Journal of Asian Studies | Issue: 2 / Volume: 3 / ISSN: 2667-6419
∗ DOI: 10.34189/asyam.3.2.001
* Prof. Dr., Department of History, Faculty of Letters, Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University, ilhamidurmus@gmail.com
Abstract
The Sakas spread over a wide area between the 40th and 50th parallels, from the Great Wall of China in the east to the Danube River in the west.
As a result, they were known by various tribes, and their names were mentioned in their written documents, and information about them was given.
The name Saka and information about them can be found in Greek sources, Persian cuneiform texts, and Assyrian and Chinese annals. The aforementioned sources, texts, and chronicles,belonging to tribes that differ in language, culture, and geography, the name Saka appears in these documents in various forms. The name Saka appears as "Skythai" in Greek sources, "Saka" in Persian sources, and "Sai (Sak)" in Chinese sources. Based on the name "Skythai" in Greek sources, the name "Scythian" comes to the forefront in Western sources, and based on the name "Saka" in Persian sources, the name "Saka" comes to the forefront in Eastern sources. Modern research shows that the names Scythian and Saka are used for the same steppe tribe. Thus, based on the names in Persian sources, it is understood that the Scythians were Sakas, and the Sakas were Scythians. We can learn about the history, language, religion, traditions, customs, and arts of the Sakas from written sources and archaeological materials. We learn about the Sakas' relations with various tribes and their struggles from Persian, Assyrian, and Greek sources. From ancient sources, we gain knowledge about their language, religion, traditions, and customs. As for their art, numerous works of art unearthed as a result of archaeological excavations shed light on them. The Sakas' first homeland, names, languages, religions, traditions, and artistic understanding clearly reveal their Turkic identity.
Keywords: Turk, Saka, Kazakhstan, history, culture, tradition, kurgan.
Asia is one of the oldest continents in the world. Geographically, it is examined in five sections: North Asia,
East Asia, South Asia, Near Asia, and Central Asia (Ligeti, 1986: 14-15). In these geographies, numerous cultures have emerged and continued their development, starting from prehistoric times. Central Asia, especially known as Inner Asia or Central Asia, has been the cradle of various cultures. This is a vast area extending from the Kadirgan Mountains in the east to the Ural Mountains and the Caspian Sea in the west, and from Siberia in the north to China, Tibet, and Iran in the south (Arsal, 1933: 3). The cultures that emerged here spread to wider areas. Thus, cultures made their presence felt in the steppes stretching from the Great Wall of China to the Danube River. Due to geographical conditions, the nomadic lifestyles of the steppe tribes, moving from east to west with the center of Asia as their center, played a primary role in the formation and development of various cultures. The steppes, starting from the foothills of the Altai Mountains, flatten out as one moves from southeast to northeast. The steppes along the Lower Pearl River (Syr Darya) and the Aral Sea form the South Siberian plains and extend from the north of the Caspian Sea to the north of the Black Sea (Kurat, 1992: 6). Thus, the aforementioned geography includes all of Southern Russia, from the Pamir, Tian Shan, Altai Mountains and Western Turkestan to the Lower Danube region. It extends to Silesia in the west and is connected to East Turkestan and the Gobi Region by numerous passes.
The south of the region is covered by a large desert area, whereas the western part is generally more fertile and suitable for habitation than the east. This area was completely covered with swamps and dense forests in ancient times to the north, and to the south, large areas bordered by the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea, while the remaining parts are bordered by the rising mountain ranges of the mountainous terrain in Iran and the Caucasus Mountains (Junge, 1939: 5).
The steppes became richer towards the Irtysh River, with abundant water and pastures. There was no natural passage from the Irtysh valleys and Western Siberia to the Central and Southern Ural Mountains, and from there to the Kama and Itil river valleys. The steppes stretching from Lake Balkhash to the Talas River, the Pearl River, the Yayik River, and the Itil River, extended from the north of the Caspian Sea and the south of the Urals, from the sand and desert area known in history as the "Gateway of Peoples," to the north of the Black Sea, all the way to the Carpathians and the Danube. The steppes north of the Black Sea were a continuation of the plateaus and steppes in Western Siberia. Since there were no high mountains and large deserts in between, the tribes in Central Asia could easily pass from east to west (Kurat, 1992: 6).
