Tarkhan

Tarkhan ( Old Turkish Tarqan; Mongolian: Darkhan; persian ترخان; Chinese达 干; Arab طرخان; alternative spellings Tarkan, Tarkhaan, Tarqan, Tarkhan, Tarxan, Tarcan or Targan ) is an ancient Central Asian title, the various Indo- European ( eg Iranian, Tocharian ) and Turco- Mongol peoples of Central Asia, was especially used during the Middle Ages in the successor states of the Mongol Empire.

Etymology

The origin of the word is unknown. Historians regard it as either ( Eastern ) Iranian, Turkish, or Mongolian origin.

R. Frye believed the word is "probably the Sogdian foreign" and might be regarded as a loan word from Turkish. Nevertheless G. has villages out that the word forms a plural, which is the Turkish foreign. The singular word is in the plural tarxan to tarxat. This points to a non-Turkish origin. L. Ligeti draws the same conclusion and adds that " tarxan and tegin [ Prince ] tarxat the completely un -Turkish plural and tegit " form and that the word is the medieval Western Turkic languages ​​as Bolgarisch unknown. Therefore, it is likely that the word of the medieval Mongolian darqat ( the Mongolian plural suffix is - at) comes from, which in turn tarxant from originally sogdischem * could originate ( " exempt "). A. Alemany also points out that the related ostiranisch / Scythian ( and Alans ) Word * tarxan still in the Ossetian language as tærxon ( " dispute process " ) and tærxon ( " speak right " ) kænyn is to be found.

It is certain that Tarkhan is not related to the Turkish- Mongol royal title Khan / Khagan.

The word was adopted into other languages, eg Armenian t ʿ Arxan, Georgian and Russian t'arxani тархан.

History

The title has been used by numerous Iranian ( Sogdians, Hotanesen and Hephthalites ) and Turkish -Mongolian peoples of Central Asia and other steppe peoples, such as as high military rank in the army of Tamerlane. Tarkhane commanded units and generals were about. They could also be used as military governor of the conquered provinces.

The Göktürks probably took the title Darqan ( Mongolian spelling) of the Mongol- speaking Rouranern or Avars. The Tarkhane had the privilege to enter the yurt of Khagans without an appointment and were usually pardoned until the ninth generation for offenses committed.

How many titles appeared Tarkhan ( Turkish spelling) also act as first name, regardless of the social status of the person, which complicates the assignment in some cases. For example, Arab sources often mention a " Tarkhan, King of the Khazars ". Whether this is an inaccurate description of a high military or the name of the Khazar Khagans itself remains unclear. The name is still occasionally used in Turkish and Arabic-speaking countries.

In the Mongol empire of the Darkhan of taxation, forced labor and military service was excluded. Genghis Khan made all his followers, who had helped him during the ascent, in 1206, to Darkhanen. The families of the Darkhane played a crucial role in succession disputes in the Yuan dynasty and the Ilkhanat. Abaqa Khan (1234-1282) made ​​a Indians to Darkhan after his mother and her entourage safely escorted from Central Asia to Persia. A wealthy Persian merchants was appointed by Ghazan to Darkhan. In Russia, the khans of the Golden Horde important tasks transferred the Darkhanen.

A Tarkhan founded the Tarkhan dynasty that ruled northern India 1554-1591.