Kimek Khanate - Early History

Early History

Originally, the Kimaks lived along Irtysh between the Altai and Tarbagatai mountain ranges.

During the Göktürk Kaganate (552-743), the Chuüe, Chumi, Chumuhun and Chuban, called Chuban or "Weak Huns" by Chinese historians, played a major role as part of the Shato Türk and Kimak tribal unions. Chinese historians located the Chuban west of the Tarbagatai and Altai.

After the destruction of the Göktürk Kaganate its heritage was carried on by many peoples, including Kipchaks, Kimek, Uyghurs, Bajanaks, Oguz, Karluks, Kyrgyz, Türgeshes, Khazars, Bulgars and others.

From the 7th to the 12th c. Kimak and Kipchak culture was identical. The southern neighbors of Kimaks were Karluks, who preserved their independence for another 200 years. Kimak Khakan's residence was in the city Imakia on the Irtysh.

In the middle of the 7th century the Kimaks lived near the Irtysh, north of the Altai, as part of the Western Turkic Khaganate. After the disintegration in 743 AD of the Western Türkic Kaganate, a part of the Kimaks remained in its successor, the Uyghur Kaganate (740-840), and another part retained their independence. During that period a nucleus of the Kimak tribes was consolidated. The head of the Kimak confederation had the title "Shad Tutuk", i.e. "Prince Governing, or Ruling”. The Imak (Yemak, Kimak) tribe became the head of the union, and later of the Kimak Kaganate. In another transcription the tribal name sounds like "Kai", which in Mongolian means "snake". Possibly during the consolidation of the seven tribes appeared the expression: "A snake has seven heads".