Basmyl

Basmyls ("Basmyl"; Basmals, Basmils, Chinese "Basimi, Baximi") were a Türkic nomadic tribe mostly known in Dzungaria (present northwestern RPC) in the 7-8th centuries. In the literature, the terms "Basmyls" and "Basmals" are readily interchangeable. Basmyls played a prominent role in the Eastern Türkic Kaganate, at one time leading the Kaganate as a kagan dynastic tribe.

Basmyls were the first who used title "Idyk-kut", which later replaced title "kagan" in the titles of Uigur rulers in Turfan. The second component "kut/qut" of the title-name is often found in Old Turk onomastics and titulature, its lexical meaning is "grace of heaven", "blessing". [S.G.Klyashtorny, "Ancient Turk Rock Inscriptions in the Talas Ala-Too. A Sogdian Word in an Old Turk Inscription", Webfestschrift Marshak 2003, ( [http://www.transoxiana.com.ar/Eran/Articles/kljashtorny.html Online Article] ).]

"Tszychji tuntszyan" under year 720 stated that dynastic clan of Basmals is Ashina, and they come from Türks (Ch. 突厥 pinyin Tu-jue). Present "Argyns" in the Kazakh Middle Juz are the former Basmals, and these names are equivalent ("mixed tribe"). As a proof serves the description of the Tanduk country by Marko Polo, which says that the prevailing tribe of that country are Argon Christians (i.e. Argyns), which means "Basmul". The mixed origin of Basmals is confirmed by Basmals consisting of forty clans, as opposed to three (tribes) of Karluks, nine (tribes) of Uigurs and ten (tribes) at the Jeti-su Türks. Early Middle Age location of Basmals are given in the "Tszychji tuntszyan", where Basmals' residence is named in Beitin, in the Bogdoshan ridge in Guchen area. [Zuev Yu.A., "Horse Tamgas from Vassal Princedoms (Translation of Chinese composition "Tanghuyao" of 8-10th centuries)", Kazakh SSR Academy of Sciences, Alma-Ata, I960, p. 104, 132 (In Russian)]

Mahmut Kashgari (11th century) lists Basmyls as one of ten prominent Türkic tribes, enumerating location of the Türkic polities from the borders of Greece to the borders of China in the following sequence: Bechen (Badjinak), Kyfchak (Kipchak), Oguz, Yemek (Kimek), Bashgyrt (Bashkort), Basmyl, Kai, Yabaku, Tatars, Kyrgyz. He also noted that the tribes Kai, Yabaku, Tatar, and "Basmyl" are bilingial, speaking in Türkic alongside their own languages, while Kyrgyzes, Kyfchaks, Oguzes... have their own Türkic languages, and the languages of Yemeks and Bashkirts are close to them. [M.Zakiev, "Origin of Türks and Tatars", p.69, 192, Moscow, "Insan", 2002, ISBN 5-85840-317-4 (In Russian)]

Türkic period

From its inception in the 552, Basmyls were members of the First Türkic Kaganate. After the First Türkic Kaganate split in 604 into Eastern and Western Kaganates, Basmals found themselves in the Western Türkic Kaganate, dominated by Türkuts of the eastern part, and following a state administrative reform biased in favor of the eastern part of the Kaganate, Basmals lost their primary position, together with the tribes of Karluks, Yagma, Kipchaks, and the Hun descendants Chuyue, Chumi and Shato. Dissatisfied tribes, including Dzunaria Basmals, in 641 joined a revolt of Yugu-Ukuk, a pretender to the throne. Tang empire used the turmoil in the Western Türkic Kaganate to install its domination, and by 649, as a result of the military defeats, Bukhara and the tribe of Basmals submitted to the Tang empire. [Gumilev L.N., "Ancient Türks", Ch. 16 (In Russian) [http://gumilevica.kulichki.net/OT/ot16] ]

Chinese vassalage period

The period from 649 to 703 is a best illuminated period in the Basmyl history, due to the Chinese annalistic records. That was also a prosperous period, because vassalage did not impose any obligations, but was sustained by Chinese goodies provided as gifts, until Tang felt stable enough to introduce its bureaucracy to supplant the rule of traditional nobility. Ancient Türks had a succession law, in accordance with which a brother succeeded a brother, and a nephew succeeded his uncle (lateral succession). Chinese thought that that order was absurd, and ignored it in their acts, causing self-inflicted problems on top of resentment against greedy bureaucracy. The quiet 52-year period ended with the rise of restored Eastern Türkic Kaganate, and its recapture of the Dzungaria and Dzungarian Basmyls by Kutlug and Kul Tegin. [Gumilev L.N., "Ancient Türks", Ch. 21, 22 (In Russian) [http://gumilevica.kulichki.net/OT/ot22] ]

