Each nation has its own reasons for the formation of ethnic composition. The same situation is typical for people to spread from one place to another. As a result of the work carried out over many years, information has been collected that gives clear insights into the spread of the Turkmen people to the world. Their formation is closely related to the in-depth study of various directions of the people’s history – politics, economy, and culture. Various reasons played a big role in the spread of Turkmens around the world. If it should be said about the Middle Ages, then two historical circumstances led to the spread of Turkmen to the world in the 12th-13th centuries.
First, the Great Seljuk Turkmen State, which was formed in the 40s of the 11th century, became very strong in the 11th-12th centuries. The history, political and military power of the empire revealed the process of migration of Turkmen tribes. Representatives of the Turkmen appeared in the countries of the Middle and Near East. Over the centuries, they have created a standard of living there similar to that of their homeland.
Another reason for Turkmens to intervene in the countries of the Middle and Middle East is the result of the Mongol invasions. At the beginning of the 13th century, the countries of Central Asia, the Far East, and South-Eastern Europe did not suffer from the oppression of the Mongols. As a result of the Mongol invasions, the Turkmens, like other peoples, left their homeland and went to other countries to live in peace. Historians M. Aydogdiyev and H. Gurbanov describe the reasons for this in their article on the spread of Turkmen to the countries of the world.
1. Changes in natural conditions.
2. Served in other countries as trusted soldiers of Turkmen men to do.
3. Strengthening of the states created by the Turkmens in the occupied countries.
4. The occupation of the country by foreign invaders. One thing must be emphasized, when studying the problem of migration of any people, its reasons cannot be put into a certain mold. Therefore, the 4 main reasons mentioned above by our scientists are conditional. They will not be considered a definitive definition that is fully accepted. As for the conditionality, the understanding of those causes can be expanded by carrying out scientific studies and works through various methods. In the 19th century, Russia’s interest in Central Asia intensified, and finally it led to its conquest of Turkmenistan and other states in Central Asia at that time – the Kokant Khanate, the Bukhara Emirate, and the Khiva Khanate. In such a situation, the wishes, needs, and characteristics of the representatives of the Turkmen living in our homeland were not taken into account. This can be seen in the drawing of the Turkmen-Iranian and Turkmen-Afghan borders, and in the early 20s of the 20th century, when Mangyshlag was handed over to Kazakhstan and annexed to it. As a result, a part of Turkmen families falls on one side of the border, and another part falls on the other side. What will be said in this example is the possibility that there are many more reasons in the Turkmen world. It is clear that these examples of border divisions cannot be grouped together for the same four reasons. From the beginning of the 20th century until the 1940s, the state of life and society continued in confusion. Many Turkmens had to go beyond the borders of their homeland during those developments. In this case, the large-scale cleansing of the top management structure of the USSR from “delusions” played a big role. The anti-press movements and mass riots of 1937-1938 complemented this kind of “reciprocity”.
During the era of Oguz Khan, Turkmens spread all over the world. South Turkmenistan belongs to the Eneolithic period. The findings from the ancient hills of Anew confirm that there was large-scale agriculture and animal husbandry at the same time. At the beginning of the III-II millennium BC, and even before that, in the IV millennium BC, economic upheavals took place in the Anevli. However, in the 2nd millennium BC, the advanced farming culture of Anew declines. In that millennium, culture completely collapses. Scientists say that there were various reasons for the dispersal of the gene.
Their thoughts are about the occurrence of such situations: water cuts or natural disasters. In any of these cases, it is known that the Enevites dispersed from their homeland. Moreover, both of the reasons cited are closely related to natural causes.
The ancients are shown to have traveled to Mesopotamia. But scientists have not yet been able to determine its cause. However, many scholars consider the Sumerians to be ancient. Angrysi, a native Turkmen compatriot, a German Turkic scientist, expressed his opinion about this: “The Sumerians (Sumerians) passed through Iran and created one of the first ancient hearths on the territory of present-day Iraq, when the Eneolithic culture was just beginning to develop, that is, at the beginning of the first millennium before our era.
