Abstract

The term of Tαυyάστ was found first in the History of Theophylact Simocatta, the Byzantine historian. Phonetically, it was derived from Ta-han, i.e. the Great Han, an appellation for the two Han Dynasties by the Huns and other nomadic peoples. With the rise of the Turks in Central Asia and its frequent diplomatic exchanges with the Byzantine empire in the last half of the 6th century, this term was acquainted with and written down by the Byzantine historian. This term, commonly used as a name, was accepted by the various ethnic groups during its westward spread to Central Asia and West Asia, referring to China, and to those ethnic groups themselves with a derivative meaning in many cases