Ashina tribe

Ashina
阿史那; Āshǐnà
	The tamga of the Ashina clan, representing the mountain goat
Regions with significant populations
	Central and East Asia
Languages
	Old Turkic; Sogdian; Tocharian
Religion
	Tengrism; Buddhism (minority)

The Ashina (Chinese: 阿史那; pinyin: Āshǐnà; Wade–Giles: A-shih-na; Middle Chinese: (Guangyun) [ʔɑʃi̯ə˥nɑ˩]) were a Turkic tribe and the ruling dynasty of the Göktürks. This clan rose to prominence in the mid-6th century when the leader, Bumin Qaghan (died 552), revolted against the Rouran Khaganate. The two main branches of the family, one descended from Bumin and the other from his brother Istämi, ruled over the eastern and western parts of the Göktürk confederation, respectively, forming the First Turkic Khaganate (552–603).

^ International Turkic Academy, (2015), TÜRK BENGÜ TAŞI: Şivеet-Ulаan Damgalı Anıtı, p. 13 (in Turkish)
^ Grač, 1957, p. 408-414
^ "The tamga of the royal clan of the first Turkish empire was a neatly drawn lineal picture of an ibex", Kljastornyj, 1980, p. 93
^ Peter B. Golden, (1992), An Introduction to the History of the Turkic Peoples, p.126:
"Whatever language the A-shih-na may have spoken originally, in tirne, they and those they ruled would all speak Turkic, in a variety of dialects, and create, in a broadly defined sense, a cornmon culture."
^ ^a ^b Ratcliffe, Jonathan (2020). "Masters of Political Theology: Eric Voegelin and the Mongols". In Trepanier, Lee (ed.). Eric Voegelin's Asian Political Thought. Lexington Books. p. 114.
^ Empires, Diplomacy, and Frontiers. (2018). In N. Di Cosmo & M. Maas (Eds.), Empires and Exchanges in Eurasian Late Antiquity: Rome, China, Iran, and the Steppe, ca. 250–750 (pp. 269–418).
"Mythology employing shamanic symbolism along with references to the sky-god Tengri were, evidently, tools to strengthen the Türk ruler's legitimacy, and some scholars see this practice as amounting to a state religion, "Tengrism," in which the ruling Ashina family gained legitimacy through its support from Tengri."
^ Peter B. Golden, (2010) Central Asia in World History, p. 43-44:
"The Türks, like many of their subjects, were believers in Tengri."
"The qaghan claimed that he was "heaven-like, heaven-conceived" and possessed qut (heavenly good fortune), a sign of the heavenly mandate to rule."
^ Liu Mau-tsa, (1958), 1: p. 172-173
^ Tsvetelin Stepanov, (2008), The Bulgars and the steppe empire in the early Middle Ages: The problem of the others, p. 65-66

[1] International Turkic Academy, (2015), TÜRK BENGÜ TAŞI: Şivеet-Ulаan Damgalı Anıtı, p. 13 (in Turkish)

[2] Grač, 1957, p. 408-414

[3] "The tamga of the royal clan of the first Turkish empire was a neatly drawn lineal picture of an ibex", Kljastornyj, 1980, p. 93

[4] Peter B. Golden, (1992), An Introduction to the History of the Turkic Peoples, p.126:
"Whatever language the A-shih-na may have spoken originally, in tirne, they and those they ruled would all speak Turkic, in a variety of dialects, and create, in a broadly defined sense, a cornmon culture."

[1a-5] Ratcliffe, Jonathan (2020). "Masters of Political Theology: Eric Voegelin and the Mongols". In Trepanier, Lee (ed.). Eric Voegelin's Asian Political Thought. Lexington Books. p. 114.

[empires-6] Empires, Diplomacy, and Frontiers. (2018). In N. Di Cosmo & M. Maas (Eds.), Empires and Exchanges in Eurasian Late Antiquity: Rome, China, Iran, and the Steppe, ca. 250–750 (pp. 269–418).
"Mythology employing shamanic symbolism along with references to the sky-god Tengri were, evidently, tools to strengthen the Türk ruler's legitimacy, and some scholars see this practice as amounting to a state religion, "Tengrism," in which the ruling Ashina family gained legitimacy through its support from Tengri."

[7] Peter B. Golden, (2010) Central Asia in World History, p. 43-44:
"The Türks, like many of their subjects, were believers in Tengri."
"The qaghan claimed that he was "heaven-like, heaven-conceived" and possessed qut (heavenly good fortune), a sign of the heavenly mandate to rule."

[8] Liu Mau-tsa, (1958), 1: p. 172-173

[9] Tsvetelin Stepanov, (2008), The Bulgars and the steppe empire in the early Middle Ages: The problem of the others, p. 65-66

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