İstemi

İstemi, also spelled Istemi or Istämi, (flourished 6th century CE), was a Göktürk prince and younger brother of Bumin Qaghan, the founder of the First Turkic Khaganate. He played a crucial role in expanding the Turkic Khaganate westward.

Istemi was appointed as Yabgu, a title signifying a high-ranking viceroy or governor, ruling the western regions of the Khaganate, essentially operating as a subordinate ruler. His primary objective was to control the Silk Road trade routes and secure alliances in Central Asia. He successfully subjugated various Turkic and non-Turkic tribes in the region, extending the Khaganate's influence towards the borders of the Sasanian Empire.

Istemi's diplomacy was instrumental in forging an alliance with the Sasanian Empire against the Hephthalites, a powerful nomadic group that controlled much of Central Asia and posed a threat to both the Turks and the Persians. This alliance led to the defeat and subsequent partition of the Hephthalite territories, further solidifying the Turkic Khaganate's control over the Silk Road. After the defeat of the Hephthalites, tensions arose between the Turks and the Persians over control of trade routes and territories.

Istemi's reign marked a significant period of westward expansion and economic prosperity for the Turkic Khaganate. He is considered a key figure in the early history of the Turkic peoples and their rise to prominence in Central Asia. His descendants continued to rule in the western territories, eventually forming the Western Turkic Khaganate.