Our Turkic Connection Godot

I have no ego issues. You consider this article to be of a poor quality. That is fine with me.

Having said that, I think you are boxed into some kind of a perception that `quality` only means dry, boring and legalese form of communication. Yes. Statistical Summeries, formal research papers, economic surveys, reports of commisions, text books or even editorials are expected to be in that form.

But a general writing on an opinion or an idea is pretty much free from any such encumberances. This kind of general human interest subjects, I think, are best conveyed in simple, direct and conversational style. Preferably, in first person.

This article was not meant to be Chapter from History Book. For that, history books are available. This was more of a re-hashing, gleaning and analysis of history to highlight a certain specific aspect. It was certainly not stolen as you allege. In fact, in my decades of reading news papers and magazines, I have not come across any writing which has specifically dealt with this topic. There could be some but I do not know.

Despite my checking and re-checking, I did end up making two historical errors. However, what I wanted to convey, Right or Wrong, that it was mainly `the Turkic people who brought the religious & cultural influences to South Asia and not the so-called Persians, Afghans or the Arabs` was conveyed logically to some degree.

The last para was out of context but I let it go as my favourite theme.

I am not emotionally wedded to any identity - be it ethnic, relgious, national or linguistic. For me, every human being is the same. But I am curious and interested in how these identities inter-play with each other and affect our lives.

nhk

Our Turkic Connection Tehmed # 32

(even if he has not taken the trouble to put the jumble of facts in some proper structure)

The boring history had to be simplified and put shockingly to keep the reader awake. It was not intended to be a lullaby for my English Professor. If it was easily comprehendible, the purpose was achieved. Obviously, I did not create the dates and the available historical facts. I only put them in a sequence and order that best served my intended intention.

The contents had to be strictly relevant to the topic. The Turks covered a vast area and for very a long time. I did not talk about the Azarbaijanis, Georgians or even the Ottomans etc in any detail.

The tone of Godot is something that one should be willing to expect. This is a price one has has to pay for taking the `punga` of writing. I did not respond to him usefully because he seemed to be too worked up.

His observation was that the Turks identity did not come up until 5 AD and I was talking about 400 BC. My article actually talks about the first Turkic political entity in 6 AD. He apprently did not carefully read the article. And has not read the subject as a whole. There were two other genuine errors as well which he did not point out. We are talking here about a 3000 year period and the general flow of the events. Give and take a 100 years - some of which are no more than good guestimations in any case.

Why was I talking about the Turkic people in 400 BC? The Turkic people did exist in those times. And when there are no computers and cell phones but plenty of grass in the Steppes, they did what all did in those times - raise sheep & cattle.

For the present, I have had a enough of Turks. Maybe next time I should pick on my trip to Kathmandu or Buddhism, another topic that interests me. Or the village, where I will be again forced to mention the ethnic environment, still vary much a part of our rural illetrate set up.

Let us enjoy life.

nhk

Our Turkic Connection Thanks everybody. Much obliged for your interest.

This article was not in the context of India or Pakistan. In fact, even their names did not exist during these times. It only tried to view the Central Asian & South Asian linkage from a different perspective. (from ethnic and not the usual religious angle)

Ejaz Gul

You are back from the desert trip. Write about that desert wilderness.

Dehliwallah

Yes. I was IFR Rated. Flew in Airline. Bur presently, I am an office Jockey issuing Licences to Pilots & other Aviation Personnel.

nhk

Our Turkic Connection Thanks everybody. Much obliged for your interest.

This article was not in the context of India or Pakistan. In fact, even their names did not exist during these times. It only tried to view the Central Asian & South Asian linkage from a different perspective. (from ethnic and not the usual religious angle)

Ejaz Gul

You are back from the desert trip. Write about that desert wilderness.

Dehliwallah

Yes. I was IFR Rated. Flew in Airline. Bur presently, I am an office Jockey issuing Licences to Pilots & other Aviation Personnel.

nhk

Our Turkic Connection Godot # 42

You are welcome to disagree.

nhk

Our Turkic Connection rsridher # 40

No one is being glorified or de-glorified. Every dog has his day. This Turlic phenoomenon of history can not be wished away just because they rubbed us the wrong way some time back. We were not their only victims.

