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			The '''Turkic peoples''' are (currently some 150 million) ]ns whose members speak languages in the ] family of languages, and their descendants thoughout the world.
	==Azerbaijanians==

			== Nomenclature ==
	The Azerbaijanians, also referred to as Azerbaijanian ] or ], are a Turkic-Muslim people who live in the ], located in a crossroads between eastern ] and western ]. Term Azerbajanis was first introduced by bolsheviks, with intention to claim northern province of Persia (from ] - Iran). Thus, referring to term Azerbaijan in historivcal context before 1918 is nonsence.
			The first mention of the term "''Turk''" applied to a known Turkic group, was in reference to the ] in the ]. A letter by the ] written to the Göktürk Khan named ] in ] describes him as "the Great Turk Khan". The ] (735 AD) use the term "''Turuk''".
			Also it can be from chinese word 'tükü', mean 'strong'.

			Previous use of similar terms are of unknown significance, although some strongly feel that they are evidence of the historical continuity of the term and the people, as an ethnic (and possibly linguistic) unit since early times. These include: a tablet from ] found in the ancient city of ] situated at Tell Hariri in ], mentioning that a people named "''Turukku''" are coming to the lands of Tiguranim and Hirbazanim; a Chinese record of ] referring to a neighbouring people as "''Tu-Kiu''"; and the ], where one of the grandsons of ] is named "Turk". Zend-Avesta is a persian text. Noah is in the Hebrew Bible. No evidence suggests that the Persians shared Hebrew religious beliefs. Thus the claim that Zend-Avesta mentions Noah is highly unlikely.
	Before ] muslim population of modern territory of Azerbajdzhan did not have ethnic identification and call themselves just muslims. By 1918 approximately 60% of population were ], whereas Azerbaijanis (or, correclty, Azeri Turks) contituted ca 30% of population. Ethnic cleansing and descrimination on ethnic basis almost completely eliminated Talysh and ] population. Azeri historians use georgraphical principle in their studies. According to theory of ], Azeriz did not change at all during centuries, withstanding all invasions and wars and inherit all territories of nation lived on territory of contemporary Azerbaijan.

			The most common popular explanation in present-day Turkey regarding the root of the word "Turk" is that it means "strong" or "powerful". In the 16th century, the ] believed that "Turk" also meant: "He who has reached the most mature stage/stage of perfection" ('kemâle ermiş')
	The northern half of Iranian province of Azerbaijan was annexed by the Russians in ]. Between ] and ] approximately one million Azeri Turks migrated to ] from ]. Total number of Azeri Turks is more than 10 million worldwide, with the majority living outside of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The Republic of ] has a population of 5 million, while more than 2 million live in Russia and 1 million living in different CIS contries, mainly in ], the northwestern region of Iran in the provinces of Ardebil, East Azerbaijan, West Azerbaijan and Zanjan; the territory of South Azerbaijan.

			The English term "Turkic" is nowadays mainly used to describe the entire family of related languages and peoples, while the term "Turkish" is usually seen as referring to the peoples and language of the modern nation of ], and some of the peoples and minorities in surrounding countries who are, ethnically and culturally, particularly close. Some feel that this is an artificial distinction, and claim that speakers of Turkic languages themselves do not make this distinction. However, in modern Turkish, the term ''Türk'' corresponds to Turkish people and culture, while the term ''Türki'' refers to Turkic peoples and cultures.
	More than 8 million live in various cities in central Iran especially in the capital of Tehran. Most analysts state that at least 50% of the city and province of Tehran including the city of Karaj, is inhabited by Azeri Turks. The nomadic Turkic tribes of Afshar, Shahseven, Qarapapaq, Qajar and Timurtash who are spread across Iran are tribes of the Azerbaijanians. There are also 2 million indigenous Azerbaijanians living in the eastern region of Turkey (mostly in Kars and Igdir), 2.5 million throughout the ] (mostly in the autonomous republic of ] and the capital city of ]) 1 million living in northern Iraq (whom are referred to as Turkmens that live mostly in ], ] and ]) and 300,000 living in the southern region of Georgia. There are also scattered populations of Azerbaijanians in Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Syria and Afghanistan, including a large diaspora living in North America and Europe.

