Bayirku
Ethnic group
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bayirku (In Chinese chronicles 拔也古 (Ba-yegu / Ba-yegu), in runic inscriptions bajarqu, and in the chronicle collection Jami' al-tawarikh by Rashid al-Din as barqut (Bargut)[2] is the historical name of an ethnic community repeatedly mentioned in various medieval sources.
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| from 60,000 to 300,000 people[1] | |
| Languages | |
| Old Turkic or Early Mongolic | |
| Religion | |
| Shamanism, ancestor worship | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Kurykans |
They occupied territories roughly covering northern Mongolia and southern Transbaikalia, from the Tuul River and the lower reaches of the Selenga to Dalai Nur and the Argun. Later, due to “Khitan pressure”, their area was constrained and displaced, then subsequently expanded westward beyond Lake Baikal. Their territory later came to be understood as spanning both sides of Lake Baikal, and eventually predominantly as the Cis-Baikal region.[3]
Under this name, the Bayirku are mentioned in Chinese and Arab sources beginning in the 5th century. It is possible that in the 7th–8th centuries the term referred not only to a tribe, but also to a specific region under their control in the upper reaches of the Angara.[4]
The language and culture of the Bayirku, their origins, and their role in the later history of nomadic and semi-nomadic peoples of Central Asia remain subjects of scholarly debate and competing hypotheses. According to one theory, the ethnonym gave rise to the name of Lake Baikal, and the Bayirqu are considered ancestors of a significant portion of the Buryats.[5]
Ethnonym
Scholars differ on the meaning and origin of the ethnonym “Bayirqu.” According to a Turkic etymology, the most generalized translation is “truly wealthy.” Proponents of a “Turko-Mongolic” etymology translate it as “rough” or “primitive,” although within the same framework it may also be interpreted as “indigenous” or “original.”[5]
Settlement, population, and way of life
By the 5th century, “their lands were vast and extended from the Khentii in the east to the nomadic territories of the Mohe, that is, to the basin of the Songhua, without crossing south of the Kerülen. Their northern boundary apparently reached the mountain taiga.”[6]
The Bayegu tribe “nomadically roamed scattered north of the Great Sandy Steppe.”[7] “Their country was rich in grasses, produced excellent horses and fine iron. They were passionately devoted to hunting; agriculture was practiced little. They hunted deer on ice using skis. Their customs largely resembled those of the Tiele; their speech differed only slightly.”[7]
According to Chinese sources, they lived near the Kanganghe River (probably an upper tributary of the Selenga). They were prosperous, numbering 60,000 yurts (approximately 250,000–300,000 people), and could field 10,000 warriors. They engaged primarily in animal husbandry (especially horse breeding) and hunting, produced iron weapons, harnesses, and tools, and had developed applied arts.[8]
They were governed by rulers (Great Irkins) and elders (eltebers). They maintained a distinct identity and were often distinguished by Chinese chroniclers from other nomadic allies, including the Uyghurs. They rejected tributary status, tending toward rebellion when subjected to it, but willingly accepted military obligations, viewing them as alliances rather than vassalage.[9]
The land on which the Bayirqu roamed was known as Yer-Bayirqu.[10]
Archaeological culture
Archaeological remains associated with the Bayirqu date from the 6th to the 10th centuries. These include burials of the Darasun culture, characterized by a sheep's scapula placed at the head of the grave with a knife inserted into it, and a distinctive mound structure made of processed rounded stones. Certain petroglyphs created using carved engraving techniques and some fortified settlements are also attributed to the Bayirqu culture. These sites are primarily distributed in southwestern Transbaikalia.
Typical artifacts include weaponry—horn bow overlays, iron and bone arrowheads, spearheads, daggers, knives, and armor plates; horse equipment—iron bits and stirrups, bronze plaques with vegetal and anthropomorphic ornamentation; and ceramics—handmade and wheel-thrown vessels with geometric stamped decoration. Mounted riders are depicted in carved petroglyphs.
History
In the 5th century, the Bayirqu are mentioned in Chinese sources as “one of the fifteen generations” within the tribal confederation of the Tiele. During the initial rise of the Turkic ruling house, they became part of the Turkic Khaganate. After a massacre of Tiele elders by the Turkic khan, relations between the Bayirqu and the Turkic rulers deteriorated. For the next 150 years (606–745), the Bayirqu frequently supported the enemies of the Turks, including the Uyghurs and even the Chinese.
In the 620s, the Bayirqu were subordinated to the Xueyantuo Khaganate. After its fall, they recognized Tang imperial authority in 647. Their lands were designated as prefectures, and their rulers received Chinese titles. The first governor was the elteber Qüylishi. After ten years, the Bayirqu rebelled and were suppressed by the Tang general Zhang Rengtai in 661.
From 679, they were incorporated into the Second Turkic Khaganate. In 706 they attempted to regain independence at the Battle of Lake Turgi-Yargun (modern Torey Lakes) but were defeated. In 716, the Great Irkin led another uprising. The Turkic ruler Qapaghan Qaghan crushed the rebels near the Tola River but was later killed by a Bayirqu ambush; his head was sent to the Chinese emperor.
During the Uyghur Khaganate (745–840), the Bayirqu were part of that polity. In the mid-9th century, the Uyghur Khaganate was destroyed by the Yenisei Kyrgyz.