Kurıkanların Türk Tarihindeki Yeri ve Önemi

Abstract

The Kurykan people were seen for the first time in the mourning ceremony of the Turk kagan and were recorded in the Orkhun Inscriptions. They were one of the nomadic tribes spread on the west side of Baikal Lake and they were known as both enemy and friend. It is very interesting that runic texts of the Kurykan were found in Lena and Angara. The Kurykan people were recorded as Gulikan or Ku-li-kan by the Chinese which is one of primary sources for early Turkic history. They were identified as Furi or Kuri people from Islamic sources. Historical sources recorded that they were renowned for their beautiful horses. There are three main opinions about them: They are accepted as ancestors of the Yakut, Buriat, or Mongolian Khor tribe. In this article, we recognize them as ancestors of the Yakuts. They lived in Baikal and its surrounding area, practiced animal husbandry and were horse breeders. They were also good blacksmiths. They had an army of five thousand soldiers to show their strength and power. They created the Kurumchi Culture and left behind especially important cultural materials. These topics will be examined according to material cultural elements and their importance in Turkic history will be emphasized.