XVIIIth century : Ottoman tug image - wangrin

The tugh or tuman tugh, also spelled tuk or tuq (Mongolian: туг, tug), was a pole adorned with yak or horse tails, used as a standard or banner by various Central Asian and Turkic peoples.

Along with the flags, the Turkish tugh reached its final form in the fourteenth century. They represented authority, especially of the military. The declaration of war was manifested by setting the Sultan's tughs in front of their saray. On the march, they would be sent ahead to mark camp sites. In some engravings, seven tughs were planted in front of the Sultan's tent, five in front of the grand vizier's, and three marked the place of a pasha's tent. In battle they marked the place of leaders as a rallying point for dispersed soldiers.