			It is also claimed that much of the separation is the product of ], and that prior to the founding of the ] the term ] was used to describe all Turkic peoples, who by similarity in language and culture, are seen as united and part of a greater family of peoples. Others worry that much of this debate is used to support the racial theories of ], pointing out that the cultural, religious, historical, political, and even racial differences are too great to speak of any unity.
	==Origins==

			== History ==
	The Azerbaijanians are a Turkic people, descending primaraly from the ]. The Oghuz Turks, a confederation of 24 tribes originating in Central Asia migrated to Azerbaijan in the 10th century and became the majority population in the land.
			It is believed that the Turkic people are native to Central Asia. Some historians claim that the Turks originated in Western Asia, and migrated in prehistoric times to Central Asia, while others believe that migration to Western Asia, and interactions in various parts of the world by Turkic peoples in ancient times (before the advent of the ]), occurred via Central Asia.

			The author ] in the book "'Kypçaks" presents a view typical of Turkish historians. He claims that the Turks first invented iron swords and arrows, were artful horse-riders, and were also the first to invent pants and the bridle. He further asserts that ancient Turkic (or Kypçak) people made an empire that was the biggest in the ancient world, bigger than Greek and Roman empires - from the Black sea on the west to China on the east, and from the Ural mountains on the north to India in the south.
	Azerbaijan's ancient ethnic composition seems to consist of ] and ] peoples who intermingled with one another. ] (Iranian) peoples had interaction in southern parts of ] (south of Hamedan) yet the ethnic structure of the territory of Media and Albania seems to have been primaraly Turanian and Caucasian, with various tribes of Scythian (Ishkuz) and Caucaus mountain tribes, such as the Chols.

			Comparisons of the ancient ] with modern Turkic languages (labeled as ]) have allegedly shown some common vocabulary. Based on these comparisons, it is claimed that the Sumerians were the most ancient documented Turkic people, and that they originated east of the ], but established a civilization in ]. Others dismiss this as an expression of pan-Turkist ideology, pointing out that most linguists consider Sumerian a ], and a few others connect it to the ] languages. Further, the classification of languages into an "Ural-Altaic" group is often criticised, due to a perceived lack of evidence or obvious similarities between the languages so classified.
	According to the 1911 ] "the people of the Mada (Mata), the Medes, appear in history first in 836 B.C., when the Assyrian conqueror Shalmaneser II in his wars against the tribes of the Zagros received the tribute of the Amadai ....Herodotus gives a list of six Median tribes among them the Paraetaceni....names in the Assyrian inscriptions prove that the tribes in the Zagros and the northern parts of Media (Azerbaijan) were not Iranians but an aboriginal population.....perhaps connected with the numerous tribes of the Caucasus (northern Azerbaijan, Albania)....Gelae, Tapuri, Cadusii, Amardi, Utii and other tribes in northern Media (Azerbaijan) and on the shores of the Caspian were not Iranians. With them Polybius, Strabo and Pliny mention the Anariaci, whom they consider as a particular tribe; but in reality their name, the Non-Aryans, is the comprehensive designation of all these small tribes.....

			Some scholars also consider the ], whose origins may go back to ], as one of the earlier Turkic tribes.
	According to historian ], in the period between 191-200 A.D., hordes of Barsil and Khazar Turks crossed the Kura river in Azerbaijan.

			Leaving these controversies aside, the precise date of the initial expansion from the early homeland remains unknown. The first state known as "Turk", giving its name to the many states and people afterwards, was that of the ] (''gog'' = 'blue' or 'celestial') in the ] AD.
	According to the historian ], descriptions of incursions into Azerbaijan by Turks (Huns and Khazars) occurred in the 4th and 5th centuries. Tabari also states that by the mid-6th century, there was a significant Turkish presence in Azerbaijan.

