The Tonyukuk inscriptions (), also called the Bain Tsokto inscriptions are Turkic inscriptions of the 8th century located in modern-day

Mongolia Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...

. They are the oldest written attestations of the

Turkic language The Turkic languages are a language family of over 35 documented languages, spoken by the Turkic peoples of Eurasia from Eastern Europe and Southern Europe to Central Asia, East Asia, North Asia (Siberia), and Western Asia. The Turkic languag ...

family, predating the

Orkhon inscriptions The Orkhon inscriptions (also known as the Orhon inscriptions, Orhun inscriptions, Khöshöö Tsaidam monuments (also spelled ''Khoshoo Tsaidam'', ''Koshu-Tsaidam'' or ''Höshöö Caidam''), or Kul Tigin steles ( zh, t=闕特勤碑, s=阙特勤� ...

(Khöshöö Tsaidam monuments) by several years.

Geography

The inscriptions are in

Tuul River , , "to wade through" , nickname = Queen Tuul , image = Tuul River Mongolia.JPG , image_size = , image_caption = The Tuul flowing through the Gorkhi-Terelj National Park , map = Toula (rivi ...

valley at (southeast of

Ulan Bator Ulaanbaatar (; mn, Улаанбаатар, , "Red Hero"), previously anglicized as Ulan Bator, is the capital and most populous city of Mongolia. It is the coldest capital city in the world, on average. The municipality is located in north cen ...

and

Nalaikh Nalaikh () is one of nine Düüregs (districts) of the Mongolian capital of Ulaanbaatar. It is subdivided into 8 Khoroo A khoroo ( mn, хороо) is an administrative subdivision of Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. The term is often tra ...

).Don Croner's World Wide wanders
/ref> They are often confused with, or considered as a part of, the

(Khöshöö Tsaidam inscriptions), although the Orkhon inscriptions are actually located about to the west of Bain Tsokto.

History

Bain Tsokto inscriptions are about

Tonyukuk Tonyukuk ( otk, 𐰋𐰃𐰠𐰏𐰀:𐱃𐰆𐰪𐰸𐰸, Bilgä Tuňuquq, lit=Tunyuquq the Wise, zh, , c=暾欲谷, p=Tunyugu, , born c. 646, died c. 726) was the baga-tarkhan (supreme commander) and adviser of four successive Göktürk khaga ...

, the

counselor Counselor or counsellor may refer to: A professional In diplomacy and government * Counsellor of State, senior member of the British royal family to whom the Monarch can delegate some functions in case of unavailability * Counselor (dipl ...

of four Turkic khagans -- Ilterish Khagan, Kapaghan Khagan,

Inel Khagan Inäl Qaγan ( otk, 𐰃𐰤𐰠:𐰴𐰍𐰣, Inel Qaγan, zh, , c=, s=, t=拓西可汗, p=Tuoxīkèhán) was the third khagan of Second Turkic Khaganate. During Qapγan's reign He actively participated in his father's campaigns. He became les ...

and

Bilge Khagan Bilge Qaghan ( otk, 𐰋𐰃𐰠𐰏𐰀:𐰴𐰍𐰣, Bilgä Qaγan; ; 683 – 25 November 734) was the fourth Qaghan of the Second Turkic Khaganate. His accomplishments were described in the Orkhon inscriptions. Names As was the custom, his ...

-- of the

Second Turkic Khaganate The Second Turkic Khaganate ( otk, 𐱅𐰇𐰼𐰰:𐰃𐰠, Türük el, State of the Turks, , known as ''Turk Bilge Qaghan country'' ( otk, 𐱅𐰇𐰼𐰝:𐰋𐰃𐰠𐰏𐰀:𐰴𐰍𐰣:𐰃𐰠𐰭𐰀, Türük Bilgä Qaγan eli) in Bai ...

