The Second Turk Empire has many important figure but two that stand out over the rest are Tonyukuk and Bilga Kagan. These two figures left behind what is now known as the Orkhon-Turkic script which details the history of the Second Turk Empire. Nevertheless there is one large difference between the inscriptions written by Bilga Kagan and those written by Tonyukuk. Bilga Kagan's inscriptions detail not only his own important role in the history of the Turk empire but also details the great achievements of other members of the royal family creating an illustration that generally glorifies the achievements of the royal family. Tonyukuk's inscription primarily deals with self glorification to such an extent that he states that he is virtually responsible for every military victory and he even claimed to be responsible for enthroning Ilteris as the first kagan of the Second Turk Empire. Therefore Tonyukuk is more interested in ensuring his own grandiose legacy as a key founder of the Second Turk Empire. This is taken even further when Tonyukuk makes the following statement; “If Ilteris Kagan had not won, or if he had never existed, and if I myself, Bilga Tonyukuk, had not won, or if I had never existed,in the land of Qapyan Kagan and or Turkish Sir people, there would have been neither tribes, nor people, nor human beings at all.”(Tonyukuk inscription, North N1-N3) Consequently is is obvious that the inscriptions by Bilga Kagan and Tonyukuk contrast with each other. Therefore, this essay will discuss why Tonyukuk decided to glorify mainly himself in his inscriptions and the possible reaction that Bilga Kagan could have to Tonyukuk's statement. As stated earlier, the Tonyukuk inscription basically venerates Tonyukuk at the expense... ... middle of paper ... ...ch other their stories contrast greatly as well. Tonyukuk who had been dismissed from office for backing the wrong member of the royal family for kagan was most likely embittered about his treatment so he wrote his inscription to venerate his “great” role in the creation and expansion of the Second Turk Empire. Conversely, Bilga Kagan's inscriptions venerate himself and the royal family often giving credit for great achievements to the royal family instead of Tonyukuk. Additionally Tonyukuk is not even mentioned in Bilga Kagan's inscriptions. Therefore it is clear that these two inscriptions greatly contrast as these two leaders had separate goals in writing their inscriptions. For this reason if Bilga Kagan had a chance to read Tonyukuk's inscriptions he would have most likely been displeased as the royal family is sidelined so that Tonyukuk could glorify himself.
Kazhadan, Alexander. Studies on Byzantine Literature of the Eleventh and Twelfth. NewYork: Cambridge University press, 1984. Print
Within 21 years of Xerxes reign to the Persian empire, Xerxes impact and legacy to is questionable from the successes and failures of: the military and administration contributions. From the use of sources such as the Harem inscription “When my father Darius went away from the throne, but the grace of Ahuramazda, I became king on my father’s throne. When I become king, I did much that was excellent. What had been built by my father, I protected, and I added other buildings” is essential and useful in assessing Xerxes’ legacy.
In the following essay, I will be comparing the Hagia Sophia in the City of Istanbul, and the Suleymaniye Mosque of Istanbul. Both of these pieces of art are very significant to the in modern-day Turkey. The art pieces will be covered in more detail further on in this comparative essay, and finally, I will be judging the pieces at the end of this essay
The need for writing in Uruk was drastically different than that of the Egyptians, however. As evidenced at the archaeological site of Hierakonpolis, the Egyptian sy...
Vanessa Davies’ “Hatshepsut’s Use of Tuthmosis III in Her Program of Legitimation,” discusses the relationship between Hatshepsut and Tuthmosis III as co-regents. She explains how the study of subtle stylistic trends in the art of an era can give light to the political situation of that time. According to Davies, observance of these trends show that Hatshepsut respected Tuthmosis III as a co-regent, and showed this through the artworks she had commissioned. These include the Small Temple of Mediate Habu, the Chapelle Rouge at Karnak, Hatshepsut’s mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahiri, the Temple of Buhen,
Historical record is not always an accurate representation of fact. An example of this would be the long reign of the Dowager Empress Tz’u-hsi, in which there were hundreds of documents written about her life. These documents have been taken and used in the production of numerous books, especially among Western historians. It was these early historians who have established the widely accepted perspective that Tz’u-hsi hungered for power, abused it, and retained it using any means necessary. This understanding is echoed today by authors such as W.G. Sebald, author of The Rings of Saturn. There are many differences between the accounts of the Western perspective and that of Sebald’s, but the overall idea of Tz’u-Hsi as a conniving and unworthy Empress is intact between the two. Still, the investigation is not over. There happens to be an abundance of historical documentation and opinion that contradicts the Western view on Tz’u-hsi. First, Western accounts of the major issues in Tz’u-hsi’s reign will be examined; following this will be a look at how unreliable these sources are by showing their inconsistencies, where the arguments came from, and the all the other evidence supporting a different perspective on the great Empress. It is possible the Empress was everything that her enemies said she was, but the evidence at hand does not support image of a sinister Tz’u-hsi.
