The Ülüş system was the administrative system of the historical Turkic and Mongolic states. The noun Üleş in Turkish means "share" and the verb "üleş-mek" means to share.[1][2]
According to historian Halil İnalcık, the sovereignty didn't belong solely to the khagan (emperor), but to the members of the khagan's family.[3] Thus the khagan allocated each member of the family a share of the country. This share was called ülüş. According to Kürşat Kocak however, the ülüş practice included also high level state officials.[4] This resembles the fief system in Medieval Europe. It is stressed by Lev Gumilyov that it was not a European type feudalism.[5]According to Lev Gümiloy the system was developed by the Southern Xiongnu during the second century AD.[5] It was used by the First Turkic Khaganate, Uyghur Khaganate, Mongol Empire and other political powers of Central Asia.
In the First Turkic Khaganate (551-581) during the reign of Taspar Qaghan in 576, there were 8 üleşes (see Göktürk family tree).[5]
First Turkic Khaganate (552–581) | |
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Eastern Turkic Khaganate (581–630) |
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Western Turkic Khaganate (581–657) | |
Second Turkic Khaganate (682–744) | |
Western Turks under Jimi system | |
Göktürk culture | |
Göktürk wars and battles | |
Titles | |
Family |