The Kimek formed a large union of tribes north of the Qarluq and Yaghma lands. Their name does not occur in the Göktürk or Uyghur inscriptions.[1] Gardizi’s origin story makes them Tatar in descent. It lists seven tribal groupings, among them the Imek, the Tatars and the Kipchak.[1] Some scholars derive the name from a Proto-Mongolian people of the Xianbei line. The change from Quomag to Kimek, however, is not explained.[1] Al-Masudi writes of a “Kimek Yugur” on the Black and White Irtysh. This may mean Uyghurs who found refuge with the Kimek.[2] The Kimek union grew into a state, the Kimek Khaganate. The Kipchak replaced the Kimek as its leading element.[3]
References
Sources
Literature
- Peter B. Golden, An Introduction to the History of the Turkic Peoples (1992)
What links here6
- Institutions and Titles
- Furs and Musk among the Turkic Peoples · Salt among the Turkic Peoples · The Economy of the Steppe Empires · Tutuk
Cite this article
Yavuz, Emre-E. “Kimek.” Turkic Atlas, revised 8 November 2026. https://turkicatlas.org/ethnicities/kimek/
Last revised: 8 November 2026