In ancient times, the borders of the region in question were mostly determined by geographical lines without political borders. These geographical borders consisted of the Nan-shan and Tian Shan (Tanrı dağları) mountains and the Ögüz (Amu Darya) river from east to west. The Iranian plateau, which followed these, was perhaps more of a political border, but it was again followed by the Caucasus mountains, the Black Sea and the natural borders formed by the Danube river (Rice, 1958: 33-34).
In the steppes whose geographical features we have tried to describe, the Sakas spread over an area of more than 7000 kilometers, between the 40th and 50th parallels, from the Great Wall of China in the east to the Danube River in the west (Piotrovsky, 1976: 6). Undoubtedly, it is known that they lived in Central Asia before spreading over such a wide area in the east-west steppes. Therefore, the Anav, Afanasyevo, and Andronovo cultures continued to exist (Durmuş, 2016: 64-70). The culture formed by the Sakas is also noteworthy as a direct continuation of these archaeological cultures. Traces of the Sakas are largely found in Central Asia. Their transition from prehistoric times to historical times is also understood from the documents. According to Chinese sources, in the early 8th century BC, the Xiongnu fought with the Chinese and the Zhou. The reasons for this can be attributed to the Chou establishing garrisons everywhere and the shrinking of the Xiongnu pastures (Eberhard, 1987: 38-39). Emperor Suan (827-782 BC) launched a military campaign against them (Vernadsky, 1943: 50). As a result, the Xiongnu retreated west of the Chinese border and displaced their western neighbors. The attacks of other tribes on the tribes to their west soon paved the way for a tremendous migration movement in the steppe. Each tribe was forced to attack its western neighbors in order to obtain new pastures (Rice, 1958: 43). As we mentioned above, the Sakas emerged on the historical stage as a result of the tribes pushing each other from east to west. These were in 827 BC. It is accepted that they spread to the land of the Cimmerians in the 8th century (Kretschmer,1921: 923). The ancient writer Herodotus also states that the nomadic Sakas lived in Asia and that after being defeated in the war they fought with the central Sakas, that is, the Massagetae, they moved westward and spread to the geography where the Cimmerians lived (Herodotus, IV, 11). However, it is understood that their main elements remained in Central Asia. Ancient sources indicate that the Massagetae lived east of the Caspian Sea. It is known that the center of the large group referred to as Massagetae was the Sakas. In this context, the Sakas held the majority of a vast plain east of the Caspian Sea (Herodotus, I, 204). They lived next to the Pearl River, directly opposite the Isedonians (Herodotus, I, 201). Some of them lived in the mountains, some in the plains, some in the swamps formed by the rivers, and some in islands of swampy land. The Pearl River and its surroundings, into which numerous streams flowed, was an important geographical area where the Sakas lived (Strabon, XI, 8.6). The nomadic peoples living throughout Kazakhstan were united under the name Masaget, that is, Saka (Togan,
1987: 32). Thus, the place where the Sakas lived can be determined, and it is understood that they lived in the geography they lived in during the time of Herodotus, and also during the time of Strabon. It is understood that they maintained their existence in the geography between the Aral Sea and the Caspian Sea. The plains mentioned by Strabon are the Ust Yurt plateau, which he refers to as Ust Urt. The large Balhan mountains are located in the southeast of this geography. The swamps, along with the islands on the Caspian Sea and Aral Sea coastline, extend as far as the Ögüz rivers (Herrmann, 1930:2126). When historical sources are examined, it becomes clear that the Sakas were present further east than the area between the Caspian Sea and the Aral Sea. Herodotus reports that gold and copper were extracted in large quantities from the Saka country and that iron was not found in the aforementioned geography (Herodotus, I, 215). It has also been known since the earliest times that gold was obtained from Sogdiana (today Zarafshan; gold-bearing) and copper from Samarkand and the Fergana mountainous region (Herrmann, 1930:
2126). When the minerals extracted from the Saka country and the foodstuffs that met their needs are taken into consideration, it becomes easier to determine the area where they spread. In the Greek sources that mention the Sakas, it is not clearly stated how far east they had spread. Furthermore, the Sakas were a mobile, equestrian tribe. Considering this, the geography where the Sakas spread extended from the Altai and Tian Shan mountains in the east to the Urals and the Caspian Sea in the west.
