The Greatest Gokturk Episode 1: Conquest of Western Asia

What makes a great leader? Military prowess? Intelligent planning? Populism? An open mind? In the case of the Gokturks, there are many well-known and popular leaders like Mukhan or Bilge Khan. However, there is a man who could very well be described as being the most successful of them all - someone who is barely known outside of academic circles. Istemi.

As the younger brother of Bumin, the founder of the Gokturk state, Istemi took control of all regions west of the Altai Mountains and expanded Gokturk influence far into Europe. Under his command, the Gokturks would enter into a cold war with the Persian Sassanian Empire and even establish relations with the Byzantine Empire. Rene Grousset once described him as "intelligent", for he was above all a careful leader. He did not conquer other peoples, he conquered their lands and integrated them into his realm peacefully. But he was seen as a danger nonetheless: both the Hepthalites and the Sassanians were for the first time ever confronted by a mighty Turk who had brought with them an army of 100,000 men. Combining his military strength and diplomatic skills, he established friendly relations with the Sogdians, an ancient people of merchants and traders who dwelled in cities like Bukhara and Samarkand along the Silk Road. Together, Turks and Sogdians would create something that is known as the Turkic-Sogdian synthesis.

In this first episode, we take a look at the very beginning of Istemi's political career. How did he manage to conquer all of Central Asia and bring almost all of the Western Eurasian Steppe under his sphere of influence? Let's find out.