The Chigil (Chihil, Cihil, or Chiyal) were a Turkic tribe known from the 7th century CE as living around Issyk Kul lake area.
However, citing Gabain's 1931 and 1934 researches, Zuev cautions that neither Turkic-Buddhist texts, nor the Turkic-Manichaean literature and other sources containing information about Turkic Manichaeism, give a genealogical meaning in reference to the invocation of the Sun and Moon (Turk.
[7] On the other hand, Alyılmaz (2017) etymologized Čigil as from plural and generalization suffix -GIl affixed onto tribal name Çik (OTrk.
𐰲𐰃𐰚:𐰉𐰆𐰑𐰣 Çik bodun),[8] a people mentioned in Tang Huiyao as 赤 (MC: *t͡ɕʰiᴇk̚)[9][10] and, in Bilge Qaghan inscription, as allies of the Yenisei Kyrgyz and enemies of Latter Göktürks.
[11] Both the Chiks and the Shatuo are mentioned together, apparently as two distinct groups, in the same Tanghuiyao chapter,[12] However, Atwood (2010), in light of researches by Tenishev (1965) & Saguchi (1986), doubted the common scholarly identification of Chigils with Chuyue, from whom emerged the Shatuo[13] as Chuyue is phonetically closer to Chunghyl, the name of a "bone" among the Yugurs in modern Gansu province.
Jumul جمل), H. W. Bailey derived it from Iranic *čamṛta < čam- "to stride out like a warrior", thus "warrior striders"[15] Hamilton (1962) and Zuev (2002) saw the first reference to the Chigil as 職乙 (Zhiyi), whose Middle Chinese pronunciation was reconstructed by Zuev as tšįək-iət, as a Tiele tribe mentioned in Book of Sui, compiled by Wei Zheng.
[19][20] An 11th-century story by Mahmud Kashgari proposed a folk etymology of Chigil, which he dated back to the time of the Zu-l-Karnein ("the "Bihorn", i.e. Alexander the Great) 4th century BCE: When the armies of Zu-l-Karnein reached Talas in the Manichean country Argu, a heavy rainstorm formed thick mud.
[26] Keyong's son Li Cunxu would found of the Later Tang dynasty (923–936) in Northern China, elevating the Shatuo to a regnal clan.
the Gagauzes, a distinct Pontic Turkic tribe known for their steadfast adherence to Greek Orthodox Christianity, have a folk legend associating their descent from the Chigils.
An Arab writer named Abū Dulaf reported to have found only a few Christians among the Chigil, while most worshipped "the stars", in particular Sirius.
The building found by the archaeologists, without traces of economic activities, served as a chapel of the inhabitants depicted in long robes: the Chigils, whose symbol was a lion (Turk.
[47] The connection between Talas, Manichaeism and the Lion is recorded in the Turco-Manichean "Sacred book of two fundamentals" (Iki jïltïz nom), fragments of which were found in 1907 at Kara-Khoja in the Turpan oasis by Albert von Le Coq.
The book was dedicated to the ruler (Beg) of the Chigil-Arslan tribes, named Il-Tirgüg, Ap-Burguchan, Alp-Tarhan [Henning, 1977, p. 552].
[49] In the middle of the 7th century, Chigils, Chumuls and Karluks were united by the Western Turkic yabgu Ashina Helu in his anti-Tang uprising.