Considering this situation, it can be accepted that the geography where the Sakas spread was a vast area between the Altai and Tian Shan mountains in the east and the Urals and the Caspian Sea in the west. In fact, the Esik kurgan near Alma-Aty and the Saka kurgans opened in various regions of Kazakhstan in recent years clearly show that they spread throughout the entire Kazakhstani territory. Thus, we can focus on the names, political history, and culture of the Sakas, who spread throughout the entire Kazakhstani territory, with both written sources and archaeological data.
Persian sources help in understanding the name Saka. These sources mention three Saka groups: Saka tigrakhuada, Saka tiay para daray, and Saka haumavarga (Herrmann, 1933: 158). The Saka haumavarga mentioned in Persian sources is undoubtedly the same as the Sakai Amyrgioi mentioned in Herodotus (Herodotus, VII, 64). Although the etymology of the word is obscure, perhaps it can be simply considered as "Omargas Sakas" or "Sakas subject to Omargas" (Mordtmann, 1877: 42). Saka tiay para daray, meaning Sakas beyond the sea, are considered to be the Black Sea Scythians. While the Sakas are generally called "Skythai" in Greek, the eastern Sakas, Saka haumavarga, are called "Sakai" (Herodotus, VII, 64).
Strabon states that the Scythians who ruled around the Caspian Sea were mostly Dahailers, and those further east were Masaget and Sakas (Strabon, XI, 8.2). Hecataeus, on the other hand, recognizes three groups: the Black Sea Scythians, the Massagetae living in the vast plain east of the Caspian Sea, and the Sakai Amyrgioi located east of them. The names Saka tigrakhauda and Massagetae appear to be entirely the same, fitting the purpose. Both names clearly indicate the groups of Sakas in the Western Turkestan plain. In the Egyptian Darius stele, "Plain Sakas" are mentioned as "Plain Massagetae" living in the region east of the Caspian Sea in Hecataeus (Junge, 1939: 70). From these historical documents, it is understood that the name Massagetae was used for the same group as Saka tigrakhauda. When the plural suffix "et" is removed from the name Massagetae, it brings to mind the Saka-Saka connection in the formation of the name Ma-sag (Ma-Sak), as in the name Ar-Sak (Kuun, 1981: LVII). It is understood that they were included in the Great Saka confederation (Tarn, 1968: 72). Thus, the connection between the names Saka and Masaget is revealed. It is understood that the Sakas were the center of the steppe tribe living largely in Kazakhstan. The name Saka also appears in Chinese sources. However, it is only possible to find information about the Central Asian Sakas in these sources. The main Chinese sources are Tsan-Tsien’s Biography and the Monograph on Western Countries. In these sources, the Central Asian Sakas are shown as "Sai" and "Sai-wang" (Franke, 1904: 46). In these sources, the Sakas are often called Sai. The Sakas who went to Western Turkestan are introduced with the name Sai-wang. In Chinese, the word wang means "ruler, prince". Therefore, there have even been those who introduced this tribe as a ruling lineage (Ögel, 1981: 184). Sai, which is Sak in Old Chinese, was undoubtedly used for the Sakas (Haloun, 1937: 251). Here, the name Sak coincides with the name Saka in Persian sources.
The emergence of the Sakas on the historical stage can be traced back to the 8th century BC.
Herodotus reports that the nomadic Scythians living in Asia, having been defeated in their struggle with the Massagetae, migrated to the Cimmerians (Herodotus, IV, 11). For this reason, he mentions the Sakas as Massagetae for the first time.
However, there is no information about their political history until the end of the third quarter of the 6th century BC.
The main enemy they fought against was the Persian king Cyrus.
Cyrus, who expanded the borders of the empire northeastward as a result of successful battles, wanted to expand his borders towards the Caspian Sea.
Thus, he organized an expedition against the Sakas. Their independence was greatly jeopardized (Herrmann, 1930: 2127). At this time, Tomris, who is mentioned by some as the leader of the Massagetae and by others as the leader of the Scythians, was at the head of the Scythians (Herrmann, 1921: 1787). Upon the death of the Scythian leader, Tomris, or Tomir, took over, and Cyrus, wanting to take advantage of the Scythians' situation, felt the need to organize a campaign (Togan, 1987: 32). Cyrus sent an envoy to Tomris, informing her that he wanted to marry her. Knowing that Cyrus wanted her lands, not a wife, Tomris refused. Upon this, realizing that he could not achieve his goal through cunning, Cyrus decided to use brute force (Herodotus, I, 205). While Cyrus continued his preparations for the campaign, Tomris suggested that he abandon the campaign and rule his own people. Cyrus stated that if Tomris wanted to fight the Sakas, they were also ready to fight them (Herodotus, I, 206). Upon receiving Tomris’s message, Cyrus set out on his journey. After crossing the Pearl River, he headed towards the Saka country.
