What if the O'Ghuz Turks (principle ethnic group of Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and Turkey) were displaced from the Middle East? What if the Seljuks focused on Kiev instead? In this timeline, the land we now call Turkey, which the Greeks called Anatolia or Asia Minor, would remain in Byzantine possesion while what is called Russia (OTL) would be Turkish. The divergence of events takes place after the Turkomen converted to Islam. I originally posted this scenario on the othertimelines.com forum. Many questions to consider. How would the balance of power in the Middle East be different with the abscence of a major empire (the Sejulk and later Ottoman Turks)? How would the Byzantine Empire, Perisa, and the Arab Caliphate interact? Would the Khazar nation survive and if so, would Zionism still exist (that is would the Jews still migrate to Palestine)? How would a major Islamic power in Europe's backyard affect the West? What would be the affect on Genghis Khan centuries later? For ease of use, OTL events will be in boldface.
552 C.E.- Gokturk Empire, a confederation of nomadic Turkic tribes forms. This empire develops after the fallen Hsiungnu/Hun empire. By this time, the Roman Empire has fallen save for the Hellenic eastern portion based in Constantinople and Persia is under the Sassanid dynasty.
570-632 C.E.- Life of the prophet Muhammad.
7th Century C.E.- Khazar tribes confederate under Ashina clan.
670-950 C.E.- Khazars convert to Judaism, as by 830 it was the established state religion.
734-744 C.E.- Gokturk Empire declines
750 C.E.- By now, Islam has spread from Morroco and Iberia in the West to Afghanistan in the East. Muslim influence has been exerted over Persia for a century and the Zoroastrian Sassanid dynasty has long since fallen.
9th Century C.E.- Oghuz Turks migrate en masse from the steppes east of the Caspian Sea into the Iranian plataeu.
819 C.E.- Eastern Persia falls under Samanid rule.
882 C.E.- Following the reign of Rurik of Novgorod, the Khazar town of Kiev becomes a Varangian possession under Oleg.
913 C.E.- Western Persia falls under Buwayhid rule.
950 C.E.- Kynyk Seljuk, a former officer in the Khazar army of Oghuz descent, took the lead of the Oghuz diaspora, where they coalesced near the city of Jend (Khujand) and converted to Islam.
955 C.E.- Buwayhids conquer all of Persia as far East as the Hindu Kush (in modern Pakistan, OTL). Samanid dynasty is ousted from power.
961 C.E.- Buwayhid shahs sign peace treaty with Byzantines so as to concentrate on Turkish threat.
969 C.E.- The Persians force Oghuz armies out of Mesopotamia, Iran, and Afghanistan. Turks form exodus back into Khazaria.
972 C.E.- Bey Seljuk leads his army southward towards Caucasus. Byzantines mobilize army.
977 C.E.- Byzantine army, in its struggle against Turkish forces in Armenia, calls upon Persia for an alliance.
980 C.E.- Vladimir is crowned Prince of Kiev.
981 C.E.- Seljuk armies withdraw from Caucasus region.
985 C.E.- Bey Seljuk orders a seige of Kiev. Within weeks Kiev is sacked. The Seljuks execute Prince Vladimir and his supporters. Kynyk Seljuk declares himself Sultan of Kiev and makes Islam the state religion of the Seljuk Kingdom of Kiev.
989 C.E.- The Seljuk Army comes to the aid of the fledgling Khazar survivors, now stateless, and drive the Kievan Rus out of Khazaria. The cities of Sarkel, Tamatarkha, and Atil are given back to the Khazars as well as much of the former Khazar Empire on the Volga-Don and the lands between the Sea of Azov, the Caspian Sea south to the Caucasus mountains. Khazaria is named a satellite state of the Seljuk Empire. The Seljuks accept the Khazars who being Jewish, are tolerated by the Muslim Oghuz Turks as "People of the Book" but are required to pay a tribute to the Sultan of Kiev.