			Later Turkic peoples include the ] (mainly 8th century), ]s, ], ] (or Ğuz) Turks, and ]. As these peoples were founding states in the area between ] and ], they came into contact with Muslims and gradually adopted ]. However, there were also (and still are) Turkic people belonging to other religions, including ], ]s (see ]), ], and ].
	Kalankatly also states that in the year 629, the army of the Gokturks as well as a series Khazar Turkic tribes entered Azerbaijan and declared the land to be "eternal possession" of Turks.

			Turkic soldiers in the army of the ] ] emerged as ''de facto'' rulers of most of the Muslim Middle East (except ] and ]), particularly after the 10th century. ] and other tribes captured and dominated various countries under the leadership of the ], and eventually captured the territories of the Abbasid dynasty and the ].
	Byzantine sources of the mid 6th century refer to the "settlement of Khazar Turks" in the left bank of the Kura river, and Moisey Khaghankatli, a historian from pre-Islamic Azerbaijan referred to a "Hun state" on the left bank of the Kura River in the 7th century.

			Meanwhile, Kirghiz and Uyghurs were struggling with each other and with the mighty Chinese Empire. Kirghiz people ultimately settled in the region now referred to as Kyrgyzstan. ] peoples conquered the ] in what is today ], following the westward sweep of the Mongols under ] in the 13th century. Bulgars were thus mistakenly called ''Tatars'' by the Russians. Native Tatars live only in Asia; European Tatars are in fact Bulgars. (The Bulgars came to Europe in the 7-8th century). Everywhere, Turkic groups mixed with other local populations to some extent.
	According to Professor Peter B. Golden, "In the course of the seventh century, the two major tribal unions emerged in Azerbaijan under the Turk banner: the Khazars and the Bulgars...the Khazars formed the bulk of the Turk forces used by the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius (610-640) in his counter-offensive against the Sasanids (rulers) in Azerbaijan"

			In Central Asia, a Turkic warrior caste whose lifestyle was influenced by the Mongols became the aristocrats of the polyglot ] culture. These ]s conquered on horseback, while ]-schooled ] (called "]s") served as their administrators over the territories they absorbed. ] conquered much of Central Asia, while his descendant ] moved into ], founding the ] ("Mongol") dynasty.
	Pre-Islamic Turkic presence in Azerbaijan is evident in literature after the Islamic conquest of the region, in an era that was famous for its historical, geographical and scientific analyzations of the world by Muslim scholars and Islamic states. According to the 7th century work of Ubeid ibn Shariyya al-Jurhumi, the Muslim Caliph Mueviyyen (661-680) was told that Azerbaijan "has long been a land of Turks. Having gathered over there, they have mixed with one another and become integrated."

			As the Seljuks declined after the Mongol invasion, the ] emerged as a new important Turkic state that came to dominate not only the Middle East, but also southeastern Europe and parts of southwestern Russia and northern Africa. Meanwhile, other Turkic groups founded dynasties in northern ] (the ]).
	It must also be noted that the famous "Book of Dede Korkut" which is the epic of the Oghuz Turks (considered the main ancestors of Azerbaijanians) was written in Azerbaijan in the 6th and 7th centuries.

			The Ottoman Empire grew weaker in the face of repeated wars with Russia and Austria, and the emergence of nationalist movements in the Balkans, and it finally gave way after ] to the present-day republic of ].
	The Turkic and non-Turkic peoples of pre-Islamic Azerbaijan were absorbed by the Oghuz Turks of the 10th century.

			== Geographical distribution and ethnic division ==
			Presently, the largest group of Turkic people lives in ]. Other major Turkic peoples live in ],], ], ],], ], and ]. Additionally, Turkic people live in ], the ] region of western ], northern ], ], ], and the ] (particularly in ], ], ] and former ]). A small number of Turkic people also live in ] (capital of Lithuania).