Considering this situation, it can be accepted that the geography where the Sakas spread was a vast area between the Altai and Tian Shan mountains in the east and the Urals and the Caspian Sea in the west. In fact, the Esik kurgan near Alma-Aty and the Saka kurgans opened in various regions of Kazakhstan in recent years clearly show that they spread throughout the entire Kazakhstani territory. Thus, we can focus on the names, political history, and culture of the Sakas, who spread throughout the entire Kazakhstani territory, with both written sources and archaeological data.
Persian sources help in understanding the name Saka. These sources mention three Saka groups: Saka tigrakhuada, Saka tiay para daray, and Saka haumavarga (Herrmann, 1933: 158). The Saka haumavarga mentioned in Persian sources is undoubtedly the same as the Sakai Amyrgioi mentioned in Herodotus (Herodotus, VII, 64). Although the etymology of the word is obscure, perhaps it can be simply considered as "Omargas Sakas" or "Sakas subject to Omargas" (Mordtmann, 1877: 42). Saka tiay para daray, meaning Sakas beyond the sea, are considered to be the Black Sea Scythians. While the Sakas are generally called "Skythai" in Greek, the eastern Sakas, Saka haumavarga, are called "Sakai" (Herodotus, VII, 64).
Strabon states that the Scythians who ruled around the Caspian Sea were mostly Dahailers, and those further east were Masaget and Sakas (Strabon, XI, 8.2). Hecataeus, on the other hand, recognizes three groups: the Black Sea Scythians, the Massagetae living in the vast plain east of the Caspian Sea, and the Sakai Amyrgioi located east of them. The names Saka tigrakhauda and Massagetae appear to be entirely the same, fitting the purpose. Both names clearly indicate the groups of Sakas in the Western Turkestan plain. In the Egyptian Darius stele, "Plain Sakas" are mentioned as "Plain Massagetae" living in the region east of the Caspian Sea in Hecataeus (Junge, 1939: 70). From these historical documents, it is understood that the name Massagetae was used for the same group as Saka tigrakhauda. When the plural suffix "et" is removed from the name Massagetae, it brings to mind the Saka-Saka connection in the formation of the name Ma-sag (Ma-Sak), as in the name Ar-Sak (Kuun, 1981: LVII). It is understood that they were included in the Great Saka confederation (Tarn, 1968: 72). Thus, the connection between the names Saka and Masaget is revealed. It is understood that the Sakas were the center of the steppe tribe living largely in Kazakhstan. The name Saka also appears in Chinese sources. However, it is only possible to find information about the Central Asian Sakas in these sources. The main Chinese sources are Tsan-Tsien’s Biography and the Monograph on Western Countries. In these sources, the Central Asian Sakas are shown as "Sai" and "Sai-wang" (Franke, 1904: 46). In these sources, the Sakas are often called Sai. The Sakas who went to Western Turkestan are introduced with the name Sai-wang. In Chinese, the word wang means "ruler, prince". Therefore, there have even been those who introduced this tribe as a ruling lineage (Ögel, 1981: 184). Sai, which is Sak in Old Chinese, was undoubtedly used for the Sakas (Haloun, 1937: 251). Here, the name Sak coincides with the name Saka in Persian sources.
The emergence of the Sakas on the historical stage can be traced back to the 8th century BC.
Herodotus reports that the nomadic Scythians living in Asia, having been defeated in their struggle with the Massagetae, migrated to the Cimmerians (Herodotus, IV, 11). For this reason, he mentions the Sakas as Massagetae for the first time.
However, there is no information about their political history until the end of the third quarter of the 6th century BC.
The main enemy they fought against was the Persian king Cyrus.
Cyrus, who expanded the borders of the empire northeastward as a result of successful battles, wanted to expand his borders towards the Caspian Sea.
