«…THEN I DISARRAYED THE TURKIC ELL, THEN I RUINED IT". THE TURKIC KHAGANATES FALL: FACTORS AND MECHANISMS

Abstract

The paper deals with the basic factors and mechanisms of the fall of the Turkic nomadic tribes in Mongolia. The research is based on the complex analysis of the factors and reasons which determined the schism or liquidation of the Turkic empires. The research demonstrated that the Turkiс Khaganates crises resulted from certain factors which were different in each case. First of all, they were the complicacy of socio-political institutions in the nomadic empires and the Kaganates leaders' intention to implement some settled states’ governing elements into their political system. The lack of a consolidating political power resulting in acute ethnic and social contradictions was a very important disadvantage as well as Chinese diplomatics and military intervention, "imperial" army conditions, in some cases "overproduction of aristocracy" and the loss of Assabiyah. The paper concludes that the crisis of nomadic empires usually occurs when an empire reaches a certain peak in its cultural and political life: building of cultural traditions and the elite culture, appearance of statehood elements, more complex social structure etc. This indicates to a certain complexity threshold which is critical and, in many cases, insurmountable for nomadic empires.