995 C.E.- By now, the Turks have conquered the enitre Crimean Penninsula and northern shore of the Black Sea as well as much of the Ukraine and southern European Russia (OTL). Any descendents of the Kievan Rus who have not been killed or assimilated fled northward and to the west, towards the Baltic Sea.
1005 C.E.- As Turkish forces dominate what would become OTL Russia, The remaining Oghuz populations emigrate from Armenia, Syria, Mesopotamia, Iran, and Afghanistan into the Kievan Seljuk Empire. The Turkish population soars due to immigration and prosperity.
1016 C.E.- Togrul, successor to Kynyk, takes the throne.
1017 C.E.- Under Togrul, Khazaria, now a weak state under a Khazar puppet king of the Seljuks, is fully annexed as part of the Seljuk Empire and the Khazars recieved all the rights and benefits of citizens of the Empire.
1024 C.E.- Togrul wages a campaign to seize Novgorod. The war lasts for nine years until finally, the Varangians, exhausted, lose the city to the Turks.
1038 C.E.- By now, the Turkish Empire has doubled in size, reaching as far east as the Urals, as far west as a small strip of land on the Baltic Sea, and as far north as Ladoga. To the Southeast lie allied Turkic kingdoms, and the rival Persian Empire. By now, the Bulgars, being ethnically and culturally Turkicized largely due to the custom of intermarriage between Bulgars and Oghuz, have been all but completely assimilated. Many of the Viking and Finnic-Magyar peoples in the northern provinces have converted to Islam.
1044 C.E.- A Turkish conquest was attempted along the Baltic Coast (OTL Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland) but was repelled by Teutonic armies.
1050 C.E.- A more successful campaign was launched further south, capturing territory belonging to OTL Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria.
1056 C.E.- The Turkish advance is stopped by Byzantine forces south of the Danube River.
1058 C.E.- Togrul's nephew Suleiman, provincial ruler of Novgorod builds up a janissary army consisting of Norse warriors.
1060 C.E.- Togrul leaves the throne to Alp Arsalan.
1061 C.E.- Suleiman, angry at not recieving the throne in Kiev declared himself Sultan of Novgorod and demands to secede from Kiev. Alp Arsalan, now the ruler in Kiev challenges Suleiman. The two lead rival janissary armies into battle.
1064 C.E.- Alp Arsalan wins the Turkish civil war, but not being a sore winner, strikes a deal with Suleiman, who is promoted to top military advisor of the Sultan. Alp Arsalan considers moving the capital northward, to a more central location in the growing nation of Seljuq Turkiye (no longer Seljuk Kiev, Oghuz Kiev, or Turkish Kiev).
Mid 11th Century C.E.- Fearing Turkish aggression in Eastern Europe, the Byzantine Empire forged alliances with the Franco-Teutonic Kingdoms.
Feel free to modify or add to my Timeline! For instance, I am open to suggestions for improvement, such as how to make the timeline more historically accurate or otherwise more plausible. Feel free to point out errors. How would a "Turkish Russia" (as opposed to a Slavic one) affect the course of history? How would the Black Plague affect Turkish Russia? Would the Crusades ever happen? How long would the Byzantine Empire last? Would Ellas be a Mediterranean power or perhaps a European power? Would they be a world power? How would Genghis Khan's exploits turn out? How would a Muslim Empire affect European civilization? It would certainly be interesting to see how famous historical figures such as Charlemaigne, Barbarossa, Saladin, and Genghis Khan would interact.
My predictions:
* The Byzantine Empire would presumably last somewhat longer. (In actual history it lasted into the thirteenth century!) Would it last until the 19th century? Doubtful. Eventually the territory would be reduced to various ethnic republic (the Republic of Ellas for instance), with Cyprus and the Hellenic-dominated lands of Anatolia included, thus significantly larger than OTL modern Greece, though the capital probably would be moved from Byzantium/Constantinople, (never Istanbul) to Athena.
* Armenia would be much larger, consisting of much of the Caucasus region and eastern regions of penninsular Asia Minor. The Kurds presumably would also have a significant state.