			An exact line between the different Turkic people cannot easily be drawn. The following is a non-comprehensive list of the major groups:
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			Some people divide the above into six branches: the ], ], ], ], ], and Saha/] branches.
	==Language==

			One of the major difficulties perceived by many who try to classify the various Turkic languages, dialects, peoples and ethnic groups, is the impact ] and particularly ]'s nationality policies - creation of new national demarcations and mass deportations - had on the ethnic mix in previously largely multicultural regions like ]/], ] and ]. Many of the above mentioned classifications are therefore by no means universally accepted, either in detail or in general. Another aspect often debated is the influence of ], and the emerging ] in the newly independent Central Asian republics, on the perception of ethnic divisions.
	''Main article: ]''

			== Physical appearance ==
	The Azerbaijanians speak ] (sometimes called Azerbaijanian Turkish or Azeri) which is a ]. The standard Azerbaijanian language developed from the ] onwards.
			Turkic peoples often differ from one another in physical appearance. The majority of Turkic peoples from western China to eastern Europe seem to possess certain ] characteristics. Some have very light features including blue eyes and blondish/reddish hair, although most Turkic people look Mediterranean, having brown or black hair and eyes, and olive to dark skin features. In some Turkic areas, the existence of peoples who have light skin features as well as light hair and eyes, with a Mongolian facial structure, is common (as with some Uzbeks and Tatars). The majority of Turkic people seem to have high cheek bones, round heads, and straight hair.

			There has been much debate about the ] origin of Turkic people, with some assuming a Ural-Altaic race comprising ]s, ]s, ]s, Turkic peoples, ]s and ]s; others assuming a separate Turkic race, partially mixed with ]. The ], ] (although Sinicized), and ] are believed to be Turkic peoples of the Tungusic group. Still others point out that many languages have often been adopted, either by choice or by force, by racially diverse peoples. Currently, the common understanding is to assume at least partially separate linguistic and racial heritages for the various groups, based on the multitude of invasions, wars, empires, and population movements in the region, and the general disrepute all other racial origin theories have received in recent times.
	The modern written language of the Azerbaijanis developed from the ] to the ], after the Oghuz Turkic migrations and the decline of the ] state in Central Asia. This is the timespan that is called Azerbaijan's cultural and linguistic "golden age".

			== Religion ==
			Most Turkic people are ] ]. But many people in Eastern Turkey are ]s. The distribution of Alevi Turks is balanced throughout the east and west ends of Turkey.

			The Chuvash of Russia and the Gagauz of Moldova are largely ]s.
	==Demographics==

			Some Turkic people (particularly in the Russian autonomous regions and republics of ], ], and ]) are largely ]s. Shamanism was the predominant religion of the different Turkic branches prior to the ], when the majority accepted Islam.

			The ancient Shamanic religion of Turkic people has also been called Tenghriism, as it involved belief in the god Tenghri as the main god of all Altaic peoples, and ruler of skies. Though in modern times no one believes in Tenghri, his name hasn't entirely disappeared; it is typically used in languages of 'non-Muslim' Altaic peoples, like Kalmyks, Mongols, Tuvans, Buryats and Yakuts. It is also claimed by some Turkish scholars that many other religions were influenced by Tenghriism, including Buddhism (Makhayana), Zoroastrianism and Christanity; furthermore, that the cross symbol of Christians was really an ancient Turkic symbol of Tenghri, and that when the Turks arrived in Iran and the Caucasus, Christians took it as their symbol of God. These scholars point to early pictures of Jesus Christ's death, that very often used T-shaped crosses, as evidence for this theory.

			There are also a few Buddhist, Jewish, Zoroastrian, and Baha'i Turkic people today.

			== "Turkish World" and "Pan-Turkism" ==
			Some refer to the Turkic countries, regions and peoples as part of the "Turkish World". Others are worried that this is a result and example of Pan-Turkism, designed to encourage hegemonial or even imperialistic aims of modern day Turkey.