Thus, he organized an expedition against the Sakas. Their independence was greatly jeopardized (Herrmann, 1930: 2127). At this time, Tomris, who is mentioned by some as the leader of the Massagetae and by others as the leader of the Scythians, was at the head of the Scythians (Herrmann, 1921: 1787). Upon the death of the Scythian leader, Tomris, or Tomir, took over, and Cyrus, wanting to take advantage of the Scythians' situation, felt the need to organize a campaign (Togan, 1987: 32). Cyrus sent an envoy to Tomris, informing her that he wanted to marry her. Knowing that Cyrus wanted her lands, not a wife, Tomris refused. Upon this, realizing that he could not achieve his goal through cunning, Cyrus decided to use brute force (Herodotus, I, 205). While Cyrus continued his preparations for the campaign, Tomris suggested that he abandon the campaign and rule his own people. Cyrus stated that if Tomris wanted to fight the Sakas, they were also ready to fight them (Herodotus, I, 206). Upon receiving Tomris’s message, Cyrus set out on his journey. After crossing the Pearl River, he headed towards the Saka country.
Upon receiving Tomris’s message, Cyrus set out on his journey. After crossing the Pearl River, he advanced towards the Scythian country. Through a ruse, he captured Queen Tomris’s son, Spargapises, and a large number of Scythian soldiers (Herodotus, I, 211). Tomris, furious at her son’s capture, demanded that Cyrus withdraw from the Scythian country. Cyrus ignored Tomris’s request, and both sides began to fight fiercely. The Scythian army under Tomris’s command inflicted a heavy defeat on the Persian army under Cyrus’s command. The Persian king Cyrus was killed in this battle (Herodotus, I, 212-213). The battle took place in a narrow gorge after crossing the Cyrus River, and the Scythians defeated Cyrus’s army there. Accordingly, we understand that the Scythians intercepted the Persian army at the bridgehead and forced them into the gorge of the mountainous terrain, namely the great Balhan, and destroyed them (Herrmann, 1930: 2128). This war, which Cyrus waged against the Scythians and which resulted in his death, took place in 528 BC according to the latest research (Togan, 1987: 33). Approximately twelve years after this date, that is, in 517-516 BC, Darius,
carried out Cyrus’s plan and entered the steppe country, forcing the people under his rule (Herrmann, 1921: 1785). As understood from the Behistun inscription, Darius, in his campaign against the country of the Scythians, who wore pointed headdresses, that is, pointed headdresses in the shape of arrows, defeated some of them and took their leader Sakunkha prisoner (Hinz, 1939: 365). Darius, in his war with the Scythians, acted deceitfully by dressing his own soldiers in Scythian military uniforms. Because of this, the Scythian leaders were defeated and retreated into the deserts. A shepherd named Sirak deliberately led Darius’s army astray, causing them to enter the middle of the desert and thus saving his homeland (Togan, 1987: 33). Although Darius captured Sakunkha, one of the Scythian leaders, the other Scythian leaders were able to save their homeland from falling into complete captivity (Durmuş, 1993: 70). During Alexander the Great’s campaign eastward towards Turkestan, the center of gravity of the Scythians was located in the Oghuz Delta (Herrmann, 1930: 2129). When the Persian Spitanames rebelled, Alexander the Great turned his campaign toward the Pearl River. The Macedonians emerged victorious from the struggle between the Macedonians and the Sakas. Thus, a part of the region came under the dominion of the Macedonian Empire (Arrianos, IV, 16-17). During this period, the Dahae were neighbors of the Sakas. They were located to the east of the Sakas. Meanwhile, as a result of the migration of tribes in the Turan steppes, the Dahae settled in place of the Sakas. The vast majority of the Sakas were absorbed by the Dahae (Herrmann, 1930: 2129).
The Sakas' way of life was entirely dependent on the conditions of the environment. They were a pastoral and fishing community. They did not engage much in agriculture. Those living in the plains practiced animal husbandry, especially sheep farming. They largely fished. Those living on the islands ate roots in the summer and wild berries they had gathered in the autumn in the winter. They also burned the peels of fruits and were intoxicated by the smell. Those living in mountainous areas also fed on wild fruits. They did not slaughter the sheep they raised, but especially benefited from their wool and milk. Those living in swampy areas fed themselves by fishing (Herrmann, 1930: 2126). Their homes were enclosed carts, with which they went wherever they wanted as shepherds (Herrmann, 1930: 2126). Similar carts were also found among the Scythians who lived in the steppes north of the Black Sea. These carts had four or six wheels and were built in the shape of houses. The four sides and top of the carts were covered with felt. These carts were protected against the cold, snow and rain did not penetrate inside, and the wind did not affect them (Hippocrates, 18). The Sakas dressed similarly to the Southern Russian Scythians.
