Ancient Turkic Battle Banner "Urungu"

Research Article -  Published online first 01.02.2026.

Abstract

This article explores the ancient Turkic banner «urungu» («khorugv» or «gonfalon» type of banner) as a distinct form of military insignia among Turkic-Mongol peoples. On this type of military banner, the fly is attached to a horizontal crossbar, which hangs from the flagshaft. Depictions of such banners are often found on ancient Turkic monuments of art. The features of this type of military attribute in ancient Turkic culture have not yet been comprehensively examined in academic research, making this topic particularly relevant for the study of military insignia among medieval nomads. This study aims to investigate the use of this form of military banner during the ancient Turkic period. The subject of the research is the specific types and structural features of the urungu standard. Unfortunately, no physical examples of urungu banners from the ancient Turkic period have survived. Written sources on this type of military insignia among the Turks are also very limited. Therefore, the primary sources for this study are visual materials – foremost among them, artistic monuments created by the Turks and other Turkic-speaking tribes, as well as images of similar battle and religious banners from other Eastern and Western cultures. These include rock carvings, wall graffiti, images on numismatic and heraldic materials, as well as mural paintings of various kinds. Additional sources included written accounts, archaeological evidence, and material artifacts. The study also draws on previous research and publications related to petroglyphs of medieval nomads, which depict this type of banner. To determine the function, specific forms, and methods of use of this symbolic object, comparative data from analogous military insignia of other peoples were also employed. The research applies both general scientific and specialized methods from the fields of history and art history. Through comparison and correlation with similar materials and sources, the study identifies shared features, distinctive traits, and unique aspects of this particular form of ancient Turkic military insignia. The classification of urungu images into distinct types based on visual similarity follows a typological methodology. As a result of this comprehensive analysis, the study reconstructs various forms and types of this nomadic military symbol, examines their geographic distribution, and traces the history of their application. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the system of military symbolism among nomads and shed light on the functional specifics of these banners.