Ülüş system
Ülüş system was the administrative system of the historical Turkic and Mongolic states. The noun Üleş in Turkish means "share" and the verb "üleş-mek" means to share.[1][2]
The system
According to historian Halil İnalcık, the sovereignty didn't belong solely to the khagan (king) but it belonged to the members of the khagan's family.[3] Thus the khagan allocated each member of the family a share of the country. This share was called ülüş. According to Kürşat Kocak however, ülüş practice included high level state officials also. [4] This resembles the fief system in Medieval Europe. But Lev Gumilyov stresses that it was not a European type feudalism.[5] According to Lev Gümiloy the system was developed in the Sothern Xiongnu during the second century AD.[5] It was used by the Turkic Khaganate , Uighur Khaganette , Mongol Empire and the other political powers of the central Asia.
Example
In the Turkic Empire (551-744) during the reign of Taspar Khagan in 576, there were 8 üleşes. (see Göktürk family tree).[5]
- 1.Taspar: in the Altai Mountain area
- 2.She tu ( Taspar’s nephew; later renemed Ishbara as the khagan): east part of the khaganette
- 3.Böri (Taspar’s nephew ): west part of the Eastern territory
- 4.Töremen (Taspar’s nephew, later renemed Apa as the khagan): north territories
- 5.Kara Çürün (Taspar’s cousin later renamed Tardu as the khagan of the Western Territory):in Yedisu area
- 6.Tamgan (Taspar’s cousin): in Volga River area
- 7.Amrak (Taspar’s son): (unidentified)
- 8 Tegin shad (Taspar’s son): unidentified
References
- ↑ Dictionary of Turkish language Association
- ↑ Dictionary
- ↑ İnalcık page p.218 (Turkish)
- ↑ Academia periodical (Turkish)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 L.N.Gümilev, Eski Türkler, translation by Ahsen Batur, ISBN 975-7856-39-8 p.80-81