* The Islamic faith would be even more prominent, encompassing Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Siberia, and possibly Mongolia. For instance, even after the dissolution of the Empire of the Great Khan, the Mongolians would convert to Islam in large numbers. How far Islam spreads in Europe would depend on how aggressively the Turks evangelize.
* Jewish peoples would still be scattered throughout Europe, but not as many in the Christian parts of Eastern Europe (Poland, Chechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, the Baltic States, etc.) as in OTL, as many Jews fled czarist oppression in Russia-Ukraine. There may in fact be a greater culture gap between Western and Eastern Ashkenazim (differences between Germanic and Slavic Jews in OTL). Would Zionism ever attain significance in this timeline?
* The schisms associated with the Protestant Reformation might never occur. Perhaps the East-West split spawning Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy would be mended with the two churches reconciled into one. Should a successful Protestant Reformation occur, the divisiveness would only help the expansion of Islam.
* In lieu of the Crusades, similar battles would occur as Byzantines, Saracens, Persians, and French compete for control of Palestine and Lebanon. It is not as likely to be a simple two-sided Christians v. Muslims affair as many European powers would probably challenge eachother.
* Ellas would at the very least, be a great Mediterranean power, competing with Italy, France, and Spain over the Mediterranean and with Persia over the Middle East or Silk Road. Whether Hellenic colonies are established on distant continents competing with British and French ones is another question. Of course the butterflies emerging from this timeline (an enormous change centuries ago) might have all sorts of unforseen effects on Western Europe and the balance of power. For instance, consider the effects on the Viking and Holy Roman Empires and their subsequent impacts on French and British history.
* Turkish caviar would still be Turkish caviar (the Turks would still dominate a shore of the Black Sea) and Turkish baths would still be Turkish baths, though people would STILL confuse them with Finnish baths (saunas). Loukoumia, however, would be known by their Hellenic name rather than "Turkish delights". Likewise, many foods associated with the Eastern Mediterranean will be associated with their Iranian, Hellenic, and Arab producers. I.e. shish kebab would be known as souvlaki or al-kebab. The Turks would have to invent their own cuisine, but then the Hellenes might be without youghurt and therefore dzadziki.
* Much as OTL Constantinople was renamed "Istanbul" a Turkish rendering of the Greek for "In the city" Novgorod, Kiev, or perhaps the future site of Moscow might be a Turkish rendering of the same phrase in Russian, example: "Vugarad"
So discuss my timeline and anticipations, predictions! In the meantime, I plan on extending it and even creating a map.
552 C.E.- Gokturk Empire, a confederation of nomadic Turkic tribes forms. This empire develops after the fallen Hsiungnu/Hun empire. By this time, the Roman Empire has fallen save for the Hellenic eastern portion based in Constantinople and Persia is under the Sassanid dynasty.
570-632 C.E.- Life of the prophet Muhammad.
7th Century C.E.- Khazar tribes confederate under Ashina clan.
670-950 C.E.- Khazars convert to Judaism, as by 830 it was the established state religion.
734-744 C.E.- Gokturk Empire declines
750 C.E.- By now, Islam has spread from Morroco and Iberia in the West to Afghanistan in the East. Muslim influence has been exerted over Persia for a century and the Zoroastrian Sassanid dynasty has long since fallen.
9th Century C.E.- Oghuz Turks migrate en masse from the steppes east of the Caspian Sea into the Iranian plataeu.
819 C.E.- Eastern Persia falls under Samanid rule.
882 C.E.- Following the reign of Rurik of Novgorod, the Khazar town of Kiev becomes a Varangian possession under Oleg.
913 C.E.- Western Persia falls under Buwayhid rule.
950 C.E.- Kynyk Seljuk, a former officer in the Khazar army of Oghuz descent, took the lead of the Oghuz diaspora, where they coalesced near the city of Jend (Khujand) and converted to Islam.
955 C.E.- Buwayhids conquer all of Persia as far East as the Hindu Kush (in modern Pakistan, OTL). Samanid dynasty is ousted from power.