They produced clothes from sheep’s wool (Herodotus, I, 215).
The relationship between men and women among the Sakas was similar to that of the Central Asian steppe tribes. In fact, monogamy was the only form of marriage. The Sakas were not polytheistic.
They recognized the Sun as their god. In Herodotus’s words, they sacrificed "the horse, the fastest of mortals, to the fastest of the gods" (Herodotus, I, 216).
From this information, it can be understood that they had a monotheistic belief. They sacrificed horses to this single god.
This information indicates that they believed in one God. They sacrificed horses to this single god.
They had a great ability to fight and were known for their heroism.
They were extremely sincere in their commercial activities. Their simplicity and reliability were praiseworthy (Herrmann, 1930: 2127). In this context, they possessed superior qualities such as heroism, sincerity, simplicity, and reliability.
There is a figure called Saka in the inscriptions belonging to Darius.
This figure is depicted unarmed and in local clothing. His only distinguishing feature is his headdress and bearded face. From this, it is noticeable that he wore a jacket that tightly covered his body, a round-topped headdress without tassels, and shoes tied to his ankles with laces. Of course, this clothing differs from the clothing of other societies (Minns, 1913: 60). The finest example of this type of clothing is shown by the attire of the ruler, unearthed from the Esik kurgan near Alma-Ata in Kazakhstan, and referred to in sources as the "Golden Man." This person wears a high headdress. These Saka communities wore pointed headdresses. However, it is known that this type of headdress was even more pointed. In fact, the community that the Persians described as "Saka tigrakhauda" is known as the Sakas who wore pointed headdresses in the shape of arrows. The most important archaeological find is this Esik find. In addition, a jacket, trousers, and boots can be seen comfortably. The jacket is almost like a small jacket, and a thick belt is on this jacket (Akishev, 1978: 69). This type of clothing was characteristic of the Sakas, who spent a significant part of their lives on horseback. Since women, like men, rode horses, shot arrows, and fought, they probably wore clothes that would make it easier for them to mount horses. The depictions of horsemen on the Pazyryk carpet also allow us to learn about this type of clothing. Here, the horsemen are depicted wearing trousers and jackets (Durmuş, 2016: 501). The depictions on the electrum kumis jug unearthed from the Chertomlyk kurgan are similar. Here, too, the jacket, trousers, and boots are noteworthy (Durmuş, 2016: 500). All these depictions show that the Turks wore horseman clothing from very early periods and that the basis of today’s modern clothing is Turkish clothing. The Sakas carried arrows, bows, spears, and battle axes made of gold and bronze, which were abundant in their country. They also made helmets and belts of gold (Herodotus, I, 215). The bits and stirrups of their horses were made of gold (Herrmann, 1930: 2126). They also used gold in their clothing.
The "Golden Man" unearthed from the Esik Kurgan near Alma-Ata also had a large amount of gold in his clothing.
It is also seen that the Sakas had a written culture.
A runic inscription was found on an animal figure drawn on a rock in the Kurday Mountains in the Jambyl region of Kazakhstan. This inscription has been dated to the 2nd century BC (Caferoğlu, 1984: 121).
As a result of archaeological excavations near the village of Bobrovoye in the Pavlodar region, a runic inscription dating to the Saka period,
5th-4th centuries BC, was found in a kurgan. A bone amulet attached to a horse’s bridle was carved in the shape of a deer, and the inscription "White Doe(Beyaz Maral)" could be read from right to left. It was determined that the runic inscription on the amulet was the writing system of the Turkic-speaking Sakas. This article has clearly demonstrated the inaccuracy of the previously held view that runic writing emerged only very late among the nomadic tribes of Southern Siberia and Kazakhstan (Durmuş, 2016: 335).
A runic inscription was discovered on a silver vessel dating to the 5th-4th centuries BC, and therefore belonging to the Saka period, in the Esik kurgan near Alma-Ata in Kazakhstan (Amanjolov, 1989: 793-794). Scientists have begun to work on this runic inscription, which is considered the oldest example. As with the Orkhon-Yenisei inscriptions, differences of opinion have emerged here as well. Some scientists have stated that this inscription, unearthed from the Esik kurgan, is of the Orkhon-Yenisei type, and that its language belongs to the Old Turkic and therefore the Altaic language group. Some scientists, however, have suggested that some of the signs resemble those found in the Aramaic alphabet and that this inscription is based on an unknown alphabet of Aramaic origin (Düysenov, 1970: 2).
