Flags of Turkestan

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History of the Turkestani flag

The origins of the national flag of Turkestan are during the Basmachi Revolt against Russian rule.

During this period, a number of different flags and banners were in use by different factions and revolutionary groups. Notable among these were the flags of the various native Turkestani polities: the Emirate of Buxara, the Xanates of Xiva and Qoqand, and the three Qazaq Xanates. Also noteworthy were the flags of the forces loyal to the Metropolitan of Samarqand and the Naqshbandi militias.

As the idea of a common Turkestani identity began to take root, various new flags were created. Many of these used the pan-Central Asian colours of sky blue and white, and often incorporated religious or pan-Turkic symbols: the cross of the Assyrian Church, the crescent of Islam, the winged sun of Zoroastrianism and the pan-Turkic wolf. Tajik banners, on the other hand, often incorporated Persian colours - gold, red or purple.

The lack of a common flag or emblem for Turkestan as a state was addressed by Ibrahim Enver on his arrival in the steppe. The issue, connected as it was to the desire of the rebels to be taken seriously by the outside world, catalysed the genesis of the Turkestani flag we know today.

After several false starts, the now-familiar "sun in sky" design was agreed upon, with the sun in gold, from the various Tajik flags, and the field the ubiquitous pan-Turkic blue. As a symbol, it stands for the one sun that shines alike on all of the different ethnic and religious groups of the country. The blue of the sky is also a colour used by nomads to represent freedom and the nomadic way of life, while the gold is the colour of ripe wheat, and thus has Sart or Tajik associations.

In the Snorist period from 1948-1990, the sun emblem was defaced by the Golden Eagle emblem of the Government of National Unity.

National Flags

Turkestan flag.PNG SNORist Turkestan Eagle.PNG Turkestan flag.PNG
State of Turkestan 1922-1948 National Union of Turkestan 1948-1990 State of Turkestan 1990-Present

Maritime & Military Flags

The jack and naval ensign typically used by other nations to denote their navies are a relatively recent addition to the set of Turkestani state flags, and only tend to get used in trans-Mazandaran deployments beyond the Caspian Sea. In the Turkestani military tradition, the "Battle Flag" used by all three branches of the service is flown on Turkestani naval vessels. It is normally flown from the masthead.

TKNJack.PNG Turkestan Merchant Marine.PNG Turkestan Naval Ensign.PNG
Jack of Turkestan Merchant ensign of Turkestan Naval ensign of Turkestan
Turkestan Battle Flag.PNG Turkestan Air Force Roundel.PNG Turkestan Guards Roundel.PNG
Military "Battle Flag" of Turkestan Aviation roundel - Air Force Aviation roundel - Guards

Governmental Flags

Ilxan Flag.PNG
Flag of the Ilxan of Turkestan

Provincial Flags

Uzbekistan.PNG South Qazaqstan.PNG Turcomanistan.PNG
Uzbekistan Qazaqstan Turcomanistan
Tajikistan.PNG Kirgizstan.PNG Qaraqalpagistan.PNG
Tajikistan Kirgizstan Qaraqalpagistan

Historical Flags

Flags of Turkestani Xanates

Buxara Emirate.PNG - Qoqand Xanate.PNG
Emirate of Buxara Xanate of Xiva Xanate of Qoqand
Great Horde.PNG - -
Xanate of the Qazaq Great Horde Xanate of the Qazaq Middle Horde Xanate of the Qazaq Little Horde

Flags of various Basmachi groups

Turkestan Wolf Flag.PNG Turkestan flag.gif Socialist Turkestan.PNG
Pan-Turkist flag Islamic flag Federation of Workers' Soviets of Turkestan
Naqshbandi.PNG MetrSamarqand.PNG Tajik Basmachi.PNG
Naqshbandi Metropolitan of Samarqand's forces Tajik rebel flag


Flags of Minority Groups

Many of the ethnic minority groups in Turkestan use flags as identifying symbols. Some of these are foreign national flags (the Uygurs, Mongolians and Tocharians) or pseudo-national flags (the Lulat and Assyrians), but many others are specific designs or national flag variants used by the different minorities.

RussianTKN.PNG Uyguristan 1.PNG OsmanTKN.PNG
Council of Russian Turkestanis Uygurs of Turkestan Turkish-Turkestani Friendship Association
KalmykTKN.PNG Assyrian Nation.PNG Tsigani.PNG
Kalmyks of Turkestan Ethnic Assyrians Central Asian Gypsies
Tibet flag.gif HanTKN.PNG PersianTKN.PNG
Tibetan Government-in-exile Han Chinese of Turkestan Association of Persian-Turkestani Cooperation
TocharstanWOD.gif AzeriTKN.PNG Mongolia flag.gif
Tocharian minority Azeri minority of Turkestan Mongolian minority