The role and importance of the Kansu region in pre-Islamic Turkish history

Gansu Province, located on the northwestern frontier of the Yellow River's inner basin—often regarded as the heartland of China—has historically served as a crucial crossroads between East Asia and Central Asia. Strategically positioned, it has functioned both as a gateway for China's westward expansion and as an entry point for western influences into China. Throughout history, Gansu has been the only region where the eastern and western branches of the Silk Road intersected. Chinese civilization evolved through continuous interaction with neighboring peoples, and as a result, later foreign groups did not perceive this blended culture as alien. The Yellow River basin emerged as a significant center for the fusion of diverse cultural influences. Archaeological evidence and Chinese historical records indicate the presence of a strong Turkic cultural layer in the Gansu region as early as the mid-3rd millennium B.C. The bearers of this culture are believed to be the ancestors of the later Turkic peoples. This study aims to trace the roots of Turkic civilization back to approximately 2500 B.C. through an analysis of archaeological findings and historical references to Turks in ancient Chinese sources. Keywords: Gansu, Migration, Turkic Migrations, Ancestors of the Huns, Jung and Ti Tribes