It is better to understand it and reconcile with it. And if possible, expolit it to our advantage. They did manage to uproot and change the world the way it was.

No wonder France is so finicky in getting Turkey into EU.

nhk

Our Turkic Connection Terranova # 22

Most Pakistanis think that the Turks originated from Turkey. And their knowledge about Turks revolves around the Khilafat episode.

Not many are aware that people in Eastern China (Uighers) speak Turkish. In 70s, when I went to China - Shinjan province, a few of my friends who had been on an exchange posting to Turkey could speak in Turkish with the locals much to the consternation of our interpretr who spoke in Urdu. The Chinese preferred that the interpretor `filter` remains in communication.

I think since the last two decades, the Arabs have begun to figure a bit too much in our outside relationships.

Urdu is a Turkish word meaning Laskhar (Fauj) - I think!

nhk

Our Turkic Connection Antihypochrist, Kamath, Rozaiba, Manto

Thanks. In the search to get answers to my own inner questions, I not only end up learning a bit more but get a few surprises also.

nhk

Our Turkic Connection Dost & Temp

Thanks. This topic was really a `shaitan ki Aant`. These Turks had their finger in the pie for a 1000 years from Europe to Anatolia to Middle East to Iran to India to Afghanistan and Pakistan. Even Russia and China were involved.

So one had to browse through all those histories and mercilessly throw away which was not strictly relevant to the topic.

nhk

Our Turkic Connection aquaris#14

my email is nazarhayatkhan@yahoo.com

nhk

Our Turkic Connection Alley # 6

(What do you mean by `accept our ownership of the Indus Valley, Vedic and Gandhara civilizations`)

Yes. I meant it in the history books & take a pride in it as well.

After all, the Egyptians are making billions out of Pyramids.

nhk

Our Turkic Connection Malik # 99

Yes. You are right. My mistake. I corrected it in # 4.

nhk

Our Turkic Connection Rahulmal # 3

Thanks for the corrections.

I went to Tashkant and the architecture and gardens that I saw there were a photocopy of the achitecture and gardens we see around Lahore.

There were also some other surprises which I encounterd while studying this subject to satisfy my personal curiosity.

Another correction. In the second para, it is Western Mongolia and Western China.

nhk

My Harvard Reunion Servjit

Harvard is in a different leauge.

But I agree that most US universities are just money making machines. Producing mechanical robots and not scholars. Also giving the Eastern students a psychological punishment of lonliness.

European (including Eastern Europe) & Russian Universities still retain a cultural flavour, have a much longer history, are much cheaper and do tend to produce thinking scholers.

But this `sheep mentality` gets everyone to US - just like every one jumped into IT as if there was no other subject to study.

nhk

My Fascination With The Bottle Khamkhwa

(I wish I was in Pakistan at that moment where I could stop the car right on the pavement of the highway and relieve my self to my bowel’s content and the cops would have understood my situation)

I am reminded of a joke here. An expat who landed at Karachi was being driven to the home by friend. He had a strong urge to pee.

He asked his friend to stop the car to relieve himself at the roadside.

As he was was getting out, he asked his friend ``Does anyone catch here?` (Athey koi pakarda ta naeen?)

His friend answered, ``No. Here you have to catch it yourself`` (Athey aap he pakarna painda aey)

nhk

Enigma of the Defence Budget Sherry

When next time PPP comes to power, reduce the regular recruitment in the Army by 10%. Also reduce the Army budget by 10%.

If the Army Chief does some `choon charaan`, fire him. At that time, do not compromise just to keep the `throne`. Appoint the next senior most as Army Chief and not your `favourite`.

It is pointless writing these articles & TV discussions. 50% of blame rests with the spineless and principle-less politicians. Even now, 50% of the paliament (politicians) is with military Government.

nhk