The "Ottoman Decline" San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA. 23 Mar. 2010. Web. The Web. The Web. 06 Apr. 2011.
The country of Turkey, as we know it, has only come about in the last 80 years or so. Before this time, the land of present day Turkey was referred to as Anatolia. Anatolia is considered the bridge that connects the Middle East to Europe. Despite years of occupation by differing nations, the area of present day Turkey has held some consistency and continuity. This continuity is possible because even though many count...
Throughout it’s history, the Ottoman Empire played an influential role on not only its neighboring countries, but on the world as a whole. From its creation in the 1400’s to its zenith under Suleyman in the 1600’s, the Ottoman Empire was largely successful. However, in the 17th through 20th centuries it went into a period of decline, eventually ending in its collapse in the early 20th century. It was due to this long period of decline that the Ottoman Empire became known as the Sick Man of Europe. The title of Sick Man of Europe given to the Ottoman Empire was accurate as they were going through a period of fatal decline due to decreased military power, the rise of nationalism, and economic deterioration.
Located in the province of Xianjing, the Uyghurs are isolated by massive mountains, deserts, Communist China, and extreme poverty. The Uyghurs are of Turkic origin, and were one of the 9 original tribes. One of these tribes, the Ottomans, sacked Constantinople in 1459, starting the rein of the Sultans for 400 years. The superpower carved a massive empire, from its roots in Turkey, to spread from the Russian steppes to the Alps to India, and stamping their name on history in blood. European history in the 1400‘s, 1500‘s, and 1600‘s centered on the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Empire and the Arabic people carved two massive empires in an extremely short time. They crushed the medieval christian kingdoms around Jerusalem, and quickly started attacking Christian kingdoms in Spain, Greece, and the Balkans. These conflicts between Muslims and Christians have been the longest and bloodiest in the history of the world, and still persist today. These Ottomans are, understandably, the most wel...
The Young Turk government during World War 1 lead a deliberate attempt to destroy the Armenian minorities, from 1914 to 1918. At the beginning of the 11th century, Armenian political independence was brought to an end by a wave of invasions and migrations by Turkic-speaking peoples, and in the 15th and 16th centuries the region that was mainly inhabited by Armenians was annexed by the Ottoman Turks, and became a part of the vast Ottoman Empire. “Armenians retained a strong sense of communal identity, however, embodied in the Armenian language and the Armenian Church. Life for Armenian villagers was difficult and unpredictable, and they often received harsh treatment from the dominant Kurdish nomads” (Britannica). Even though Armenians were a minority surrounded by the Ottoman’s lifestyle and culture, they retained their own identity. The Muslim Ottomans shunned other cultures, and when the Armenians did not change even after being annexed, the Muslims felt hostility and hatred towards the Armenians and their culture. “The prominence and influence of the well-educated and cosmopolitan Armenian elite had a drawback in that it became a source of resentment and suspicion among Muslims” (Britannica). As the Armenian minorities thrived, the Muslims of the Ottoman Empire became envious and resentful. This jealousy added “fuel to the fire,” and the Armenian minorities were even more in
Cicek, Kemal. “The Cambridge History of Turkey. Volume 3: The Later Ottoman Empire, 1603-1839.” Journal of the Economic &Social History of the Orient 52, no.1 (2009): 153-158. EBSCO.
The first part gives a record of the historical legend of the Mongols as obtained from pre-medieval oral traditions, legends, myths, historic events nad stories. This part starts by narrating the legend that a bluish wolf was the Mongolians forefather and this wolf was born destined from the heavens. Mor...
It was during the year 1026 that Mahmud of Ghazni raided the Somanatha temple for its wealth, leading to the destruction of its many idols. In Somanatha: The Many Voices of a History, Romila Thapar explores the distinct narratives that were written at the time by placing them into the historical context of the period. Her goal, through this monograph, was not to reestablish how we perceive the history of the raid, but to instead study the diverse perspectives and views represented in the various sources collected on the topic. Historical interpretations range from the Turko-Persian narratives of the period to the Colonial writings long after the raid. Through the investigation of the sources one would hope to point out the variations in the texts, and then analyze why these deviations in the story came to be. Thapar’s findings would assist any historian in determining the nature of these sources and the way they are currently used. One must remember that any and all sources could be of significant importance when looking at the attitudes of the individuals of the time.
The cradle of many ancient cultures and the center of many empires, it is perhaps the most fascinating of all Central Asian republics. The past has left us many "autographs,” in architecture and in traditions, while the land itself has shaped its citizens. My native land has accomplished the greatest mission in its history - it has tied together a city and a desert, the settled and the nomads, integrating them into a single nation on its sacred soil. It’s shone through war and peace, lived conquered and free, but just as its past is a tightly knit web of vibrant colors, its future seems complex and puzzling – an algorithm of beliefs, traditions and ethnic peculiarities.