Золотая волчья голова на боевых знаменах: Оружие и войны древних тюрок в степях Евразии

During the Early Middle Ages, the ancient Turks — a militant nomadic people of Central Asian origin — united under their banners with the golden representation of a wolf's head all the Eurasian steppe tribes in the form of a great empire, the First Turkish Qaghanate stretching from the Yellow Sea in the east to the Black Sea in the west and being a match for the Chinese Tang empire, the Persian kingdom of the Sasanians and the Byzantine empire. Both the military might and striking fighting skills of the Turks not only were conductive to their considerable victories over numerous foes, but also constrained other peoples and tribes to adopt their arms (improved types of compound bows and trilobate arrowheads, sabers, lamellar corselets and sphere-conical helmets, composite belts) and horse harness (stirrups, etc.), the decimal army organization and methods of combined mounted warfare. Ancient Turkish military sub-culture widespread in the 6th — 10th centuries throughout the nomadic world. Owing to their military successes, high mobility and diplomatic activities the Turks were re-transmitters of cultural achievements of the sedentary-agricultural and urban civilization to peoples of the steppe and forest zones of Eurasia. Stimulating the commercial activities of the Sogdians, the Turkish rulers (qaghans) promoted the development of handicraft, commerce and trade of war booty for manufacture of town craftspeople. Under Turkish dominance the Sogdian trade colonization reached the remote areas of Central Asia. Texts written on the ancient Turkish script that was created on the basis of the Sogdian one preserved until now important references to events of the ancient Turks' military history.

However, the Turks' habit to solve any problems by military force led to the disintegration of their state which proved to be too weak to withstand both internal contradictions and conflicts in the midst of the tribal aristocracy and the ruling house of Ashina. The First Turkish Qaghanate was divided into two parts — western and eastern — which were permanently at enmity with each other. Their qaghans were depending on Tang China. Moreover, the eastern Turks recognized the supreme power of the Chinese emperors and were forced to fight in the composition of the imperial forces, giving so the foreign sovereign «their labours and vigours». Only after repeated revolts the Turkish state could revive. Armies of the Second Turkish Qaghanate headed by the outstanding generals such as Tongquq, Mogiljan and Qul-Tegin were able to gain great victories and, therefore, secured their people and state. The military exploits of the Turkish leaders were commemorated for ever by inscriptions on the Khusho Tsaidam and Tsagan Obo stelae. After these rulers and generals had departed the Turkish realm was destroyed through struggle of pretenders to be the qaghan and finally came to its end. The eastern Turks resigned themselves to Uighur and Kyrgyz control and for two centuries and a half fought for their masters until they were completely assimilated among the other Turkish-speaking tribes of Central Asia. Nevertheless, the ancient Turks, beyond any doubt, left a very significant trace in the history of wars and warfare of the Early Medieval world.

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