			Proponents of the concept point out that in similar fashion, many Arabs also feel to be part of a greater "Arab World". It is also held that encouragement of this cultural and linguistic affinity can be used as a vehicle to increased regional development and security.

			Opponents point to the nationalism and the imperial past of modern Turkey, the role of pan-Turkic movements in the revolutionary wars in Russia, and the cultural, religious, and political diversity among the many Turkic peoples and ethnic groups, and feel that a movement to greater pan-Turkic unity might be a negative influence on the region.









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	It is estimated that there are between 16-28 million Azerbaijanians in Iran, 8 million in the Republic of Azerbaijan, 2 million in], possibly over one million in the ], more than 2 million in ], 500,00 thousand in ],

	More than 90% of Azerbaijanians are ] Turks, but there are also ], ]s, ]s, ]s and ]. In recent years there have been many conversions to Sunni Islam.

	==See also==		==See also==
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Revision as of 09:34, 6 June 2005

The Turkic peoples are (currently some 150 million) Central Asians whose members speak languages in the Turkic family of languages, and their descendants thoughout the world.

Nomenclature

The first mention of the term "Turk" applied to a known Turkic group, was in reference to the Gokturks in the 6th century. A letter by the Chinese Emperor written to the Göktürk Khan named Isbara in 585 describes him as "the Great Turk Khan". The Orhun inscriptions (735 AD) use the term "Turuk". Also it can be from chinese word 'tükü', mean 'strong'.

Previous use of similar terms are of unknown significance, although some strongly feel that they are evidence of the historical continuity of the term and the people, as an ethnic (and possibly linguistic) unit since early times. These include: a tablet from 2000 BC found in the ancient city of Mari situated at Tell Hariri in Syria, mentioning that a people named "Turukku" are coming to the lands of Tiguranim and Hirbazanim; a Chinese record of 1328 BC referring to a neighbouring people as "Tu-Kiu"; and the Zend-Avesta, where one of the grandsons of Noah is named "Turk". Zend-Avesta is a persian text. Noah is in the Hebrew Bible. No evidence suggests that the Persians shared Hebrew religious beliefs. Thus the claim that Zend-Avesta mentions Noah is highly unlikely.

The most common popular explanation in present-day Turkey regarding the root of the word "Turk" is that it means "strong" or "powerful". In the 16th century, the Ottoman Turks believed that "Turk" also meant: "He who has reached the most mature stage/stage of perfection" ('kemâle ermiş')

The English term "Turkic" is nowadays mainly used to describe the entire family of related languages and peoples, while the term "Turkish" is usually seen as referring to the peoples and language of the modern nation of Turkey, and some of the peoples and minorities in surrounding countries who are, ethnically and culturally, particularly close. Some feel that this is an artificial distinction, and claim that speakers of Turkic languages themselves do not make this distinction. However, in modern Turkish, the term Türk corresponds to Turkish people and culture, while the term Türki refers to Turkic peoples and cultures.

It is also claimed that much of the separation is the product of Stalinism, and that prior to the founding of the Soviet Union the term Turkish was used to describe all Turkic peoples, who by similarity in language and culture, are seen as united and part of a greater family of peoples. Others worry that much of this debate is used to support the racial theories of Pan-Turkism, pointing out that the cultural, religious, historical, political, and even racial differences are too great to speak of any unity.

History

It is believed that the Turkic people are native to Central Asia. Some historians claim that the Turks originated in Western Asia, and migrated in prehistoric times to Central Asia, while others believe that migration to Western Asia, and interactions in various parts of the world by Turkic peoples in ancient times (before the advent of the Huns), occurred via Central Asia.

The author M. Adji in the book "'Kypçaks" presents a view typical of Turkish historians. He claims that the Turks first invented iron swords and arrows, were artful horse-riders, and were also the first to invent pants and the bridle. He further asserts that ancient Turkic (or Kypçak) people made an empire that was the biggest in the ancient world, bigger than Greek and Roman empires - from the Black sea on the west to China on the east, and from the Ural mountains on the north to India in the south.

