TÜRK BARIŞI (PAX TURCİCA): İSKİTLER, GÖKTÜRKLER VE HAZARLAR

Abstract

Tarihi süreç içerisinde, ticari yol güzergahları üzerinde barış ortamını tesis edecek devletlere her daim ihtiyaç duyulmuştur. Nitekim ticaret yollarını doğrudan kontrol etmek ve yol güzergahı üzerindeki komşular arasındaki çatışmalara son verecek siyasi politikalar üretmek, ticaretin güven içerisinde yürütülmesi için elzemdir. Ticaret güvenliğinin sağlanmasına yönelik askeri ve siyasi politikalar denildiğinde akla ilk gelenler, Orta Asya ve Avrasya bozkırlarında devletler kurmuş olan Türklerdir. Pax Turcica (Türk Barışı) adıyla da anılan barış ortamıyla, çatışma ortamı ve buna neden olan unsurlar ortadan kalkmıştır. Ticari yol güzergahları üzerinde vuku bulacak sorunların üstesinden gelebilecek yönetim anlayışı,geçiş vergisi oranlarını belirleyen gümrük sistemi ve tüccarların güvenliğini sağlamak için Türk devletlerinin aldığı tedbirler sayesinde karadan yapılan kervan ticareti işlerlik kazanmıştır. Bu anlamda Çin'den Avrupa'ya kadar uzanan ticaret yolları üzerindeki ticaretin hamiliği, daha çok ticaret güvenliğinin bir devlet politikası haline geldiği Türk devletlerinde olmuştur. Özellikle barış ortamını sağlayacak askeri güç ve yönetim anlayışına sahip İskit, Göktürk ve Hazar devletleri döneminde çatışma ortamından büyük oranda arınmış olan ticari yol güzergahları üzerinde, bu devletlerin hamiliğinde ticaret güvenlik içerisinde yapılmıştır. Bunun sonucunda Türk devletlerinin hamiliğinde Çin, Orta Asya, Doğu Avrupa, Hindistan ve Anadolu gibi birçok bölge iktisadi yönden birbirine bağlanmıştır. Böylece ortaya çıkan ticari kaynaklı güç, çevre kültürlerle ilişki kurmayı teşvik etmiştir