Türkic-Türgesh period

The forces of the Tang in the "Western Territories" were negligible. To resist the restoration of the Türkic Kaganate, the Tang government had to accede to the rise of Türgeshes, a nation descendent from Abars and Mukri, under a leadership of "Uchjile". Effectively, the territory captured by Tang by the 659 was divided between Tang, Türkic Kaganate, and Türgeshes, who did not belong to either Tele, Chuy, nor the Türkut group, but are first known as belonging to the five Dulu tribes. Türgeshes numbered 5-700,000, a large state at the time, but were pressed by Arabs from the south. In that perplexing situation, Tang diplomacy succeeded in drawing Basmyls into an anti-Türkic alliance that already included Kidans, Tatabs, and 300,000 strong Tang expeditionary army. That brought Basmyls into one of the most exciting events of the century, and bestowed on them a place in the most celebrated Türkic compositions of the 8th century. [Gumilev L.N., "Ancient Türks", Ch. 23 (In Russian) [http://gumilevica.kulichki.net/OT/ot23] ]

By a fantasy plan concosted in 720 in Changan against the Türkic Kaganate, the Manjurian Kidans and Tatabs, and the south-western Dzungaria Basmyls had to converge on the Bilge-kagan court from different directions, but at the same moment. Yenisei Kyrgyzes were also pressing them from the north, and Türgeshes from the west. Bilge-kagan's chancellor Tonyukuk developed a counter-plan, to face the enemies one at a time, and with daring and swiftness compensate for the lack of forces. In the first chapter of that war, Basmyls were the first allies to come to the Türkic horde, and not finding any other coalition forces they turned back. The Tonyukuk's Türks left them alone, allowing them to exhaust horses and riders, and with a forced march came to Bishbalyk (Ch. Beitin) and took it by a surprise attack. By the time the tired Basmyls reached Bishbalyk, instead of the rest and provisions they found an enemy. Surrounded under the walls of the fortresses, Basmals surrendered, and the whole plan of the campaign fell apart. That war was immortalized in the Orkhon inscriptions, in the Bilge-kagan and Tonyukuk monuments. [Gumilev L.N., "Ancient Türks", Ch. 23 (In Russian) [http://gumilevica.kulichki.net/OT/ot23] ]

Another inscription on the same monument views Bishbalyk operation totally differently. Likely written by a Basmal who was to find a rest behind the walls of the Bishbalyk fortress, and who probably fell in captivity after ambush, this inscription presents a dual interest, as a historical document, and as a cultural monument. It is a first written Turkic poem with rhythm and rhymes, with syllabic rhythm of 4, 5, and 8 syllables in three lines making a stanza, where 8 syllable line with center rhyme sounds as two tetrameter lines. The defeated Basmal carved his composition on the rock: "In the Year of Monkey, in the ninth month, we secretly went to Bishbalyk. A felicitous hero is in hardship, his army in ambush. Let this man be happy there!" [Gumilev L.N., "Ancient Türks", Ch. 23 (In Russian) [http://gumilevica.kulichki.net/OT/ot23] ]

An hour of glory

In 740 started a turbulent period in the Second Turkic Kaganate. During Tengri-khan rule, Tonyukuk's daughter Katun-mother Po-beg concentrated power in her hands. Katun-mother entrusted the rule to a favorite, a lowly tarkhan, causing a discontent between the upper nobility. The Eastern Shad Pan-kül attacked the court, killed Tengri-khan, and enthroned a son of the deceased. But Kut Yabgu (Chinese "Gudu"), a rival of Pan-kül, killed a new kagan, first replacing him with his brother, and then in 741 Kut killed his protege and usurped the throne.

