Turkic Empire
The nomadic Türks (also spelled T'u-chüeh or Tuque), who were likely descended from the Xünnü, established two empires in Central Asia between the 6th and 8th centuries - known as the early Xanate (550-630) and the later Xanate (690s-740) - which controlled, under Tümen Xan and his brother Istämi, a vast area extending from the Great Wall to the Black Sea. The empire subsequently came to be divided into two parts, and eventually succumbed to foreign invasions. The loss of the Eastern Xanate to the Chinese is recalled in the texts of the stelae at Xöshöö Caidam[1]. Yet the Türkic Empire was revived half a century later, the Eastern Xanate being restored in 670 and the Western Xanate in 682.
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Early Kingdom
The early Türkic Xanate was based in the Orxon valley, and was founded with the unification of several nations under Buman Xan (d.553) - some voluntarily, others by force. This initial empire covered a territory from Korea to Lake Baikal. The state fell victim to internal power struggles, however, and around 590 the state was divided into two separate states - the eastern Tölj state, centred in the Orxon Valley, and the western Tardush state, based in the Talas Valley.
Although the Türks contributed to the downfall of the Chinese Sui dynasty (581-618), the succeeding Tang dynasty (618-907) soon turned against them; Emperor Tai-Zong went so far as to have his soldiers specially trained in cavalry so as to be a better match for their Türkic opponents. China eventually asserted control over the Türks; but in the 680s a movement of resistance to the Tang Chinese was initiated under Tonyokuk and Kütülüg. After a series of failures the Chinese were finally defeated, thus releasing the Türks from their nearly 50 years of Chinese domination.
Later Kingdom
A meeting of elders from the different Türkic tribes met in the Orxon Valley in the 690s, and nominated Kütülüg as Xan (Emperor) and Elteres as "State Collector". Kütülüg was succeeded in 693 by his younger brother Mojo (d.716), who expanded the territory of the empire considerably by conquering the territory of the Kirghyz, Turgeish, Xarlig and others. Mojo attempted to consolidate power in his own hands by expelling potential rivals from the political apparatus; one of these was Tonyokuk (646-?), who led an uprising of disaffected nobles. This proceeded to civil war, during which Mojo was killed. Afterwards, Mogilyan (683-734), enthroned as Bilge Xan, ruled the nation with the support of his brother, the military commander Kül-Tegin (685-731), giving renewed rights to the aristocrats, and appointing some of these to political positions.
The Türkic Xanate became fairly peaceful in its final years: whereas a price had been put on Mojo's head by Empress Tzi-tian of China, relations with China now improved; in 721 an ambassador was sent to China bearing gifts, and in 724 border markets opened. Nevertheless the Türks were defeated by the Uighurs in 745.
System of Writing
Whereas earlier nomads possessed rudimentary methods of recording events, such as petroglyphs and wood notchings, the Turks were the first of the Central Asian nomadic peoples to develop a phonetic alphabet - the "Orxon script", consisting of 38 characters. The use of this script allowed the Türks to leave for posterity the earliest known first-hand accounts of the history of a nomadic Central Asian people.
Notes
 | In commemoration of the legacy and teachings of His Holiness Dulduit Danzanravzhaa Fifth Wrathful Noble Xutagt of the Great Gobi (1803-1856) I did not overbearingly sophize Nor preach with pride and arrogance But having found a sense in this world Spoke the truth of my dear heart. |   |