Early Turkic Empires

Abstract

In the early sixth century a.d. a new and formidable power entered the political scenery of Central Asia—the Turks. A combination of various factors whose relative force and significance historians still vigorously debate—environmental changes, rapid population growth, pressure from neighboring tribes and the political intrigues of the Chinese Empire—forced the Turks to move around. Between the third and eighth centuries a.d. they formed a number of consecutive large migration waves reaching from their heartland in Southern Siberia all the way to China, Central Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe (Findley 2005).