Tuqaq
| Tuqaq Temur Yalig | |
|---|---|
| Bey, Soubashi | |
| Died | c. 924 AD |
| Burial | Unknown |
| Issue | Seljuq |
| House | Oghuz Yabgu |
| Father | Kerequchi |
| Religion | probably Tengrism |
Tuqaq or Duqaq or Dukak (Turkish: Dukak bey, Turkmen: Dukak beg or Dukak Demir ýaýly; full name: Tuqaq Temur Yalig) was an Oghuz bey and soubashi (chief of the army) of the Oghuz Yabgu State. He was the father of Seljuq, eponymous founder of the Seljuq dynasty. Tuqaq's great-grandson Tughril beg would later establish the Great Seljuq Empire in the 11th century, a Turco-Persian polity that ruled over a vast area, stretching from western Anatolia in the west to the Hindu Kush in the east. "Tuqaq Temur Yalig" literally means "iron bow" or "with an iron bow" in old Turkic language.[1][2]
Origin
Little is known about Tuqaq or his early activities, as most of the details of his life are uncertain and come from later written or oral sources, composed particularly after the Battle of Dandanaqan.[1] However, it is known that he and his famous descendants belonged to the Qiniq tribe of Oghuz Turks. Tuqaq's father's name was Kerequchi, who was either a popular local blacksmith or a master of tent-making (yurts).
The Persian epic Maliqnameh (Book of Kings) mentions a warrior called Tuqaq who served a Khazar Khagan (ruler). It is possible that Tuqaq served the Khazars before the collapse of their state, caused by the pressure from the Cumans. He subsequently made an alliance with the Oghuz Yabgu State, with which he remained for the rest of his life.[3]
Early medieval sources state that Tuqaq was involved in the military of the Oghuz Yabgu State in the latter stages of his life and held an important position among Oghuz Turks. His nickname "Iron Bow" suggests that he was not an ordinary soldier, since arrow and bow were considered a sign of power in Oghuz culture. Given his nickname, Tuqaq most probably was a supreme commander of the Oghuz army or a powerful statesman. Consequently, he should have had tremendous power and influence in the Oghuz Yabgu State.[4]
Affiliations
Though Tuqaq was an important figure in Oghuz Yabgu, his relationship with other influential state leaders was complicated as he objected to their policy of raiding other Turkic tribes. Tuqaq's son, Seljuq, held similar views and this may have been a primary cause for other Turks within the Oghuz Yabgu State to join Seljuq's tribe after it left Oghuz Yabgu for a new homeland in Transoxiana. This would later have a significant importance as Seljuqs, known as Turkomans by that time, became a formidable force in Khorasan which enabled them to challenge powerful Ghaznavids.[5][6][7]
Religious leaning
According to an Arab historian and biographer Ali ibn al-Athir, Tuqaq's quarrel with the Oghuz ruler was so intense that "they even came to blows over it but eventually became reconciled and Duqaq remained with the yabghu".[8][9]
Death and legacy
Tuqaq is believed to have died in 924. After his death, his son Seljuq was named a supreme commander of the Oghuz-Turkoman army. In 961, he left the Oghuz Yabgu State with his "goats, sheep, and horses" and moved with several Turkoman tribes to Transoxiana. After Seljuq and his followers adopted Islam, they refused to pay taxes to the Oghuz Yabgu State since the Turks of Oghuz Yabgu were not Muslims. Seljuq and his Qiniq tribe later founded their own, independent beylik.[10][11]
See also
References
- ^ a b Özgüdenli, Osman Gazi (2012). "Selçukluların Kökeni". In Turan, Refik (ed.). Selçuklu Tarihi El Kitabı (in Turkish). Ankara: Grafiker Yayinlari. p. 27.
- ^ Dani, Ahmad (1992). History of Civilizations of Central Asia. UNESCO. p. 146.
- ^ Peacock 2010, pp. 27–28.
- ^ Özgüdenli 2012, p. 27.
- ^ Peacock, Andrew (2010). Early Seljūq History: A New Interpretation. Routledge. pp. 92–93.
- ^ Özgüdenli 2012, p. 31.
- ^ Peacock, Andrew (2015). The Great Seljuk Empire. Edinburgh University Press. pp. 33–40. ISBN 978-0-7486-3827-7.
- ^ Barthold, Vasily (1962). Four Studies on the History of Central Asia, Volume III. Leiden, Netherlands: E.J.Brill. p. 100.
- ^ Peacock, Andrew (2013). Early Seljuq History. Taylor & Francis. pp. 27–33. ISBN 9781135153694.
- ^ Sicker, Martin (2000). The Islamic World in Ascendancy: From the Arab Conquests to the Siege of Vienna. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 51–54.
- ^ Peacock 2015, pp. 24–25.