Comparisons of the ancient Sumerian language with modern Turkic languages (labeled as Ural-Altaic) have allegedly shown some common vocabulary. Based on these comparisons, it is claimed that the Sumerians were the most ancient documented Turkic people, and that they originated east of the Caspian Sea, but established a civilization in Mesopotamia. Others dismiss this as an expression of pan-Turkist ideology, pointing out that most linguists consider Sumerian a language isolate, and a few others connect it to the Dravidian languages. Further, the classification of languages into an "Ural-Altaic" group is often criticised, due to a perceived lack of evidence or obvious similarities between the languages so classified.

Some scholars also consider the Huns, whose origins may go back to 1200 BC, as one of the earlier Turkic tribes.

Leaving these controversies aside, the precise date of the initial expansion from the early homeland remains unknown. The first state known as "Turk", giving its name to the many states and people afterwards, was that of the Gokturks (gog = 'blue' or 'celestial') in the 6th century AD.

Later Turkic peoples include the Karluks (mainly 8th century), Uyghurs, Kirghiz, Oghuz (or Ğuz) Turks, and Turkmens. As these peoples were founding states in the area between Mongolia and Transoxiana, they came into contact with Muslims and gradually adopted Islam. However, there were also (and still are) Turkic people belonging to other religions, including Christians, Jews (see Khazars), Buddhists, and Zoroastrians.

Turkic soldiers in the army of the Abbasid caliphs emerged as de facto rulers of most of the Muslim Middle East (except Syria and Egypt), particularly after the 10th century. Oghuz and other tribes captured and dominated various countries under the leadership of the Seljuk dynasty, and eventually captured the territories of the Abbasid dynasty and the Byzantine Empire.

Meanwhile, Kirghiz and Uyghurs were struggling with each other and with the mighty Chinese Empire. Kirghiz people ultimately settled in the region now referred to as Kyrgyzstan. Tatar peoples conquered the Volga Bulgars in what is today Tatarstan, following the westward sweep of the Mongols under Genghis Khan in the 13th century. Bulgars were thus mistakenly called Tatars by the Russians. Native Tatars live only in Asia; European Tatars are in fact Bulgars. (The Bulgars came to Europe in the 7-8th century). Everywhere, Turkic groups mixed with other local populations to some extent.

In Central Asia, a Turkic warrior caste whose lifestyle was influenced by the Mongols became the aristocrats of the polyglot Turco-Persian culture. These Turco-Mongols conquered on horseback, while Arabic-schooled Persians (called "Tajiks") served as their administrators over the territories they absorbed. Timur conquered much of Central Asia, while his descendant Babur moved into India, founding the Mughal ("Mongol") dynasty.

As the Seljuks declined after the Mongol invasion, the Ottoman Empire emerged as a new important Turkic state that came to dominate not only the Middle East, but also southeastern Europe and parts of southwestern Russia and northern Africa. Meanwhile, other Turkic groups founded dynasties in northern India (the Mughal Empire).

The Ottoman Empire grew weaker in the face of repeated wars with Russia and Austria, and the emergence of nationalist movements in the Balkans, and it finally gave way after World War I to the present-day republic of Turkey.

Geographical distribution and ethnic division

Presently, the largest group of Turkic people lives in Turkey. Other major Turkic peoples live in Cyprus,Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Iran,Russia, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Additionally, Turkic people live in Crimea, the Xinjiang region of western China, northern Iraq, Afghanistan, Moldova, and the Balkans (particularly in Greece, Bulgaria, Romania and former Yugoslavia). A small number of Turkic people also live in Vilnius (capital of Lithuania).

An exact line between the different Turkic people cannot easily be drawn. The following is a non-comprehensive list of the major groups:

Some people divide the above into six branches: the Oghuz, Kipchak, Karluk, Siberian, Chuvash, and Saha/Yakut branches.

