History
Khaganate period
The Basmyl ethnonym is etymologisable as Turkic languages, Turkic: the first component *''bas-'' means "to crush, press, oppress make a surprise attack" in Proto-Turkic; the other, *''-mïl'', is the Oghuric languages, Oghuric cognate of Common Turkic nominalizing suffix *''-miš''/-''*mïs''. Thus "''Basmıl'' may be viewed as Oğuric Turkic ''bas-'' + ''-mıl'' = 'the tribe that crushed (its opponents),' ''Basmıš'' in Common Turkic. This was typical of Turkic tribal names that denoted aggressiveness." This prompted Golden to further posit that Basmyls were Oghuric speakers who remained east after their cousins had migrated west According to Tongdian, the Basmyls originally lived dispersed on the snowy mountains, hunted on skiing, skis, and dwelt south of Beiting Protectorate and the Northern Sea (i.e. Lake Baikal) and southeast of Yenisei Kyrgyzes; the "courageous and powerful" Basmyls numbered 2,000 families, and had leaders but no princes Since 552, the Turkicizing Basmyls were a part of the First Turkic Khaganate, who might have recognized Basmyls' economic or political importance enough to appoint an Ashina tribe, Ashina yabghu over the Basmyls. When this khaganate split into Eastern Turkic Kaganate, Eastern and Western Turkic Khaganate, Western Kaganates in 604, the Basmyls found themselves in the Western Turkic Kaganate, dominated by the Eastern Turkic Khaganate, Eastern Turks. Following state administrative reforms in favor of the eastern part of the Kaganate, the Basmyls lost their position of primacy along with the tribes of Karluks, Yagma, Kipchaks, Yueban, Chumi, Chigils, Chuyue (from whom emerged Shatuo). In 641 disgruntled tribes, including the Dzunaria Basmyls, joined a revolt by pretender to the throne Yugu-Ukuk. The Chinese Tang Dynasty, Tang empire used the turmoil in the Western Turkic Kaganate to become the dominant regional power, and by 649, as a result of the military defeats, Bukhara and the Basmyls submitted to the Tang rulers.Chinese vassalage period
The period from 649 to 703 is the best documented in Basmyl history due to the existence of Chinese annalistic records. This was also a prosperous period; vassalage did not impose any obligations and was instead afforded Chinese luxuries provided as gifts, until the Tang emperors felt confident enough to introduce their own bureaucracy to supplant the rule of the traditional Türkic nobility. According to ancient Türkic succession law, a brother succeeded a brother, and a nephew succeeded his uncle in a process of Order of succession, lateral succession. The Chinese thought such an idea absurd, and ignored it in their acts, causing further problems on top of existing resentment of the greedy bureaucracy. This 52-year period of relative quiet ended with the rise of the restored Eastern Turkic Kaganate, and its recapture of Dzungaria and the Dzungarian Basmyls by Ilterish Qaghan, Kutlug and Kul Tigin, Kul Tegin.Türkic-Türgesh period
Because Chinese Tang forces in the "Western Territories" were negligible, to resist the restoration of the Türkic Kaganate, the Tang government had to accede to the rise of Turgesh, a nation descendent from Xianbei Abars and Mukri, under the leadership of an ''Wuzhile''. In effect, the territory captured by Tang by 659 was divided between the Chinese, the Türkic Kaganate, and Türgeshes, a people who did not belong to the Tiele people, Tiele, Yueban, Chuy, or Eastern Turkic Khaganate, Eastern Türküt (東突厥) group, but are first known as one of the five Duolu tribes of the Western Turkic Khaganate, Western Türküt. The Türgeshes numbered 5–700,000, and although this represented a large state for the time, they were under pressure from Arabs from the south. Given the complexity of the situation, Tang diplomacy succeeded in drawing the Basmyls into an anti-Türkic alliance that already included the Khitan people, Kidans, Kumo Xi, Tatabi, and a 300,000 strong Tang expeditionary army. This involved the Basmyls into one of the most exciting events of the century, and bestowed on them a place in the most celebrated Türkic compositions of the 8th century.Gumilev L.N., ''"Ancient Türks"'', Ch. 23 (In Russian)Second Turkic Kaganate
