Karluks

Karluk people (also called Qarluqs or Qarluks) were a Turkic tribal confederation in Central Asia. They first appeared in records in the 5th century CE, and by the 7th century they were known as the "Three Karluks" (Uch-Karluk), made up of the Bulak, Chigil, and Tashlyk tribes.Peter B. Golden, Central Asia in World History, Oxford University Press, 2011, pp. 45–50.  

The Karluks were part of the Göktürk Khaganate, but later they joined with the Uighurs and Basmyls to overthrow the Eastern Turks in 742. After this, the Karluks became an important power in the steppes. Their leaders held the title "yabgu," and in 756 they founded the Karluk Yabgu State, which lasted until the 10th century.Richard N. Frye, The Heritage of Central Asia, Princeton University Press, 1996, pp. 112–115.  

The Karluks played a major role in the Battle of Talas in 751, where they allied with the Abbasid Caliphate against the Tang dynasty. This battle was important because it helped spread Islam and paper technology into Central Asia.Christopher I. Beckwith, Empires of the Silk Road, Princeton University Press, 2009, pp. 145–147. Over time, many Karluks converted to Islam, though earlier they had practiced Tengrism and sometimes Nestorian Christianity.  

The Karluks gave their name to the Karluk languages, which include Uzbek, Uyghur, and Ili Turki. Later dynasties such as the Karakhanid dynasty were founded by Karluk leaders. The Karluks were eventually absorbed into the Chagatai Khanate of the Mongol Empire, but their influence continued through language and culture.Peter B. Golden, An Introduction to the History of the Turkic Peoples, Otto Harrassowitz, 1992, pp. 120–125.  

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Category:Turkic peoples
Category:Central Asia
Category:History of Kazakhstan
Category:History of Kyrgyzstan
Category:History of Uzbekistan