Lesson plan
Kudarkin
Kudarkin was the title of a high-ranking official among the Oghuz Turks. The title is reported by ibn Fadlan, who passed through Oghuz territory in the early 920s CE. Ibn Fadlan described the Kudarkin as the deputy of the Oghuz yabghu or khan; the position may have been analogous to the Khagan Bek of the Khazars. The Kudarkin's authority was not universally recognized among the Oghuz. When ibn Fadlan was waylaid by an Oghuz tribesman, the Arab emissary attempted to convince tribesman to let him pass by claiming to be a friend of the Kudarkin but was told by the man "I shit on the Kudarkin's beard." Krachkovsky conjectured that the title should actually be read "Kudar-Khan".
Article summary
Kudarkin was the title of a high-ranking official among the Oghuz Turks. The title is reported by ibn Fadlan, who passed through Oghuz territory in the early 920s CE. Ibn Fadlan described the Kudarkin as the deputy of the Oghuz yabghu or khan; the position may have been analogous to the Khagan Bek of the Khazars. The Kudarkin's authority was not universally recognized among the Oghuz. When ibn Fadlan was waylaid by an Oghuz tribesman, the Arab emissary attempted to convince tribesman to let him pass by claiming to be a friend of the Kudarkin but was told by the man "I shit on the Kudarkin's beard." Krachkovsky conjectured that the title should actually be read "Kudar-Khan".
Key claims
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.