One of the major difficulties perceived by many who try to classify the various Turkic languages, dialects, peoples and ethnic groups, is the impact Soviet and particularly Stalin's nationality policies - creation of new national demarcations and mass deportations - had on the ethnic mix in previously largely multicultural regions like Khiva/Khwarezmia, Fergana valley and Caucasia. Many of the above mentioned classifications are therefore by no means universally accepted, either in detail or in general. Another aspect often debated is the influence of Pan-Turkism, and the emerging nationalism in the newly independent Central Asian republics, on the perception of ethnic divisions.

Physical appearance

Turkic peoples often differ from one another in physical appearance. The majority of Turkic peoples from western China to eastern Europe seem to possess certain Caucasian characteristics. Some have very light features including blue eyes and blondish/reddish hair, although most Turkic people look Mediterranean, having brown or black hair and eyes, and olive to dark skin features. In some Turkic areas, the existence of peoples who have light skin features as well as light hair and eyes, with a Mongolian facial structure, is common (as with some Uzbeks and Tatars). The majority of Turkic people seem to have high cheek bones, round heads, and straight hair.

There has been much debate about the racial origin of Turkic people, with some assuming a Ural-Altaic race comprising Hungarians, Finns, Estonians, Turkic peoples, Mongolians and Tungus; others assuming a separate Turkic race, partially mixed with Mongols. The Ainu, Koreans (although Sinicized), and Japanese are believed to be Turkic peoples of the Tungusic group. Still others point out that many languages have often been adopted, either by choice or by force, by racially diverse peoples. Currently, the common understanding is to assume at least partially separate linguistic and racial heritages for the various groups, based on the multitude of invasions, wars, empires, and population movements in the region, and the general disrepute all other racial origin theories have received in recent times.

Religion

Most Turkic people are Sunni Muslims. But many people in Eastern Turkey are Alevis. The distribution of Alevi Turks is balanced throughout the east and west ends of Turkey.

The Chuvash of Russia and the Gagauz of Moldova are largely Christians.

Some Turkic people (particularly in the Russian autonomous regions and republics of Altai, Khakasia, and Tuva) are largely shamanists. Shamanism was the predominant religion of the different Turkic branches prior to the 8th century, when the majority accepted Islam.

The ancient Shamanic religion of Turkic people has also been called Tenghriism, as it involved belief in the god Tenghri as the main god of all Altaic peoples, and ruler of skies. Though in modern times no one believes in Tenghri, his name hasn't entirely disappeared; it is typically used in languages of 'non-Muslim' Altaic peoples, like Kalmyks, Mongols, Tuvans, Buryats and Yakuts. It is also claimed by some Turkish scholars that many other religions were influenced by Tenghriism, including Buddhism (Makhayana), Zoroastrianism and Christanity; furthermore, that the cross symbol of Christians was really an ancient Turkic symbol of Tenghri, and that when the Turks arrived in Iran and the Caucasus, Christians took it as their symbol of God. These scholars point to early pictures of Jesus Christ's death, that very often used T-shaped crosses, as evidence for this theory.

There are also a few Buddhist, Jewish, Zoroastrian, and Baha'i Turkic people today.

"Turkish World" and "Pan-Turkism"

Some refer to the Turkic countries, regions and peoples as part of the "Turkish World". Others are worried that this is a result and example of Pan-Turkism, designed to encourage hegemonial or even imperialistic aims of modern day Turkey.

Proponents of the concept point out that in similar fashion, many Arabs also feel to be part of a greater "Arab World". It is also held that encouragement of this cultural and linguistic affinity can be used as a vehicle to increased regional development and security.

Opponents point to the nationalism and the imperial past of modern Turkey, the role of pan-Turkic movements in the revolutionary wars in Russia, and the cultural, religious, and political diversity among the many Turkic peoples and ethnic groups, and feel that a movement to greater pan-Turkic unity might be a negative influence on the region.

External links

Category:

Turkic peoples