A strange situation arises here. Scientists H. Gullaev and B. They also mention that the ancients migrated to areas with abundant water suitable for agriculture between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Because they also have an addiction. Archaeologist B. Annagurbanov notes that Mesopotamian Sumerians have a common language and culture. When approaching such a problem, it can be seen that the Mesopotamian gods and religious beliefs are based on the unrepeatable model of the level of cultures of Anevli, later Namazgali, Altyndepeli, and Goksuruli in ancient times. However, it is known that the ancestors migrated during the disintegration of civilizations. It is also known that those migrations were towards foreign territories. Even during the Altyndepe city-state, the ancient ancestors of the Turkmen at that time were composed of people from the west, that is, from Anew. One of the groups from Anew settled in the territory of the ancient Goksuri cultural settlement. Here they formed developed farming and livestock villages. However, at the beginning of IV-III millennia before our era, the socio-economic conditions in Goksuyru settlement deteriorated. This is mainly due to natural conditions.
1. The water of Tejen River, originally called Gerirut, is supplied by Iran reduced.
2. Rainfall is rare.
As a result of these two situations, the edge of the Karakum has slipped over the Goksuruli and the drought begins. In this case, a group of Goksuruli, divided into four, settled in Hapyzdepe throughout the 3rd millennium BC. The Goksuru people who lived in Hapyzdepe in Saragt began to migrate after Teje built a house passing by it. They first reached the territory of Afghanistan, then Baluchistan, and further north India. This is confirmed by the pottery found there. Thus, in determining the routes of the ancient Goksuryus to the Indian lands, the ceramic products left by them serve a valuable role. In the middle of the 2nd millennium BC, a large part of the population from Goksüyri, who lived in Margush, followed their former compatriots to northern India. Then our ancestors who lived there called themselves “bees”. It has the meaning of pure, pure, noble. Most Germans consider themselves to be poor.
The world-shaking events of the 40s of the last century were the result of the actions of some Germans who promoted nationalistic ideas. Some scientists note that the Arians played a significant role in the ethnic composition of the Germans. For example, H. Gullayev writes about this: “A large group of those Aryans later came through Afghanistan, Iran, and the Balkan countries and formed the German nation in Germany (Germany). This is evidenced by the fact that the various symbols of the German visual arts are similar to products belonging to the Änew, Goksüyri, Altyndepe, Ilayta, and Kelleli cultures, as well as the similarities between the German and Turkmen languages. But this is also one of the issues that should be approached with caution. Well, from a linguistic point of view, one-sidedness is about future right. This problem, that is, the problem of one nation forming another nation, should be considered in an integrated manner. However, it cannot be ignored that language and culture are also important. In any case, it cannot be denied that from that time until the 11th century, and even after that, the Turkmens would mix in Europe, especially in the areas near Germany. Pastoral tribes, whose productive forces were very low, needed pastures. This means that it led them to migrate, that is, to conduct mass marches. Thus, the peoples of Europe and Asia were often mixed linguistically, culturally, and ethnically. The following characteristics are typical for the period between the 3rd millennium BC and the beginning of our era:
First, in the III-II millennia before our era, cattle tribes were large group (Indo-European speakers) moved from west to east.
Second, during the period before our era, the pastoral Turkic tribes migrated from east to west. In the 1st century before our era, the cattle of the Hun empire, which was divided into two parts: the eastern and the western parts, reached the deserts of Europe.
If you look at this, it seems possible that the Turkmen may have intervened in Germany during the Oguz Khan period. Because the Turkmens went to the vicinity of Germany in Europe. Even in the 11th century, there is information that a part of the Oghuz lived as nomads in Greece and Macedonia, and freely traveled to the western regions.
The ancestors of the Turkmens settled in China in the 10th-8th centuries BC. As an independent state in the 3rd century BC, Xinjiang’s western border extended to the Laohe River in the east, the Han Empire in the south, and Lake Baikal in the north. One territory of the state extended to the Great Wall of China.
