Basmyl

The Basmyls (Basmyl; Basmals, Basmils, Old Turkic: 𐰉𐰽𐰢𐰞, romanized: Basmïl, Chinese: 拔悉蜜/密/彌; pinyin: Báxīmì/mì/mí, Middle Chinese ZS: *bˠɛt̚-siɪt̚-miɪt̚/mˠiɪt̚/miᴇ; also 弊剌 Bìlà, MC *bjiej^H-lat)^[1]^[2] were a 7th- to 8th-century Turkic nomadic tribe who mostly inhabited the Dzungaria region in the northwest of modern-day China.

Originally a forest people, Basmyls eventually grew in importance and played a prominent role in the Turkic politics from the 6th century. At one point Basmyls even overthrew the Second Turkic Khaganate's dynastic clan and briefly held the Khaganate with the help of Karluks and Uyghurs, who later turned against Basmyls. Basmyl supreme leaders were the first to use the term Ydyk-kut, which replaced khagan; Qocho Uyghur rulers of Turpan likewise titled themselves Ydyk-kuts. The title contains two components: the first component Ïdïq/Ydyk means "[heaven]-sent, sacred";^[3] the second component kut/qut in the title is often found in Old Turkic onomastics and titulature and has the lexical meaning "grace" or "blessing".^[4]

In 720 CE, the dynastic Basmyl clan were reported to be concentrated at Beiting Protectorate, near Gucheng (Qitai), in the Bogda Shan range, and to be Ashina Turks (Ch. 突厥 pinyin Tu-jue).^[5]^[6]

Mahmut Kashgari, an 11th-century historian, lists the Basmyls as one of ten prominent Turkic tribes and enumerates the locations of the Turkic polities from the borders of the Eastern Roman Empire to the borders of China in the following sequence:^[7]

Kashgari also noted that "Among the nomadic peoples are the Čömül - they have a gibberish (raṭāna [رَطَانَة]) of their own, but also know Turkic; also Qāy, Yabāqu, Tatār and Basmil - each of these groups has its own language, but they also know Turkic well"."^[8]

The Basmyls may be ancestral to the Argyn of the Middle Juz of modern Kazakhstan.^[9] Marco Polo apparently mentioned them as "Argons" in a country called "Tenduc" (around Kuku-Khotan, or modern-day Hohhot), during the 13th century.^[10] Polo reported that this tribe who had "sprung from two different races: to wit, of the race of the Idolaters of Tenduc and ... the worshippers of Mahommet. They are handsomer men than the other natives of the country, and having more ability, they come to have authority; and they are also capital merchants."^[10]

^ Tongdian vol. 200: "拔悉彌一名弊剌國,隋時聞焉" tr. "Basmyls, another name is Bila state, known in Sui time then." [1] (in Chinese)
^ Golden, Peter B. An Introduction to the History of Turkic Peoples, p. 142-143
^ Golden, Peter B. An Introduction to the History of Turkic Peoples, p. 165
^ S.G. Klyashtorny, "Ancient Turk Rock Inscriptions in the Talas Ala-Too. A Sogdian Word in an Old Turk Inscription", Webfestschrift Marshak 2003, (Online Article).
^ Zizhi Tongjian Vol. 212, cited in Zuev Yu.A., Horse Tamgas from Vassal Princedoms (translation of 8-10th century Chinese Tanghuyao), Kazakh SSR Academy of Sciences, Alma-Ata, 1960, p. 104, 132 (in Russian)
^ Klyashtorny, S.G. "The Polovcian Problems (II)" in Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, Vol. 58, No. 3, Proceedings of the First International Conference on the Mediaeval History of the Eurasian Steppe: Szeged, Hungary May 11—16, 2004: Part III (2005). p. 245
^ Central Asian Review Volumes 13-14. Central Asian Research Centre. 1965. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
^ Maħmūd al-Kašğari. "Dīwān Luğāt al-Turk". Edited & translated by Robert Dankoff in collaboration with James Kelly. In Sources of Oriental Languages and Literature. Part I. (1982). p. 82-83
^ Gumilyov, L. Searches for an Imaginary Kingdom: The trefoil of the Bird's Eye View' Ch. 5: The Shattered Silence (961-1100)
^ ^a ^b Polo, Marco (1875), "Ch. 59: Concerning the Province of Tenduc, and the Descendants of Prester John", The Book of Sir Marco Polo, the Venetian, vol. 1, Henry Yule (tr.), Henri Cordier (ed.), J. Murray, pp. 276–

[1] Tongdian vol. 200: "拔悉彌一名弊剌國,隋時聞焉" tr. "Basmyls, another name is Bila state, known in Sui time then." [1] (in Chinese)

[Golden,_Peter_B._p._142-143-2] Golden, Peter B. An Introduction to the History of Turkic Peoples, p. 142-143

[3] Golden, Peter B. An Introduction to the History of Turkic Peoples, p. 165

[4] S.G. Klyashtorny, "Ancient Turk Rock Inscriptions in the Talas Ala-Too. A Sogdian Word in an Old Turk Inscription", Webfestschrift Marshak 2003, (Online Article).

[Vassal_Princedoms_1960,_p._104,_132-5] Zizhi Tongjian Vol. 212, cited in Zuev Yu.A., Horse Tamgas from Vassal Princedoms (translation of 8-10th century Chinese Tanghuyao), Kazakh SSR Academy of Sciences, Alma-Ata, 1960, p. 104, 132 (in Russian)

[6] Klyashtorny, S.G. "The Polovcian Problems (II)" in Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae, Vol. 58, No. 3, Proceedings of the First International Conference on the Mediaeval History of the Eurasian Steppe: Szeged, Hungary May 11—16, 2004: Part III (2005). p. 245

[7] Central Asian Review Volumes 13-14. Central Asian Research Centre. 1965. Retrieved 18 October 2022.

[8] Maħmūd al-Kašğari. "Dīwān Luğāt al-Turk". Edited & translated by Robert Dankoff in collaboration with James Kelly. In Sources of Oriental Languages and Literature. Part I. (1982). p. 82-83

[9] Gumilyov, L. Searches for an Imaginary Kingdom: The trefoil of the Bird's Eye View' Ch. 5: The Shattered Silence (961-1100)

[polo-10] Polo, Marco (1875), "Ch. 59: Concerning the Province of Tenduc, and the Descendants of Prester John", The Book of Sir Marco Polo, the Venetian, vol. 1, Henry Yule (tr.), Henri Cordier (ed.), J. Murray, pp. 276–

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