Gokturks

In this episode, we explore the rise, power, and legacy of the Göktürks, the medieval Turkic people who forged influential nomadic khaganates across Inner Asia under the leadership of the Ashina clan. We trace their dramatic ascent in the sixth century as they overthrew the Rouran Khaganate and emerged as a major political force, navigating territorial expansion, shifting alliances, and complex diplomacy with the Tang dynasty. The episode also examines the internal civil wars that weakened their rule, along with the cultural and spiritual world of the Göktürks, including their practice of Tengrism and the development of the Old Turkic script preserved in the Orkhon inscriptions. Finally, we consider the origins of their name and their lasting historical importance as ancestors of many modern Turkic peoples.