Origins of the Turkish People

The first historical references to the Turks date back to 220 B.C.E and appear in Chinese records. These reports identify nomadic tribes who established an empire extending from Mongolia to the Black Sea. They specifically refer to “Huns,” possible ancestors of today’s Turks, whose kingdom emerged after Greek civilization and the Roman Empire had already peaked. Whether the Huns, who lacked a written language, formed a state or were in fact a confederation of nomadic tribes is a matter of dispute. It was not until the appearance of the Gokturk Kingdom (552-745 C.E.) that a level of administrative organization was achieved. Evidence on Turkish tombstone inscriptions dating to that period indicates that the Gokturks also developed a written language. Their kingdom collapsed because of internal fighting and Chinese encroachment.