The impact of the Late Antique Little Ice Age (535-700 AD) on the Türk Khaganate

Throughout history, climate changes and climate crises have affected human societies. The Late Antique Little Ice Age, which is accepted to have started with sudden climate crises caused by volcanic eruptions, is a period of global cooling that is considered the leading cause behind many political and social crises experienced in various parts of the world in the sixth and seventh centuries. Considering the geographical fragility of the Inner Asian steppes, especially the Mongolian plateau, the livestock-based economies and federative structures of the nomadic states established in this region, it is understood that the climate crises have adverse effects on the nomadic communities. The climate crises, which are also confirmed by the statements in the Chinese sources, had crucial impacts on the political history of the Türk Khaganate. Of the four separate (536-545, 581-583, 627-630, 679-685) crises that were determined to have occurred, the first one facilitated the collapse of the Rouran Khanate and the foundation of the Türk Khanate, the second crisis led to the outbreak of the Türk Civil War, and the third crisis accelerated the collapse of the Eastern Türk Khanate, and the fourth crisis facilitated the re-establishment of the fourth Türk Khaganate under the leadership of Kutluk.