TURKS

Origin Of Turks & The Uygur Turks
 
Nationalist Uygurs, at http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/1730/buh.html, stated that "after 210 B.C., the Uygurs played important roles in the Hun (220 B.C. - 386 A.D.), Tabgach (To'pa) (386-554 A.D.), and Kok Turk (552-744 A.D.) empires which were established in Central Asia".   This statement would be erroneous in its lumping together different groups of peoples. 
 
The Turks, specifically called Tujüe or Tujue (Turks) at the time of North Dynasties (AD 386-581) and Sui/Tang Dynasties, asserted themselves in late time period of Toba Northern Wei Dynasty (A.D. 386-533). Toba Wei split into Eastern and Western Wei Dynasties in AD 534. The Turks rebelled against the Ruruans in AD 546-553. However, there were earlier references to Turkic tents in the 4th and 5th centuries, respectively.  Below, I will cite a few records in Chinese history. Among the following sayings, personally, I am more inclined to believe that the ancestors of Turks might be related to the 500 families who fled to the Altai Mountains after Toba Wei Emperor Daowudi (Toba Gui, reign 386-409) defeated the Hunnic Statelet of Juqu in today's Gansu Province.
 
In China, 16 Nations (AD 304-420) were comprised of various nomadic groups of people: Huns, Jiehu, Xianbei (including Wuhuan & Toba), Qiang, & Di. Ultimately, the Toba (Tuoba), who were of Xianbei heritage, took over northern China. Leftover Huns were absorbed by Ruruan, and Ruruan were defeated and exterminated by Turks. Toba would deal with the onslaughts by the Ruruans first and then the Turks. Toba got sinicized in northern China. Ultimately, Toba Wei Dynasty would be usurped by two generals of Xianbei heritage. Northern Qi and Northern Zhou replaced the two Toba dynasties. Sui China would be built on Northern Zhou Dynasty of Yuwen clan.
 
The origin of the Turk was interesting as well as the name of it. Tang Dynasty writer, Li Yanshou, in his book History Of The Northern Dynasties, wrote that the Turks were alternative Huns whose ancestors had originally dwelled to the right side of the Xihai (West Sea), i.e., Qinghaihu Lake of Qinghai Prov. According to Chinese records, the ancestor of the Turks came from a boy whose arms were cut off and whose ankles were also deliberately disabled by the tribal feuds. This boy was from the background of mixed Hu nomads in today's Gansu-Qinhai areas. History Of The Northern Dynasties said that the Turkic clan to which the boy belonged dwelled to the west side of Xi Hai. (Xi Hai was also the name for the Mediterranean). A wolf would be responsibile for saving the life of the boy. When the enemies found out about the boy, they killed the boy. However, the pregnant wolf fled to the mountains near ancient Gaochang Statelet (Turpan) and she gave birth to 10 children who ultimately became the ancestors of later Turks, i.e., Ten Turkic Family Names. The ten Turks used their wives' family name as their respective clan name. Ashina was one of the ten names.
 
Li Yanshou also recorded another theory, namely, the ancestors of the Turks were the mixed Ashina Hu nomads in Pingzhou and Liangzhou areas. About 500 households of them fled to the Ruruan for protection, dwelled to the south of the Altai Mountains, and became the iron slaves of the Ruruans, at the time when Toba Wei Emperor Daowudi (reign 386-409) defeated the Hunnic Statelet of Juqu's Northern Liang in today's Gansu Province. The name of "turk" was in fact something denoting some cloth cover on the head, said to be of the same shape as the Altai mountains in today's Western China. Li Yanshou also said that the Turks could have their origin from a statelet called Suoguo which was to the north of the Huns. The Hunnic tribal chieftan, i.e., A'pangbu, possessed 70 brothers, with one of them born with a wolf. Brother Nishidu would revive the tribe after it was conquered by neighbors. Nishidu had four sons, with one son leading the Qigu statelet, and the elder son living on Mount Ba-si-chu-zhe-shi-shan. This elder son was made into the chieftan, and he bore ten sons, with the youngest named Ashina. Ashina was later selected as the chieftan because he could jump the highest against the tree. Ashina had one of his descendant by the name of Tumen (Bumin). In AD 545, a Western Toba Wei emissary visited Tumen. Tumen was delighted at the visit by grandiose Chinese emissary and thought this visit might for sure bring along luck to him. Tumin sent in tributes to Toba Wei Dynasty the second year.
 
From the standpoint of one Chinese historian writer (Cai Dongfan), the Turks are a so-called "bie zhong" of the Huns, namely, "alternative race" or "different race" if translated literally.   The Turks became a strong power after they, under Tumen, defeated the 'Tiele Tribe' and absorbed about 50,000 households in AD 546. Juqu's Northern Liang connection is the most credible explanation, in my opinion.
 
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