It was the Meteha era when the state flourished. He ruled from 209-174 BC. He conquered the Chinese Empire and the Tangut Kingdom. He settled his population in a large distance from Mongolia to India and the Caspian Sea. The Huns migrated to Western Europe in the 1st century BC. There are also groups that have not migrated from them. They are Güneş and Abdal Turkmen tribes. The rest of the day was spent in Europe. The development time of our ancient ancestors, known as the Huns, is considered to be the first half of the first millennium before our era in the Oguz Khan period. In the 5th-4th centuries of the 1st millennium BC, they reached the Great Wall of China. As the ruling elites of the Han dynasty slipped under the influence of the Great Wall of China, they reformed the military in order to strengthen their military power.
In the 2nd century BC, the sun reaches its peak. In 176 BC, a letter written by the Hun ruler Metehan (ruled 209-174 BC) to the Chinese emperor gives an idea of the capabilities of the Hun state. “Grateful to heaven, since the commanders and soldiers were in good condition, and our horses were very hardy and strong, I had the opportunity to destroy and subjugate the Yueji Loyan tribes. I also subjugated Usunli Huze and 26 other neighboring estates. Thus all the archery peoples were gathered into one family. The kingdom of the Suns apparently included a large number of nations. Areas, massages, and bags are among them. The Scythians and Massagets are the ancestors of the Turkmens. In the 1st millennium BC, their historical activity was high even before they became part of the empire of the Guns. They reached Europe and Asia Minor. The following places are mentioned in the scientific literature as their places of residence outside the borders of the country:
1. Kazakhstan.
2. Siberia.
3. Mongolia.
4. China.
In archaeological and anthropological studies, the findings of the Scythians and Masatians in the places where the culture was spread gave the scientists a reason to say that their spread started from the Don River (in Russia) and was completed in China. From III-II millennia before our era, massagets and saks already started to leave their habitats. Their arrival in the deserts of Western Mongolia is considered to be the beginning of III-II millennia BC.
This is confirmed by the archaeological work in South Siberia. In southern Siberia, in 1980, Scythian tombs were discovered in the Munisin valley in the Krasnoyarsk region. In the construction of the tombs, signs of the religious traditions of the peoples who lived in Siberia at that time can be felt. But the quadrilateral patterns found in the tombs are the patterns of the Merlezi Asiatic Scythians.
The use of symbols of the culture of the peoples of Siberia in religious traditions, including their own cultural symbols, testifies to the fact that our ancient ancestors, who had already arrived there, were moving towards a cultural commonality in accordance with local conditions. However, they keep more of their national symbols and their use in their lives shows that they want to protect their nationality. The Scythians were very active people until they were influenced by the Suns. They became part of the empire of the Guns in the 2nd century BC.
In the 30s and 20s of the 4th century BC, Alexander the Great traveled from eastern Europe to southern Europe. After 330 BC, it reached the territory of Turkmenistan and Central Asia. He conquered many provinces in these places. During the time of Alexander, the process of Turkmen invasion of foreign countries took place. In fact, Iskender himself resorted to marriage relations with our ancient ancestors living in Turkmenistan. This is explained by the fact that he wanted to keep his possessions. For this purpose, he married Roxana, the daughter of a Bactrian beg named Oxyart, who lived in Sogdiana, and 80 of his commanders married the daughters of Asian begs. 10,000 Macedonian soldiers married local girls at the king’s expense.
During the time of Alexander the Great, the Turkmen’s migration from their country to foreign countries has two characteristics.
1. Migration of the local population without having to endure massacres and hardships.
2. Expulsion of local peoples from their territories by Alexander himself. Alexander’s campaigns were not always peaceful. Although the ruler himself was wise and respected his words, many people were killed as a result of his actions. Thus, the inhabitants of Turan (southern parts of Turkmenistan) who could not stand the harsh sun went to the sands and mountains.
Alexander himself carried out a policy of distribution (relocation) in order to preserve the local population and their property. When Alexander died, he made a will. According to that will, a great city was to be built in Asia. The people brought from Europe to Asia should live there, and the people there should also go to Europe.
In doing so, Alexander proposed the idea of ”re-creating” the peoples. Alexander always remained faithful to these ideas. He took 30,000 people from the local population – the Turkmens – as slaves for his army.
Then, over time, they left their country and settled in different places. Alexander’s contemporaries wrote down valuable information about his purposeful actions. An author named Andonida mentions that the tonar was first created in Greece with the help of the Scythians, and for this they brought 300 Scythian archers from Central Asia.
