Köl Tigin Yazıtı'nın Çin Kaynakları ile Karşılaştırmalı Olarak Araştırılması

Abstract

BÖLÜK, Recep. A Study On The Köl Tigin Inscription İn Comparasion With The Chinese Sources, Postgraduate Thesis, Ankara, 2018.

The Köl Tigin Inscription, erected by the khagan of the Second Turkic Khaganate Bilge Khagan in the memory of his brother Köl Tigin, is an unprecedented source for the Turkish history. In this inscription, Bilge Khagan discusses the battles and conquests of Köl Tigin. Besides, this inscription, in which the word Turk was cited for the first time, is of great importance in that it contains a number of valuable information on Turkic history, language and culture. Written in a rhetoric way and involving certain indication on Turkic presence, it also provides much of the relevant information regarding Turkic form of state, culture and history. This study focuses on the analysis of the Köl Tigin Inscription comparing with the Chinese sources. Based on the life of Köl Tigin, it begins with the funeral ceremony, and discusses the erection of the Köl Tigin Inscription as well as its characteristics and discovery. Other studies regarding the inscription conducted both in Turkey and around the world are also remarked in this study. With an aim to providing a better understanding on the content of the Köl Tigin Inscription, this study articulates the Köl Tigin Inscription comparing with other inscriptions. Since its discovery, the Köl Tigin Inscription has been translated, interpreted and thus published as a full text. This dissertation addresses the Köl Tigin Inscription as chronologically divided into eleven chapters and hence discussing within a historical frame. Comparing with the Chinese sources, some attempts have been made to identify whether the facts written in the inscription are also included in the Chinese sources; and if so, differences and similarities have been revealed in this study. In the chapters where the inscription has been elaborated on, certain historical periods implied in the text has been closely examined and thus illuminated. In other respects, the number of the wars the Khagans waged has been stated in the inscription; however, there has not been any information regarding to which people those wars were waged. This study explores the aforementioned question and reveals the dates of the wars and the number of the soldiers in those wars. The results have been shown in tables. Drawing upon modern studies and comparing with other inscriptions and Chinese sources, this study explores the name of the tribes, the titles, terms and the name of certain people and places indicated in the inscription. In addition, some damaged parts of the inscription have been analysed. This study concludes with the attempt to provide a better understanding on the Köl Tigin Inscription and thus highlighting its historical importance. Keywords Kokturks, Kultigin Inscription, Orkhon Inscriptions, Chinese sources, Köl Tigin, Second Turkic Khaganate, Bilge Khagan, Tonyukuk, Kutlug, Qapaghan, Tang Dynasty, China.