| Turanians Turya | |
|---|---|
| People | |
 Archeological cultures inTuran during 1500-1000 BCE | |
| Ethnicity | Iranic |
| Location | Turan |
| Language | Old Iranian |
| Religion | Ancient Iranian religion |
Turya orTuranian (Avestan𐬙𐬏𐬌𐬭𐬌𐬌𐬀,tūriia) is theethnonym of a group mentioned in theAvesta, i.e., the collection of sacred texts ofZoroastrianism.[1] In those texts, the Turyas closely interact with theAryas, i.e. the early Iranians.[2] Their identity is unknown but they are assumed to have beenIranichorse nomads from theEurasian steppe.[3]
Like theethnonym Iranian, which is derived fromIran, the modern term Turanian is aback formation from the toponymTuran. Both Turan and Iran are in turn back formations from the Old Iranian ethnonyms Turya and Arya, respectively. Turya, or variants thereof, does not appear in any historically attested sources.[4] However, the Turanians appear in later Iranian legends, in particular in theShahnameh as the enemies of the Iranians. During medieval times,Turkic tribes began to settle in Turan and the name was increasingly applied to them.[5] The modernpan-nationalist movementTuranism also ultimately derives its name from the term.[6]
The Turyas are thought to be mentioned in theUshtavaiti Gatha. In verse Y. 46.12, names the family Friia of Tur as a follower ofAsha andAhura Mazda. This is interpreted such that he and his family hailed from the people of the Turyas.[7] The text also seems to imply that prominent figures from the early period of Zoroastrianism belong to his family.[8] This prominence and overall positive role of the Turanians is in contrast to their antagonistic role in other parts of the Younger Avesta as well as the absence of the Aryas in the Gathas.[9]
TheFrawardin Yasht is the longest of the Yashts and is dedicated to the veneration of theFravashi, a unique Zoroastrian concept similar to and connected with the concept of the soul (urvan).[10] This Yasht is considered to consist of two parts. In the first part, the Fravashi themselves are praised, often for providing assistance in batte.[11] For example, Yt. 13.37-38, presents them as helping the Aryas in their fight against the Turyan Danus:
yūžam taδā tarwayata
wṛθram danunām tūranām
yūžam taδā tarwayata
δbaišāh dānunām tūranām
yušmabyō parō karšnazō
hu-wīrā bawan sawištā
yai taxmā xštāwayō
yai taxmā saušyantō
yai taxmā wṛθrājanō
xrūmāh asōbiš fra-zinta
dānunām baiwar-patinām
You then overcame
the resistance of the Turian Danus.
You then overcame
the hostilities of the Turian Danus.
Thanks to you the Karshnazids,
having good men, became the strongest.
the brave Xshtawids,
the braveSaushyants,
the brave victors,
You destroyed the crumbling (dwellings) together with (their) sites,
of the Danus who are lord of tens of thousands.
—Frawardin Yasht 13.38 (translated by William Malandra).[12]
The identity of the Danus is unknown but they have been connected to the Iranian word for river as well as to mythical race of theDanava from theVedas.[13] From the text, it is clear that they are either a clan of the Turyas or are otherwise associated with them.[14] In the second part of the Yasht, the fravashis of numerous individuals are venerated, who played an important part in the early Zoroastrian community.[15] Several persons from the Turyas are mentioned as loyal supportes of the Zoroastrian faith, and Yt. 13.143 is dedicated to all the faithful who live in the lands of the Aryas and Turyas
tūiryanąm dax́ yunąm narąm aṣ̌aoninąm frawaṣ̌ayō ý°
tūiryanąm dax́ yunąm nāirinąm aṣ̌aoninąm frawaṣ̌ayō ý°
We worship the Fravashis of the holy men in the Turya lands;
We worship the Fravashis of the holy women in the Turya lands.
—Frawardin Yasht 13.143 (translated by James Darmesteter).[16]
In addition, Yt. 13.143-144 furthermore mentions the faithful who live in the lands of the Sairimas, Sainus and Dahas. In general, the relationship between the Aryas and Turyas is presented in these verses as much more amicable.[17]
Most references to the Turyas in the Avesta appear in the so calledLegendary Yashts, namely theAban Yasht, theGosh Yasht, theRam Yasht, theDen Yasht, and theZamyad Yasht.[18] They are called legendary because they contain a number of allusions to the myths and legends of the people of the Avesta. These stories formed the core of later Iranian history as expressed in the Shahnameh, but may have entered the western Iranian traditions as early as theAchaemenid period.[19]
In the Avesta, the Turyas form as a people when the primordialPishdadian ruler,Thraetaona, divides the world between his oldest sonTur, who receives the north and east, his middle sonSarm, who receives the west, and his youngest sonIraj, who receives the south. While Tur becomes the ancestor of the Turyas, Iraj becomes the ancestor of theAryas, who are then ruled by his grandsonManuchehr. Following this division of the world, the conflict between the two peoples evolves during theKayanian cycle. This conflict centers around the attempts of the Turian KingFranrasyan to conquer Iran and steal theroyal glory of the Iranians. The fighting between the two peoples stops temporarily whenErekhsha the Archer manages to shoot an arrow as far as theOxus river, which from then on marks the border between Iran and Turan.[20]Kavi Xosrau eventually manages to kill Franrasyan in a fight at the "white forest".[21]
It is assumed that during theSassanian period, a coherent framework ofIranian national history did exist and was presented in works like theKhwaday-Namag. In these works, factual, legendary and mythical elements are blended into a unified national history of Iran. These Sassanian era works are now lost but they formed the basis of Arab histories, like theNihayat al-arab, which were produced after the Muslim conquest of Iran as well as a number of Iranian historizing epics, like theBahman-nameh, theBorzu Nama, theDarab-nama; all of which were produced during theIranian renaissance in the 9th and 10th century. The single most important work, however, from this period is the Iraniannational epic, theShahnameh.[22]
In these works, the Turanians are consistently presented as the main antagonists of the Iranians. Many of the characters and stories from the Kayanian epic cycle, as alluded to in the legendary Yashts, reappear and are treated as basically historical.[23] These later works were created during the 9th and 10th century AD, when the region ofTuran had become mostly settled byTurkic steppe nomads. As a result, the Turanians became increasingly identified with them.[24]
The Turanians are not attested in historical 1st millennium BCE records.[4]Achaemenid sources consistently use the termSaka when referring to northern steppe nomads, whereas Greek authors often refer to them asScythians. Despite this, there is a scholarly consensus that the Turanians wereIranicsteppe nomads living in theEurasian steppe to the north of the ancient Iranians.[3][25][26]
This identification is based on a number of rationals. First, during thetime of the Avesta, the region of Turan was inhabited by Iranic steppe nomads. In addition, a number of Turanian personal names, likeFranrasyan,[27] Agraeratha,[28]Biderafsh,[29] andArjataspa,[30] appear in the Avesta. They have been studied by linguists and are all Iranic in character.[31] Furthermore, the story of the mythical kingThraetaona, who divided the world among his three sonsTur (Turya),Sarm (Sairima) andIraj (Arya), is interpreted as a recognition of an ancient kinship between Turanians and Iranians.[32] Finally, the ethnonym of the Sairimas has been connected to theSarmatians andSauromatians.[33] Likewise, the ethnonym Dahi may be related toDahaes.[34]
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