In the historical process, states to establish a peaceful environment on commercial road routes were always inquired. In this sense, it has become imperativefor the safety of trading to control trade routes directly and produce political policies that will terminate conflicts between neighbors positioned on the road route. If the subject is the military and political policies for ensuring trade security, Turks who have established states in Central Asia and Eurasia steppes that come to mind primarily. The environment of conflict and the elements that cause it are resolved with the peaceful environment that is called PaxTurcica (Turkish Peace). Land-based caravan trade has become functional by courtesy of the management understanding that can cope with the problems that may occur on commercial road routes, the customs tax system with a fixed rate and the measures taken by the Turkish states to ensure the safety of merchants. In this context, the protectorate of trade on trade routes from China to Europe has been primarily maintained by the Turkish states for which trade security has become a state policy. Commerce was operated securely on the commercial road routes that were largely freed from the conflict environment particularly during the Scythians, Gokturks and Khazars states who had a military power and management understanding that would provide an environment of peace. As a result, many countries, such as China, Central Asia, Eastern Europe, India and Anatolia, are connected to each other in economic terms under the protection of Turkish states.Thus, the emerging trade-based power has encouraged the establishment of affairs with the surrounding cultures The Eurasian steppe route, where started to be active from the beginning of the 9th century B.C. and where this movement intensified the next historical period, has enabled the rapid pervasion of important ideas, harmonious artistic images and advanced technological innovations. The frequent use of horses as a means of transport; enhanced intercultural interaction through accelerating the confrontation of human societies with social, political and economic bodies at different levels. The most effective and most natural method of these interactions has been the commercial affairs. Security in this sense, was the key to the international trade. The disappearance of borders, thanks to the peaceful atmosphere, enabled the residents of the locations that trade caravans pass gain profits, as well. Therefore, states to establish a peaceful environment on commercial road routes were always inquired. In this sense, it has become imperative to control trade routes directly and produce political policies that will terminate conflicts between neighbors positioned on the road route. If the subject is the politics of securing commercial road routes, Turks who have established states in Central Asia and Eurasia steppes that come to mind primarily. Many countries, such as China, Eastern Europe, India and Anatolia, are connected to each other in economic terms under the protection of Turkish states. The environment of conflict and the elements that cause it are resolved with the peaceful environment that is called Pax Turcica (Turkish Peace). Land-based caravan trade has become functional by courtesy of the management understanding that can cope with the problems that may occur on commercial road routes, the customs tax system with a fixed rate and the measures taken by the Turkish states to ensure the safety of merchants. In this context, the protectorate of trade on trade routes from China to Europe has been primarily maintained by the Turkish states for which trade security has become a state policy. Commerce was operated securely on the commercial road routes that were largely freed from the conflict environment particularly during the Scythians, Gokturks and Khazars states who had a military power and management understanding that would provide an environment of peace. Greeks during the Scythian period, Soghdians during Gokturk period, Arab and Russian merchants during Khazar period played an active role in these commercial activities. Although long-distance trade had been made before the Scythians, the commercial activities of the Scythians created a substantial economic accumulation for the first time in the steppes. Thus, the emerging tradebased power has encouraged the establishment of affairs with the surrounding cultures. In addition, the commercial network established by Scythians in the western steppes constituted a model for state founders in Central Asia. In this sense, Scythians have become a model for the Turkish states that have been established since the Huns. The trade developed by establishing a long-lasting peace environment in the Eurasian steppes with Crimea as the center, provided remarkable profits especially for the Scythian aristocracy class. The Scythian Peace (Pax Scythica), which provided roughly three centuries of peace in Western Eurasia, provided wealth not only to Scythians but also to other communities under their sovereignty. On the other hand, the authority to control the Silk Road route maintained its characteristic to be the main goal of the Turkish states and China to be achieved from the Huns to the Uyghur period for about 1000 years. Facing the Turks, China chose to stay in defense as long as it controlled Silk Road route under its sovereignty. The Turks, with their frequent raids, desired to depress China to a weak position and inquired the domination of Central Asia. During the Gokturk Empire, a long-term, when compared to the conditions of Central Asia, Turkish peace (Pax Turcica) ruled. Thereby, the lands extending from China to Byzantium and along the Silk Road trade network were united. This situation has provided the necessary environment for the dissemination of goods and pervasion of ideas among different ethnic communities. Besides all, Gokturks spread the Turkish culture to this geography under their rule. This culture, included aspects varying from common goods used in everyday life, to language and political culture. Gokturk khagans, have provided the security against the threats which is needed to actualize objectives of the circles that lead the international trade such as the Soghdians who gain profits through the Silk Road. Diplomatic negotiations with Sassanians and Byzantines proves that the Gokturks tried to resolve the disagreements over the Silk Road route primarily through diplomatic methods. On the other hand, the Khazars, through the peaceful environment that enabled the commercial activities to operate safely in the territory they ruled, developed cultural harmony with Bulgarian, Alan, Pecheneg, Oghuz, and Slavs in the 9-10th centuries. In order to provide such a peaceful environment and cultural harmony, some management practices of the Khazars have been applied. In this sense, the tribes or states in the ruled regions have been left free on matters related to their internal affairs, but they were obliged to pay taxes and send troops when necessary. The tax-paying affiliate bodies have been free in social and economic terms. When the governor (tudun) was appointed from the center, decisions were taken in the areas of commercial activities and taxation taking into account the opinions of the local authority. However, ultimately, all these elements were subject to the Khazar khan and obeyed him always declaring their loyalty. The Khazars allowed merchants from every nation to settle in the country and operate trade. The customs tax acquired from trade has been the most important source of income for the Khazar Khanate. Therefore, the overall security of merchants has been provided. Muslims constituted the most crowded mass of the merchant class in Idil at the commercial center with 10,000 people. The Russians and Slavs, after the Muslims, formed another substantial group.