961 C.E.- Buwayhid shahs sign peace treaty with Byzantines so as to concentrate on Turkish threat.
969 C.E.- The Persians force Oghuz armies out of Mesopotamia, Iran, and Afghanistan. Turks form exodus back into Khazaria.
972 C.E.- Bey Seljuk leads his army southward towards Caucasus. Byzantines mobilize army.
977 C.E.- Byzantine army, in its struggle against Turkish forces in Armenia, calls upon Persia for an alliance.
980 C.E.- Vladimir is crowned Prince of Kiev.
981 C.E.- Seljuk armies withdraw from Caucasus region.
985 C.E.- Bey Seljuk orders a seige of Kiev. Within weeks Kiev is sacked. The Seljuks execute Prince Vladimir and his supporters. Kynyk Seljuk declares himself Sultan of Kiev and makes Islam the state religion of the Seljuk Kingdom of Kiev.
989 C.E.- The Seljuk Army comes to the aid of the fledgling Khazar survivors, now stateless, and drive the Kievan Rus out of Khazaria. The cities of Sarkel, Tamatarkha, and Atil are given back to the Khazars as well as much of the former Khazar Empire on the Volga-Don and the lands between the Sea of Azov, the Caspian Sea south to the Caucasus mountains. Khazaria is named a satellite state of the Seljuk Empire. The Seljuks accept the Khazars who being Jewish, are tolerated by the Muslim Oghuz Turks as "People of the Book" but are required to pay a tribute to the Sultan of Kiev.
995 C.E.- By now, the Turks have conquered the enitre Crimean Penninsula and northern shore of the Black Sea as well as much of the Ukraine and southern European Russia (OTL). Any descendents of the Kievan Rus who have not been killed or assimilated fled northward and to the west, towards the Baltic Sea.
1005 C.E.- As Turkish forces dominate what would become OTL Russia, The remaining Oghuz populations emigrate from Armenia, Syria, Mesopotamia, Iran, and Afghanistan into the Kievan Seljuk Empire. The Turkish population soars due to immigration and prosperity.
1016 C.E.- Togrul, successor to Kynyk, takes the throne.
1017 C.E.- Under Togrul, Khazaria, now a weak state under a Khazar puppet king of the Seljuks, is fully annexed as part of the Seljuk Empire and the Khazars recieved all the rights and benefits of citizens of the Empire.
1024 C.E.- Togrul wages a campaign to seize Novgorod. The war lasts for nine years until finally, the Varangians, exhausted, lose the city to the Turks.
1038 C.E.- By now, the Turkish Empire has doubled in size, reaching as far east as the Urals, as far west as a small strip of land on the Baltic Sea, and as far north as Ladoga. To the Southeast lie allied Turkic kingdoms, and the rival Persian Empire. By now, the Bulgars, being ethnically and culturally Turkicized largely due to the custom of intermarriage between Bulgars and Oghuz, have been all but completely assimilated. Many of the Viking and Finnic-Magyar peoples in the northern provinces have converted to Islam.
1044 C.E.- A Turkish conquest was attempted along the Baltic Coast (OTL Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland) but was repelled by Teutonic armies.
1050 C.E.- A more successful campaign was launched further south, capturing territory belonging to OTL Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria.
1056 C.E.- The Turkish advance is stopped by Byzantine forces south of the Danube River.
1058 C.E.- Togrul's nephew Suleiman, provincial ruler of Novgorod builds up a janissary army consisting of Norse warriors.
1060 C.E.- Togrul leaves the throne to Alp Arsalan.
1061 C.E.- Suleiman, angry at not recieving the throne in Kiev declared himself Sultan of Novgorod and demands to secede from Kiev. Alp Arsalan, now the ruler in Kiev challenges Suleiman. The two lead rival janissary armies into battle.
1064 C.E.- Alp Arsalan wins the Turkish civil war, but not being a sore winner, strikes a deal with Suleiman, who is promoted to top military advisor of the Sultan. Alp Arsalan considers moving the capital northward, to a more central location in the growing nation of Seljuq Turkiye (no longer Seljuk Kiev, Oghuz Kiev, or Turkish Kiev).
