Post by H. İhsan Erkoç on Aug 21, 2006 15:15:50 GMT 3
Perhaps I should give you some information about the historical sources on the Blue Turks. I will classify them by language:
Old Turkic: We have inscriptions of 8th-9th centuries written in Old Turkic with it's own inscription. They are all found on monuments of tomb complexes of the ruling class. The longest inscriptions are of Bilge Qaghan, Köl Tigin and Tonyuquq. Uyghur inscriptions written in Turkic Runic also have some information about the Blue Turks, especially about their final years.
Classical Chinese: These make up the vast majority of the sources on the Blue Turks. Most of the information about the Blue Turks are found in the dynasty annals but there are also important information found in literary works and tomb inscriptions. Apart from Chinese sources, Korean sources written in Classical Chinese also have some information about the Blue Turks.
Soghdian: Before the adaptation of Turkic Runic, the Blue Turks wrote several inscriptions in the Soghdian language with the Soghdian script. These, like the runic inscriptions, are located on tomb monuments.
Greek: The Romans and Blue Turks exchanged several emissary envoys in the 6th century. The Roman emissaries that went to visit the Western Turk Yabghus wrote detailed reports in Greek.
Arabic: Following their invasion of Western Turkistân (Turkestan) in the 7th century, the Arabs kept fighting with the Turks for almost two centuries. Arabic sources, mostly chronicals and tribal legends, give detailed and interesting information about the Western Turks.
Persian: The only Persian source I know which gives information about the Blue Turks is Firdavsî's (Firdûsî) Shahnâme. It has some battle descriptions of clashes between the Sâssânids and Western Turks.
Tibetan: I actually have no knowledge about this, but I heard there are bits of information about the Blue Turks found in the Tibetan sources but most of these are religious texts.
Old Turkic: We have inscriptions of 8th-9th centuries written in Old Turkic with it's own inscription. They are all found on monuments of tomb complexes of the ruling class. The longest inscriptions are of Bilge Qaghan, Köl Tigin and Tonyuquq. Uyghur inscriptions written in Turkic Runic also have some information about the Blue Turks, especially about their final years.
Classical Chinese: These make up the vast majority of the sources on the Blue Turks. Most of the information about the Blue Turks are found in the dynasty annals but there are also important information found in literary works and tomb inscriptions. Apart from Chinese sources, Korean sources written in Classical Chinese also have some information about the Blue Turks.
Soghdian: Before the adaptation of Turkic Runic, the Blue Turks wrote several inscriptions in the Soghdian language with the Soghdian script. These, like the runic inscriptions, are located on tomb monuments.
Greek: The Romans and Blue Turks exchanged several emissary envoys in the 6th century. The Roman emissaries that went to visit the Western Turk Yabghus wrote detailed reports in Greek.
Arabic: Following their invasion of Western Turkistân (Turkestan) in the 7th century, the Arabs kept fighting with the Turks for almost two centuries. Arabic sources, mostly chronicals and tribal legends, give detailed and interesting information about the Western Turks.
Persian: The only Persian source I know which gives information about the Blue Turks is Firdavsî's (Firdûsî) Shahnâme. It has some battle descriptions of clashes between the Sâssânids and Western Turks.
Tibetan: I actually have no knowledge about this, but I heard there are bits of information about the Blue Turks found in the Tibetan sources but most of these are religious texts.
