NOMADS OR A GREAT CIVILIZATION?

The theory about the civilization of Turkic nomads was invented by politicians after Russia had seized Turkic territories. The goal was to deprive Turkic peoples of the achievements of their ancestors, turn them into just a crowd and embed the idea that the Turks could not have a culture of their own because they were wanderers.

It would be relevant to recall the words of Dr Goebbels who said that if you want to destroy a nation, destroy its history. As a result, as early as in two generations these people were turned into a crowd, and in another two into an easily manageable herd. It is therefore no accident that the third edition of the Great Soviet Encyclopedia (GSE) does not have the notion of "Turks" at all, while even the smallest African nations are listed.

The history of the great Turkic ethnicity is a history of 15 empires, 38 states, 34 dukedoms, 16 khanates and five republics! And it is not the number of Turkic empires and states that is important. We are talking about a people who caused the Great Migration, destroyed the Roman Empire and made the whole of Europe pay tribute. It was in fear of the Turks that the Chinese erected the Great Chinese Wall. But even that did not prevent the Turks from overcoming it many times. Great Hun Emperor Mete conquered not only China, but also the entire territory from the Pacific Ocean to the Caspian Sea, from Tibet and Kashmir to northern Siberia. The borders of his state were 18 million kilometres long. It was the Turkic peoples who stopped and put an end to the crusades. The Turks destroyed the second Roman Empire, set up the Ottoman Empire which was superpower "No 1" for five centuries. Not a single European monarch could carry out reforms even in his own country without the consent of the sultan.

However, despite the ancient and rich history of the Turks, some historians, primarily Russian, still call them nomads. In order not to make unfounded statements, let's examine the facts.

First, who has ever heard of nomads engaged in agriculture? It is common knowledge that the oldest iron ploughs were used by Altai Turks. Back at the dawn of the new era ancient Turks used them to plough the land. In the second century Turkic farmers succeeded in mastering the great steppe which is impassible without a horse even now.

Archeologists have discovered tools in Turkic burial mounds: iron knives, various axes, awls, etc. which Russian scientists attributed to the 7th-9th centuries. A fragment of a hand-mill was also discovered there (from S.A. Pletneva's book Medieval Steppes of Eurasia). An ancient system of irrigation canals was discovered in Tuva and Altai. It established that wheat was ground in hand-mills in these places. 

Second, how could nomads engage in construction? And it was in Altai that the Turks built the first log cabins, huts and other buildings. At the end of the Great Migration it was the Turks who established old Russian towns and cities in the 5th-7th centuries. They built Europe's first baths, which are still referred to as Turkish and are protected as historical monuments. Prior to that, the Europeans, including the British, Germans, Greeks, Russians, etc. bathed in barrels. It still remains a mystery to the Europeans how the ancestors of the Turks managed to warm a whole bath with a single candle.

Third, could nomads ever deal with metallurgy? It is amazing that the "nomads" had smelting furnaces. It was the Turks who invented metal smelting. Although iron was known to people even before, they produced it through ordinary burning. The Turks became famous as skilled metallurgists. The remains of the smelting furnaces of the ancient Turks have been found in both Tuva and Altai. Also discovered in Tuva were roads leading from iron mines to the smelting furnaces. Smelting was well developed in central Kazakhstan as well.

The strength of the Turks is in their ancient and powerful culture. The Turks are recognized in the world of invention. For example, they introduced trousers to Europe. Prior to Attila's march, men and women in Europe wore almost identical clothes (tunics, cloaks, skirts, etc.).

Archaeologists have discovered silk fabrics, lace, felt and tusseh silk in Pazyryk mounds in the Gorno-Altai region. Such fabric was not produced in Europe. This skill of the ancient Turks is confirmed by archaeological finds in Novgorod. Coats sewn from thick cloth, felts (yapinji), long caftans, women's shushun jackets, fur coats, soft leather boots, peaked hoods, etc. are all Turkic clothes.

Thanks to Attila, the Europeans learned to use knives and forks. Prior to that even the Roman aristocracy ate with their hands.

The Turks taught the Europeans, who used to ride two-wheeled carts before, to saddle and ride horses. The equilateral cross was also brought to Europe by Attila. The cross on which Jesus was crucified was T-shaped and with a longer shaft than crossbar. Christians were very careful in portraying the cross. This is confirmed by well-known 3rd century Christian writer Minucius Felix.

According to a well-known researcher, Murad Aji, who is Kumik, the cross referred to as "Georgian" first became popular in the Caucasus and then in Europe. Through the efforts of the Greeks, this cross came to be called Byzantine, while in 312 the clergy started making people forget that all the prayers used to be said in Turkic. Despite that, the old tradition of praying in Turkic continued up to the 8th century, while in Russia even until the 12th. They did not have icons, while the first bishops and popes received their high posts from the Tengrian clergy, because starting from the 4th century the patriarchal throne of Christian churches was in Caucasian Albania, in the city of Derbent.

Curiously, Alexander the Great is called a great military leader, while Attila, who conquered almost half of Europe, is referred to as a nomad. If any relocation means nomadism, then why not call the conquistadors who conquered America nomads? After all, their covered wagons, herds of cattle, field camps were identical to the Turks'. Is it possible to call a people who have given world culture such great thinkers and poets as Nizami, Fuzuli, Khagani, Nasimi and many others nomads?