Linguists have begun to work on the silver vessel unearthed from the kurgan. An alphabet consisting of 26 letters has been identified on the vessel (Akishev, 1978: 5960). However, researchers have read the written document in different ways. In one of them, Amanjolov read the inscription as Turkic. He stated that some of the letters of this inscription are Old Turkic runes, while others show similarities with the signs of early written alphabets of the Mediterranean region(Süleymanov, 1970: 1)..
Suleymanov also read the inscription unearthed from Esik and established a connection with Turkish. He stated that the letters found here are the primitive forms of those in Orkhon (Suleymanov, 1970: 1). The character of the Esik inscription, the letters and shapes used, were compared with the characters, letters and shapes of the Orkhon-Yenisei inscriptions. As a result, it was understood that the Esik inscription is a prototype of the Orkhon-Yenisei inscriptions (Amanjolov, 1971: 64-66). This inscription has been read by many people to date, and with a few exceptions, it has been read in Turkish. What is important here is not who read the inscription and how, but that it was read in Turkish. The fact that the existing examples of runic writing go back to the years before Christ and even to approximately the 5th century BC with the example found in the Esik kurgan shows that it is quite old and underwent a developmental phase until the Gokturk period. It is understood that this writing system, starting from the Sakas and being used in various Hun tribes, reached the Gokturks (Suleymanov, 1970:
1-3). This oldest example concretely proves that the language of the Saka tribes settled in the territory of Kazakhstan was an old Turkic language. In addition, the fact that the equestrian tribes living in the lands of Kazakhstan knew and widely used alphabetic writing has also been revealed on this occasion (Kafesoglu, 1989: 321).
It is noteworthy that many geographical names used in the geography where the Sakas spread during the Saka period are also Turkic. According to contemporary sources, words such as Ust Urt = Üst Yurt, Oxus = Ögüz, Daix = Yayık, etc., can be considered an indication of the Turkicness of the people living there, based on the name given to the geography. Undoubtedly, these examples can be increased. However, even the name of a river, plateau, mountain, or lake is sufficient. İlhami Durmuş194
The fact that the name of Tomris, one of the Saka leaders, is also Turkish sheds light on their identity. It is stated that the word "Tomar" means "red necktie", "amulet(hamaylı)", "talisman worn around the neck". In Turkish, the equivalent of the words amulet, talisman and talisman in Turkish dialects today is "tumar". The term "armor(zırh)" and "armored(zırhlı)" are also used for amulet and talisman. In this case, the equivalent of armor is "tumar". The name Tomir is also identified with the word "iron(demir)" (Durmuş, 2019: 46). In this case, when the Greek "is" is removed from the name Tomris, it is understood that the name is Turkish. Some ancient writers state that they are the ancestors of the Huns, and some state that they are the ancestors of the Turks (Herrmann, 1930: 2125). As can be seen in all these cultural characteristics, the cultural features of the Sakas clearly reveal their Turkishness. In fact, Saka culture forms the basis of today’s Turkishness.
The Sakas, as a powerful steppe community, lived in a very wide geographical area, primarily between the Aral Sea and the Caspian Sea.
Because of the geography they inhabited, they had to fight against the Persians, who possessed a great empire. Their defeat of the Persian Empire’s army at the height of its power and the killing of the Persian king Cyrus during the battle demonstrate their military strength. The Persian king Darius also tried to deal with them only by dressing his soldiers in Saka clothing. The largest group of Sakas maintained their existence in Kazakhstan and its surroundings for a long period of time. From an archaeological perspective, the Esik kurgan and its findings clearly reveal the presence of the Sakas. Recent archaeological excavations clearly show that the Sakas were spread throughout Kazakhstan and its surroundings. When their material culture elements and information in written sources are evaluated together, it clearly shows that they possessed a high culture. All sources and archaeological data show that the Sakas were the ancestors of the Turks.
In this context, it is necessary to mention the Sakas in the ethnic formation of all Turkic nobles. Turks, Turkmens, Uzbeks, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, etc., are seen within this scope. Both archaeological findings and information from western and eastern sources support this view. Their first homeland, language, religious beliefs, customs and traditions, military structures, and artistic understanding form the basis of Turkic culture. The evaluation of new archaeological excavations and documents together further reinforces the idea that the Sakas were the ancestors of the Turks.
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