A turbulent period in the history of the Second Turkic Kaganate began in 740. During Tengri-khan's rule, Tonyukuk's daughter Katun-mother Po-beg had managed to consolidate power into her hands. She then entrusted rule to a favorite, a lowly tarkhan, causing discontentment within the upper nobility. The Eastern Shad (prince), Shad Pan-kül attacked the court, killed Tengri-khan, and enthroned a son of the deceased. But Kut Yabgu (Chinese ''Gudu''), a rival of Pan-kül, killed the new kagan after replacing him with his brother, then in 741 Kut killed his protégé and usurped the throne. In 742 the Uyghurs, Basmyls and Karluks rebelled simultaneously, attacking and killing the usurper then quickly created their own state. The Basmyl leader became supreme Khan, the leader of Uyghurs an eastern Yabgu, and the elteber of Karluks became a western Yabgu. The warring Türkic nobles came to terms and chose Pan-kül's son as Khagan with the title of Özmiş Khagan. These events were recorded in the "Bayanchur Khan, Selenga stone" inscription, which immortalized the feats of the Uyghur khan Bayanchur Khan, Moyanchur (Bayanchur Khan, Bayanchur).Gumilev L.N., ''"Ancient Türks"'', Ch. 26 (In Russian)Uyghur Period
Kypchak Türkic domination over the Uyghur lasted from 688 to 741. The Uyghur leader received the title ''Shad'' from his father and in 742 consolidated his people into the Tokuz-Oguzes or Nine Tribes. Unlike the Ashina tribe, Ashina Türks, the Tokuz-Oguzes, Tokuz-Oguz Uyghurs were a leading but not a dominating tribe. After quelling the Basmyls and Karluks, the Uyghurs accepted them as equals. Inscriptions on the "Bayanchur Khan, Selenga stone" are a main source for the record of events around 750. In 753, the Uyghurs continued their violent struggle against the Basmyls and Karluks. The war ended in 755 with the Uyghurs subduing the Karluk's eastern pasturing routes extending to the Saur Mountains, Saur and Tarbagatai Mountains, Tarbagatai. The Uyghur tribal confederation (Tokuz-Oguz) consisted of a leading Uygur tribe (which incorporated Basmyls and eastern Karluks), six established Tiele people, Tele tribes of Pugu, Hun, Bayïrku, Tongra, Sijie, & Qibi, and two new A-Busi and Gulunwugusi, legally considered equal, and several subjugated tribes who paid tribute to the Tokuz-Oguz Khagan ''Yaglakar'' family. The Tokuz-Oguz tribes were in a privileged position not only in respect to the tribal union, but also vis-a-vis the Basmyls and Karluks, who in battles were always "sent in front", because they were less valued and protected. In Dzungaria, the Basmyls lived next to the Karluks and Bayïrku, who were apparently one of the numerous tribes which in 747 battled against the Uyghurs on the side of the Basmyls. Another neighbor east of the Türgeshes were the ''Ograk'', one of the aborigional tribes of Dzungaria, still known in the 1st century BCE as ''Uge''. A community of ''Yduk-kas'' ("Holy People"), a reference to a Christian community, are mentioned as the ''Uch-Yduk'' ("Three Yduks") in the Orkhon inscriptions also resided within Basmyl territory. The Basmyls remained within the Uyghur Kaganate, so called after the Uyghurs captured the leadership of the Türkic Kaganate in 752, until its demise at the hands of Yenisei Kyrgyz in 840.Religion
There is controversy regarding the spread and decline of Nestorian Church, Nestorian Christianity in Central Asia. Bishops were reported in Merv and Herat from the 5th century onwards. Christian and Jewish merchants were active in trade at the time between China and Provence. While the ideological and political doctrines of the Turkic Kaganate did not tolerate foreign religions and the spread of Christianity in the Kaganate was limited, some Dzungaria Türks, closely connected with caravan roads and trading cities, absorbed these ideas. The fall of the Kaganate stimulated successes for Christian proselytizing. The Basmals reportedly adopted Christianity after absorbing the fragments of the Kaganate. Some Karluks and Uyghurs apparently also adopted Christianity. When a new war between the Uyghurs and Türgeshes flared up in 752, the anti-Uyghur coalition united Basmyls, Türgeshes, and defenders of the "trinity".Gumilev L.N., ''"Ancient Türks"'', Ch. 27 (In Russian)Modern history
In modern times, the Argyn tribe has been one of the main constituents of the Middle Juz sub-confederation in Kazakhstan, and are regarded as an integral part of the Kazakh people. The link between the Basmyls and Argyns is reinforced by Marco Polo's description of the country he called Tanduc. Polo reported that the prevailing tribe of the country were a Christian people called "Argon". A similar location is given for the Basmyls in the early Middle Ages text Zizhi Tongjian: in Beiting Protectorate, on the Bogdoshan ridge in the Guchen area.See also
*History of Kyrgyzstan *History of Kazakhstan *History of ChinaReferences
* Gumilev L.N., ''"Ancient Türks"'',