In 742 simultaneously rose in rebellion Uigurs, Basmals and Karluks. They attacked and killed the usurper. The allies quickly created their own state. The Basmal leader became a supreme Khan, a leader of Uigurs became an eastern Yabgu, and elteber of Karluks became a western Yabgu. The warring Türkic nobles had to come to terms, and they chose Pan-kül's son a Kagan with a title Ozmysh. These events were recorded in the "Selenga stone" inscription, which immortalized the feats of the Uigur khan Moyanchur (Bayanchur). [Gumilev L.N., "Ancient Türks", Ch. 26 (In Russian) [http://gumilevica.kulichki.net/OT/ot26] ]

The Tang court offered Ozmysh-khan an asylum, he sent to Tang his son with five thousand covered wagons (families), and fled his horde. In 744 Basmals killed Ozmysh-khan and sent his head to Changan. His brother Baimei-khan Kulun-beg was enthroned in his stead, but most of the Türkic nobles joined in the election of the Basmals leader Elterish (Ch. Sede Ishi) as a supreme Kagan. But soon the allies split apart, Uigur leader Peilo attacked and defeated Basmals, Basmal leader Elterish-kagan was beheaded and his head was sent to Changan with an offer to recognize Peilo with a title Kutlug-Bilge Kül-khan. Basmals, pressed by Karluks, joined with Uigurs. [Gumilev L.N., "Ancient Türks", Ch. 26 (In Russian) [http://gumilevica.kulichki.net/OT/ot26] ]

Uigur Period

Kypchak Türkic domination over Uigurs lasted for 50 years (from 688 to 741). The Uigur leader received from his father a title "Shad", and in 742 consolidated his people as Tokuz-Oguzes (Nine Tribes). Unlike the Ashina Türks, Tokuz-Oguz Uigurs were a leading, and not a dominating tribe. After quelling Basmyls and Karluks, Uigurs accepted them as equal.

Christianity

Nestorian bishops in Merv and Herat are known from the 5th century. For a time Christian merchants competed with Jewish, who eventually retained in their hands the trade between China and Provence. Turkic Kaganate with its harmonous system of ideological and political doctrines had no use for foreign religions, but the Dzungaria Türks, closely connected with caravan roads and trading cities, were absorbing ideas carried worldwide alongside with goods. The spread of Christianity in Türkic Kaganate was minor, because the Türks kept their creed to cement the state, but the fall of the Kaganate stimulated successes for Christian proselytizing. Karluks and Basmals, with Basmals absorbing most of the Türkic Kaganate fragments, widely adopted Christianity. The Argyns, descendants of Basmals, retained Christianity until the 13th century. Christianity was also successful in the east, among Uigurs. When in 752 flared a war between Uigurs and Türgeshes, the anti-Uigur coalition united Basmals, Türgeshes, and defenders of "trinity". [Gumilev L.N., "Ancient Türks", Ch. 27 (In Russian) [http://gumilevica.kulichki.net/OT/ot27] ]

Uigur kaganate

The "Selenga stone" inscription is a main source for the events around 750 CE. In 753 Uigurs continued their violent struggle against Basmyls and Karluks. By the 755 the war ended with Uigurs fully subduing Karluk eastern pasturing routes extending to Saur and Tarbagatai.

The Uigur tribal confederation consisted of a leading Tokuz-Oguz tribe, with incorporated Basmyls and eastern Karluks, six Tele tribes of Buguhun, Baiyrku, Tongra, Syge and Kibi), jurisprudentially considered equal, and several subjugated tribes, who were paying tribute to the Tokuz-Oguz Khan Yaglakar family. The Tokuz-Oguz tribe was in privileged position not only in respect to the tribal union, but also with Basmals and Karluks, who in battles were always "sent in front", because they were less valued and protected. [Gumilev L.N., "Ancient Türks", Ch. 27 (In Russian) [http://gumilevica.kulichki.net/OT/ot27] ]

In Dzungaria Basmals lived next to Karluks and Baiyrku, apparently a part of the numerous tribe which in 747 battled against Uigurs on the side of Basmals, and remained together with their allies,. Another neighbor east of Türgeshes were Ograk, one of aborigional tribes of Dzungaria, known still in the 1st century BCE under a name Uge. In the Basmal land were also recorded a community "Yduk-kas" (Tr. Holy People), a reference to a Christian community, mentioned as "Uch-Yduk" (Tr. Three Yduks) in the Orkhon inscriptions. [Gumilev L.N., "Ancient Türks", Ch. 27 (In Russian) [http://gumilevica.kulichki.net/OT/ot27] ]

Basmyls remained in the Uigur Kaganate, so called after Uigurs captured the leadership of the Türkic Kaganate in 752 CE, until its demise in 840 CE at the hands of Yenisei Kyrgyzes.

Kyrgyz Kaganate period