The steppe and the stone: the international relations worldview in the Orkhon Inscriptions

Sarı, Buğra

This study examines the international relations worldview articulated in the Orkhon Inscriptions—8th-century stone monuments erected by the Türk Khaghanate in Central Asia. Far from being mere commemorative texts, the inscriptions present a complex political philosophy grounded in divine sanction, nomadic statecraft, and strategic realism. Drawing on scholarly translations of the Old Turkic text, the analysis interprets the inscriptions strictly on their own terms and situates them within the broader field of International Relations (IR) theory. Through comparative engagement with Realism, Liberalism and Constructivism, the study reveals both convergences and disjunctions between Turkic thought and mainstream IR paradigms. The inscriptions depict a worldview that is Realist in its emphasis...