The Genetic Composition of Gokturks: Northeast Asian Origins and Cultural Mixture

The question of whether the Gokturks belonged to the Caucasian race, Mongoloid race, or a mixed race is deeply flawed. This misunderstanding arises from a persistent but incorrect belief in the notion of race. Scientific advancements have demonstrated that races as a concept are not genetically supported but rather are social constructs based on false notions of biological differentiations among human populations.

Non-Existence of Biological Races

Firstly, it is a well-established fact that biological races do not exist. The diversity of human populations is continuous, and there are no clear genetic boundaries that differentiate races. As such, any attempt to categorize the Gokturks into specific racial groups is an oversimplification and a misattribution of biological labels to historical and social identities.

Political Body, Not an Ethnic Identity

The Gokturk Khanate was a political entity rather than an ethnic identity. Under this khanate, various peoples with diverse linguistic, cultural, and genetic backgrounds coexisted. It was not a monolithic entity but a blend of different cultures and ethnicities, including Turkic, Iranian, and other linguistic groups.

Genetic Composition and Ancestry

The Gokturks were a confederation of various Turkic nomadic tribes, including Iranic groups that had been turkified or retained their Iranian language. The evidence from archaeological and genetic studies indicates a complex genetic background for the Gokturks. They were primarily of Ancient Northeast Asian origin but had admixed with various other groups over time.

Genetic studies show that the Gokturks had a significant Northeast Asian ancestry, reminiscent of modern populations such as Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Altaians, and Tuvans. These modern populations share a similar genetic heritage, with many of them having between 60.3% and 82.5% Northeast Asian ancestry, coupled with 17.5% to 39.7% West Eurasian ancestry.

Other studies comparing the Gokturks with various other groups, such as the Xiongnu, medieval Huns, and other Turkic nomads, reveal a mixture of genetic components. For example, the Xiongnu, considered the direct ancestors of later Turkic-speaking groups, had a mixed ancestry with significant Northeast Asian components ranging from 75% to 85%, mixed with varying degrees of West Eurasian ancestry, particularly in groups like the Saka/Sarmatian-like outliers.

Genetic Legacy and Turkicization Process

Genetic research has also highlighted the process of Turkicization, the intermingling of Turkic and non-Turkic populations, and the spread of Turkic languages across Eurasia. This process involved the Turkic pepole not only turkifying other Turkic speakers but also incorporating and transforming non-Turkic speaking groups into their cultural and genetic mosaic.

The Turkic peoples, including the Gokturks, were primarily of Northeast Asian origin but had significant admixtures with various Western steppe herders, Iranics, Tocharians, and other culturally diverse groups. This genetic admixture was a key factor in the expansion and spread of Turkic languages and cultures, which over time brought about a significant transformation among various others groups within Central Asia and beyond.

Modern Monte Carlo Analyses and Genetic Models

Extensive genetic studies have modelled the early medieval Turkic populations as having a blend of Northeast Asian and West Eurasian ancestry. The average early medieval Turkic samples were found to be about 37.8% West Eurasian and 62.2% Northeast Asian, indicating a significant genetic diversity.

Moreover, the Turkic peoples, including the Gokturks, were not isolated but engaged in a complex, multi-layered process of intermingling with and transforming various indigenous populations. This process involved first Turkicizing some groups in Mongolia and then spreading the Turkic language and culture to other regions, leading to a more widespread Turkic influence in Central and Western Eurasia.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Gokturks were primarily of Northeast Asian origin but had a complex genetic makeup with admixtures from various other groups. They were a diverse confederation of Turkic nomads that included Iranic groups that had been turkified or still spoke Iranian languages. Their genetic profile is best compared to modern populations like Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Altaians, and Tuvans, who share a significant Northeast Asian ancestry, with some admixture from West Eurasian groups.

This genetic and cultural mixture reflects the historical and social complexity of the Gokturks and the broader Turkic peoples, highlighting the importance of understanding the true, genetically diverse origins of historical and cultural identities.