ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Turkic expansion

Long long time ago, many many years ago, there were some people called the Turks. They lived in a place called Central Asia where there were lots of big, wide grassy lands called steppes. The Turks were very good at riding horses and they used to roam around these steppes, looking for food and water for their horses.

One day, the Turks decided they wanted to explore new lands, so they started to move westward towards Europe and eastward towards China. As they were moving, they met many different kinds of people, some of whom were their friends and some of whom were their enemies. They also developed new languages and cultures along the way.

The Turkic expansion was a period of time when the Turks moved from Central Asia to other parts of the world. They were like a big wave that swept over the lands they passed through. As they went, they conquered lands and people, and sometimes they formed empires that lasted for many years. One of the most famous empires they created was the Ottoman Empire, which lasted for over 600 years.

The Turkic expansion was also a time when the Turks spread their language and culture to many different parts of the world. Today, there are many people who speak Turkic languages, such as Turkish, Azerbaijani, Uzbek, and Kazakh.

So, in short, the Turkic expansion was a time when the Turks moved from Central Asia to other parts of the world, conquering lands and forming empires, and spreading their language and culture along the way.