The earliest surviving Turkic texts have been found near the Orkhon River in present-day Mongolia. These Orkhon inscriptions were carved on stone pillars and written in honor of two Kok Turk princes Kul Tegin and Bilge Khagan. They describe the origins of Turks, the great days of the Kok Turk Empire, the suffering after defeat by the Chinese and the struggle for independence under the two brothers. Erected around 726 by the chief adviser to their father Ilterish Khagan, Tonyukuk, these inscriptions have eternal advice for Turks, warning them not to abandon the ways of their ancestors and beware of the deceitful words and alluring presents of enemies.