We cannot clearly indicate the first homeland of Kimek people and the
organisation of the ethnical union of these people. We have observed them on both sides of
the central bank of Irtish River and mostly in the eastern section of this river in the
stage of the history. This place was the western section of the Turkish Homeland. The
first homeland of Kimek people may have also been this place. Maybe they had dispersed
from the Altay Mountains that are located in the east of Irtish River and came into this
region. Since there were some other Turkish tribes on the banks of the Irtish River in the
beginning of Turkish antiquity, this second possibility seems most likely.
One of
our resources, Gerdizi (1050) dealt with the "epic of the settlement in the homeland
of Kimek people" related with this nation that has not been studied and investigated
yet. According to his brief explanations; "The nation of Tatars passed away and two
sons were left from this nation. The elder son established dominion as the sovereign. The
younger one titled as Şad got jealous of him and he was involved in a struggle with his
brother. When he was defeated, he got afraid. He took one of the concubines that he loved
with him and he fled from his brother. He came to a region with a large river, abundant
trees and lots of preys. Both of them pitched a large tent and spent the night there. They
would hunt every day, eat the meats of their preys and stitch clothes from the skins of
sable, red squirrels and stoats.
They led
this lifestyle until seven persons titled as İmi, İmek, Tatar, Balandır (Bayandur), Hıfçak
(Kipchak), Lankaz and Aclad from Tatar tribe came into their region. They had tried to
look for a pasture in order to put the saddle horses of their effendi to pasture in the
grasslands. Therefore, they had come to this region. When the concubine saw them, she
said, "Er! Tüş!" (Get down!). Therefore, that river was named as Ertus
(Irtish). When they recognised the concubine, they got down from their horses and pitched
their tents. When his attendants got much more crowded, Sad hunted much more preys and put
them up as a host. These people stayed with them until winter.
When the
snow fell, they could not return. Since there were abundant pastures, they spent the whole
winter there. When, the snow melted and the weather got much better, they sent one of them
to the quarters of Tatar people in order to forward news. When that man arrived to the
place of Tatars, he found that everywhere was destroyed and the people had abandoned the
place. Actually, the enemy had penetrated into this region, and despoiled and annihilated
all the people. Those that had survived from this annihilation came down from the hills
and they met with him. Then, all of these people were sent to Irtish. They recognised Sad
as their chief in that region. When the others heard of this news, they gathered together
and they stayed in the service of Sad for a long time. When they reproduced, they got
dispersed to the surrounding mountains and they constituted the seven tribes that were
mentioned above.
When Sad
was standing in the side of Irtish with some of his attendants, he heard a voice calling,
"Hey Sad, give me a hand". When he bent down to the sea, he could not see
anything but a hair. He went into the sea and caught that hair. This was his wife, Hatun.
He asked him, "How did you fall down to the water?" The woman explained, "A
monster caught me from the side". Kimek people considered that river as a sublime
river and they worshipped in it. They said that this water was the God of Kimek. They also
entitled Sad with the title of "Tutug" (nickname?) since he was not afraid going
into the water when he heard of that voice".
This
short description of Kimek epic indicates and reveals that this epic has similar
characteristics with the other Turkish epics and there was some ancient historical
information within the elements of this epic. Another significant characteristic was the
interpretation of the public sayings about the names of the places. Kimek people were also
included within the history of the epic of Persians that were their close neighbours apart
from their own epic. Actually, the name of this nation was cited within the ancient epics
of the Persians that were the neighbours of Kimek people beyond Turan country. The famous
poet Tuslu Firdevsi (935?-1020?) had compiled the Persian rumours and created his great
masterpiece titled as "Şehname" (Poetical History). In this work, it was cited
that Afrasyab (Alp Er Tunga) who was the great ruler of Turan was defeated by Iran Ruler
Keyhusrev and he retreated and that he went to Kimek country and to the region called as
"Derya-yi Kimek" (Sea of Kimek).
In the
Century VII
In this
century, it has been understood that the Kimek people lived in the north west of the Altay
Mountains and in the central banks of Ertiş (Irtish) River. Under these circumstances,
they must have been under the domination and within the boundaries of the Kok-Turk
Khanate. In the course of the century, the Western Kok-Turk Khanate would start to
decline. Therefore, the tribes under the domination of this state would advance towards
independency and they would attain their self-determination and government. Meanwhile, the
Turgis State would be established with the centre of Çu river basin towards the end of
the century.
In the
Century VIII
Until the
middle of the century, the basin of Ili was under the domination of Turgis people that
constituted a tribe of the Western Turks. The Turgis Khanate had been established in the
end of the preceding century. The field of domination of these states must have extended
to the central basins of Irtish River. However, we do not have any information about the
Turgis-Kimek relations. On the other hand, the name of "Ertiş" (Irtish) was
cited for several times within the inscriptions written in the first half of the century
that constituted the native resources of the period of Gok Turk State. However, there is
not any information about the people that lived in the banks of this river within these
resources.
In the
middle of the century, the Arabian and Chinese armies that were the two invader armies
extending towards the east and the west encountered. Both of them were involved in a
struggle for domination over the region. Karluk people who lived in the south of Kimek
people took side with the Arabians in the great war that took place near Talas in the
summer of the year of 751.Therefore, Chinese people were totally defeated and they
retreated. However, the Arabian commander could not establish dominion in the region. Thus
Karluk people established dominion in the region that was called as Talas region extending
in the west of Isık Lake. Some of the tribes in that region abandoned their pastures to
this new sovereign and they had to retreat towards the northwest. As a result of the
gradual development of Karluk people, the Turgis State was totally dissolved in the years
of 765. Therefore, the river basin of Çu was annexed to the borders of Karluk people. On
the other hand, the Kok-Turk Khanate in the east had collapsed as a result of the raids
organised by Uighur, Karluk and Basmil people in the years of 745s.
As a
result of these successive events that took place in the Eastern and Western Turkestan,
the political status quo changed in the Central Asia. In this period, Kimek people must
have attained their independence and established their state in the middle of the century
VIII. We know that they constituted a nation composed of several tribes. Considering the
news about this situation and the similar Turkish states of the same period, it has been
understood that this state had the characteristic of a union composed of large nomadic
tribes. This tribal union had established an organisation in the level of "Hakanlı"
(ruler) in respect of state government. The most crowded tribe of this union may have been
composed of Kipchak people.
to be continued
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