; use of Cyrillic
alphabet for all languages
NMC103H1-F
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Kazakh/qazaq, kirghiz/kyrgyz, karakalpak, uighur, tatar, etc. (note: not all muslim peoples: modern states: turkey, azerbaijan, turkmenistan, uzbekistan, kazakhstan, kirghizistan, total population: ca. 180 200 million; turkey 74, uzbekistan 26, kazakhstan 9 million. Culture and characteristics: originally pastoral nomads; excellent horsemen, cavalry archers, military men par excellence (reading from jahiz, d. 869, on the merits of the turks ) Same process as azarbaijan: social organization: tribe/clan, concern with genealogy, role of women, political culture: loyalty to tribal/charismatic leader, notion of corporate sovereignty, native religions and cultures (animistic, shamanistic, t ngri religion); islamization; champion. Turkic and turco-mongolian polities dominate the history of theislamicworld. In west: mamluks, ottomans: pre-islamic: k kt rk, uighur empires, use of turkic mercenaries/slave soldiers by early islamic polities: abbasids, samanids, buyids, Ghaznavids, etc: oghuz confederation frontier regions, islamization; move into the middle east 11th c, dominate the medieval (especially iranian) islamic worldpolitically: In east: karakhanids (10th 11th c. ), ghaznavids (10th 12th c. ), seljuks (11th 14th c. ),
