A historical and semantical study of Turkmens and Turkmen tribes
Author(s)
Advisor
Karasar, Hasan AliDate
2008Publisher
Bilkent University
Language
English
Type
ThesisItem Usage Stats
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Abstract
This work traces the history and the tribal organization of the Turkmen tribes of
today’s Turkmenistan. The study covers the period from the beginning of the
tenth century up until the Russian conquest of the nineteenth century with a
special emphasis given to the very early history of the Oghuz, the early Seljuk
Turkmens and lastly the Turkmens under Uzbek Khanates and Persian rule. The
aim is to find out how Turkmen tribes, tribal confederations and clans had taken
their contemporary shape. Considering the role they played in history, the Oghuz,
the forefathers of the Turkmens, enjoy great importance among the various
branches of the Turkish people. Thus, in order to accomplish a comprehensive
study of the Turkmen people within Turkistan, this work begins with detailed
information about the etymology of the word “Turkmen,” the names of the
Turkmen tribes, and their structure by relying on the valuable works of the leading
ancient scholars. Throughout centuries, the territory which is known to be the
Turkmen land witnessed several conquerors; the Oghuz, Seljuks, Mongols,
Timurids, Shaybanids, Uzbek Khanates and finally the Russians. By examining
these troublesome periods in particular, this work aims to analyze the Turkmen
people’s struggle against the Khivan, Persian and Russian dominance, and their
tribal structure prior to the Russian conquest.