Even more interesting are the writings of Pompey Trogus, who left records of the campaigns of Philip of Macedon (Alexander’s father). According to his account, Philip captured 20,000 horses in his battles with the Scythian king Ataeus. Those horses were then sent to Macedonia to improve horse breeding. In order to take care of them, even more people from the land population were taken captive.
Among the captives who went to Macedonia are also mentioned. The land of the Aryans (Appia in Southern Turkmenistan) was conquered by Alexander in 329-328 BC. The spread of the Aryans to the world began even before the time of Alexander. In the second half of the 2nd millennium BC, the Aryans first settled in Central Asia. They then spread out by fighting successful battles in two directions:
1. Southward-moving bees penetrated into India.
2. A second group that went northwest and west spread across Europe and Central Asia.
They spread their order and religion – the cult of God and the horse – to those places. It is a great service to the Aryans that chariots, which were previously unknown in Asia and Europe, became known to the peoples there. There are scientists who connect the appearance of the horse in India with the arrival of the Aryans there.
A part of the groups of Arabs that came to these places settled down in the newly occupied areas, while the other group went further afield. It is a historical fact that the Scythians, Aryans, and Massagets in general migrated to foreign countries in the 1st millennium BC. In the VIII-VII centuries before our era, the ancient Scythians migrated across the Araks (Volga) River to the shores of the Black Sea. The arrival of these tribes from Gundagar has spread cultural symbols to those places in a mass manner. A similar migration can be seen in the migration of the southern tribes.
The Parthian Empire lasted for 473 years from 247 BC to 224 AD. During the development of the state, at one time it consisted of 18 associations. Turkmen ancestors spread to the southern lands (provinces) of Parthia. A priest and crown prince An Shi-Gao, believed to be of Marginal origin, and his disciple An Xuan, a translator and merchant, went to China. They spread Buddhism there. In fact, in the 2nd-3rd centuries of our era, believers from Central Asia migrated to Gundogar Turkestan en masse.
In the 1st century of our era, from the Aral lands to the shores of the Sea of Azov, Alans lived. Our ancestors, who played a major role in the formation of the Turkmen of Northern Turkmenistan, reached the Urals.
In southeastern Europe, the Alans led a confederation of Sarmatian tribes. In the west, they dominated the confederation of mountain tribes in Central Asia. During this period, the spread of Turkmens to Russian lands and penetration into Europe continued. In the 4th century AD, the Guns lived on the shores of the North Caucasus and the Caspian Sea. In 375 AD, they migrated to Thrace (Greece regions) and Asia Minor, where they took many cattle tribes. It is known in history as “the great migration of peoples”. In the 4th century of our era, the tribes of Anatolia, Syria, and Mesopotamia were dispersed, some of them were included in the newly created union of tribes. Days include bulgars, sarmats, fields, and water. The development of the union coincides with the period of Attila, who ruled them in 445-454. They ruled Europe at that time. The lands along the banks of the Danube fell to Hungary. The Roman emperors were defeated in wars with the gods, and they were allowed to settle in the empire and paid taxes and expensive gold. In 375, the Guns conquered the Goths living on the shores of the Black Sea and settled in the territory of the Don River. In 394-395, the Guns ravaged Syria, Cappadocia, and Pannonia, threatening the Roman Empire. But the Ostrogoth, Gerul, and Gepid tribes lived in the places where the Guns settled. Due to the conflict between them, they were defeated by the combined forces of the Romans, Visigoths, and Franks in the field of Cattalaucus in Gaul.
In the year 469, when they became part of other European and Asian peoples, the Guns completely disappear from the historical scene at the beginning of the 6th century. Byzantine writers wrote that the Khalaj, Kypjak, Oghuz-Turkmen appeared within the empire in the 5th-6th centuries.
References
- Алексеев В.П., Гохман И.И. Антропология азиатской части СССР. Москва, 1984.
- Росляков А.А. Происхождение туркменского народа. Ашхабад, 1982.
- Карпов С.П. Трапезундская империя и западно-европейская государства в ХIII-ХV вв. Москва, 1981.