Mid 11th Century C.E.- Fearing Turkish aggression in Eastern Europe, the Byzantine Empire forged alliances with the Franco-Teutonic Kingdoms.
Feel free to modify or add to my Timeline! For instance, I am open to suggestions for improvement, such as how to make the timeline more historically accurate or otherwise more plausible. Feel free to point out errors. How would a "Turkish Russia" (as opposed to a Slavic one) affect the course of history? How would the Black Plague affect Turkish Russia? Would the Crusades ever happen? How long would the Byzantine Empire last? Would Ellas be a Mediterranean power or perhaps a European power? Would they be a world power? How would Genghis Khan's exploits turn out? How would a Muslim Empire affect European civilization? It would certainly be interesting to see how famous historical figures such as Charlemaigne, Barbarossa, Saladin, and Genghis Khan would interact.
My predictions:
* The Byzantine Empire would presumably last somewhat longer. (In actual history it lasted into the thirteenth century!) Would it last until the 19th century? Doubtful. Eventually the territory would be reduced to various ethnic republic (the Republic of Ellas for instance), with Cyprus and the Hellenic-dominated lands of Anatolia included, thus significantly larger than OTL modern Greece, though the capital probably would be moved from Byzantium/Constantinople, (never Istanbul) to Athena.
* Armenia would be much larger, consisting of much of the Caucasus region and eastern regions of penninsular Asia Minor. The Kurds presumably would also have a significant state.
* The Islamic faith would be even more prominent, encompassing Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Siberia, and possibly Mongolia. For instance, even after the dissolution of the Empire of the Great Khan, the Mongolians would convert to Islam in large numbers. How far Islam spreads in Europe would depend on how aggressively the Turks evangelize.
* Jewish peoples would still be scattered throughout Europe, but not as many in the Christian parts of Eastern Europe (Poland, Chechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, the Baltic States, etc.) as in OTL, as many Jews fled czarist oppression in Russia-Ukraine. There may in fact be a greater culture gap between Western and Eastern Ashkenazim (differences between Germanic and Slavic Jews in OTL). Would Zionism ever attain significance in this timeline?
* The schisms associated with the Protestant Reformation might never occur. Perhaps the East-West split spawning Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy would be mended with the two churches reconciled into one. Should a successful Protestant Reformation occur, the divisiveness would only help the expansion of Islam.
* In lieu of the Crusades, similar battles would occur as Byzantines, Saracens, Persians, and French compete for control of Palestine and Lebanon. It is not as likely to be a simple two-sided Christians v. Muslims affair as many European powers would probably challenge eachother.
* Ellas would at the very least, be a great Mediterranean power, competing with Italy, France, and Spain over the Mediterranean and with Persia over the Middle East or Silk Road. Whether Hellenic colonies are established on distant continents competing with British and French ones is another question. Of course the butterflies emerging from this timeline (an enormous change centuries ago) might have all sorts of unforseen effects on Western Europe and the balance of power. For instance, consider the effects on the Viking and Holy Roman Empires and their subsequent impacts on French and British history.
* Turkish caviar would still be Turkish caviar (the Turks would still dominate a shore of the Black Sea) and Turkish baths would still be Turkish baths, though people would STILL confuse them with Finnish baths (saunas). Loukoumia, however, would be known by their Hellenic name rather than "Turkish delights". Likewise, many foods associated with the Eastern Mediterranean will be associated with their Iranian, Hellenic, and Arab producers. I.e. shish kebab would be known as souvlaki or al-kebab. The Turks would have to invent their own cuisine, but then the Hellenes might be without youghurt and therefore dzadziki.
* Much as OTL Constantinople was renamed "Istanbul" a Turkish rendering of the Greek for "In the city" Novgorod, Kiev, or perhaps the future site of Moscow might be a Turkish rendering of the same phrase in Russian, example: "Vugarad"
So discuss my timeline and anticipations, predictions! In the meantime, I plan on extending it and even creating a map.