. He died in the 720s. Unlike the two other Orkhon inscriptions which were erected after the hero had died, Bain Tsokto inscriptions were erected by Tonyukuk himself around the year 716.Türkçe bilgi
/ref> (His deeds after 716 had not been narrated.) The narrator is Tonyukuk. The inscriptions were inscribed on two

stele A stele ( ),Anglicized plural steles ( ); Greek plural stelai ( ), from Greek , ''stēlē''. The Greek plural is written , ''stēlai'', but this is only rarely encountered in English. or occasionally stela (plural ''stelas'' or ''stelæ''), whe ...

s. The writing, which proceeds vertically from top to bottom, is in the

Old Turkic alphabet The Old Turkic script (also known as variously Göktürk script, Orkhon script, Orkhon-Yenisey script, Turkic runes) was the alphabet used by the Göktürks and other early Turkic peoples, Turkic khanates from the 8th to 10th centuries to re ...

Summary of the text

1st stele (35 lines)

:''West side'': The revolt of

Turks Turk or Turks may refer to: Communities and ethnic groups * Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic languages * Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation * Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic o ...

against the

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...

in 681. (After the Tang subjugated the Turks in 630) :''South side'': War against

Oghuz Turks The Oghuz or Ghuzz Turks (Middle Turkic languages, Middle Turkic: ٱغُز, ''Oγuz'', ota, اوغوز, Oġuz) were a western Turkic people that spoke the Oghuz languages, Oghuz branch of the Turkic languages, Turkic language family. In th ...

:''East side'': Capture of 23 cities and plan to counterattack against a possible alliance of the neighbors (Tang,

Onoq The Western Turkic Khaganate () or Onoq Khaganate ( otk, 𐰆𐰣:𐰸:𐰉𐰆𐰑𐰣, On oq budun, Ten arrow people) was a Turkic khaganate in Eurasia, formed as a result of the wars in the beginning of the 7th century (593–603 CE) after t ...

and

Yenisei Kirghiz The Yenisei Kyrgyz ( otk, 𐰶𐰃𐰺𐰴𐰕:𐰉𐰆𐰑𐰣, Qyrqyz bodun), were an ancient Turkic peoples, Turkic people who dwelled along the upper Yenisei River in the southern portion of the Minusinsk Depression from the 3rd century B ...

) :''North side'': Defeat of Yenisei Kirghiz (north) and campaign to Turgesh (Onoq territory, west)

2nd stele (27 lines)

:''West side'':

Battle of Bolchu The Battle of Bolchu was a critical battle in the Turkic Khaganate history in 711. Background In the 7th century, the First Turkic Khaganate was divided into two rival states. Both states were subsequently defeated and annexed by the Tang dynast ...

(711) against Turgesh and annexation of

territory (roughly present

Turkestan Turkestan, also spelled Turkistan ( fa, ترکستان, Torkestân, lit=Land of the Turks), is a historical region in Central Asia corresponding to the regions of Transoxiana and Xinjiang. Overview Known as Turan to the Persians, western Turke ...

) : ''South side'': Annexation of

Temir Kapig The Iron Gate ( uz, Buzgalaxona; otk, 𐱅𐰢𐰼:𐰴𐰯𐰍, Temir qapïγ in Orkhon and Tonyukuk inscriptions; fa, دربند ''Darband'', ), is a defile between Balkh and Samarkand. It breaks up the mountains which extend from the Hi ...

Ilterish Qaghan Ilterish Qaghan ( otk, 𐰃𐰠𐱅𐰼𐰾:𐰴𐰍𐰣, Elteris qaγan, zh, 頡跌利施可汗/颉跌利施可汗 ''Xiédiēlìshīkěhàn''; personal name: Ashina Qutlugh, 阿史那骨篤祿/阿史那骨笃禄, ''āshǐnà gǔdǔlù'', a-shih- ...

’s 7 campaigns to

Khitan people The Khitan people (Khitan small script: ; ) were a historical nomadic people from Northeast Asia who, from the 4th century, inhabited an area corresponding to parts of modern Mongolia, Northeast China and the Russian Far East. As a people desce ...

(east), 17 campaigns to Tang dynasty (south), 5 campaigns to Oghuz Turks :''East side'': (Tonyukuk praises himself on his valuable assistance to khagans and adds that he gets old) :''North side'': (Epilogue) After the victories, Turks and Sir (people) live happily.Muharrem Ergin: ''Orhun Abideleri'', Boğaziçi Yayınları,İstanbul, 1980, pp.54-61

References

External links

Turkbitig Inscriptions
{{Turkic inscriptions Archaeology of Mongolia 8th century in Asia 8th-century inscriptions Göktürk inscriptions