TRIBAL HIERARCHY AND STATUS OF TRIBAL ALLIANCES IN THE IMPERIAL SYSTEMS OF TURK KHAGANATES (MID 6TH CENTURY – EARLY 8TH CENTURY)

Abstract

The paper deals with some issues of ethno-political structure of Turk nomadic empires of middle 6th – the first half of the 8th century. The purpose of the work is to recreate the tribal hierarchy in Turk Khaganates, to determine the status of specific tribal alliances in the system of ethno-political grading of the Khaganates and to trace the transformations inside the tribal hierarchy during the Turks’ rule in Central Asia steppes (555 – 630, 689 – 744). Special attention is paid to the tribal alliances position in Mongolia at the stage of independent nomads alliances (647 – 580s). The research methods are based on the neo-evolutionistic classification of supratribal structures and constructivist theory of ethnos.
The research has resulted in an approximate structure of tribal hierarchies in Turk Khaganates and their changes dynamics during the 7th – first half of the 8th century. Such grading systems included up to 4–5 levels. After the dominating tribal alliance of Ashina, the highest status belonged to some tribes which were the base of the army. Such tribal alliances (Toquz Oghuz and Xueyantuo in the Eastern Turk Khaganate, Toquz Oghuz, Karluks and Basmyls in the Second Turk Khaganate) could play a double role: during the period of Turks’ might growing, they supported their governors, but in the crisis of Khaganates they became independent political unions capable to a direct confrontation with Turkic governors.