| Yukuk Shad | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qaghan of theWestern Turkic Khaganate (Dulu faction) | |||||
| Reign | 638–642 | ||||
| Predecessor | Ishbara Tolis | ||||
| Successor | Irbis Seguy | ||||
| Ruler of Tokharistan | |||||
| Reign | 642–653 | ||||
| Predecessor | Ishbara Yabgu | ||||
| Successor | Zhenzhu Yabgu | ||||
| Born | Ashina Yugu 阿史那欲谷 | ||||
| Died | 653 Kunduz | ||||
| Issue | Zhenzhu Yabgu | ||||
| |||||
| House | Ashina | ||||
| Father | Illig Qaghan | ||||
| Religion | Tengrism | ||||
Irbis Tuglugh Qaghan[a] (Chinese:乙毘咄陸可汗, romanized:Yǐpí Duōlù Kèhán), personal nameAshina Yukuk[1][2](Chinese:阿史那欲谷), was anEastern Türk prince (Tegin) who reigned as theQaghan theWestern Turkic Khaganate between 638 and 642 and later aTokhara Yabghu until his death. Yukuk previously served as ashad (governor-prince) in theEastern Turkic Khaganate. After its collapse, Yukuk was invited by the nobles to become a qaghan of Western Göktürks.[3]
His name was recorded asYugu She (Chinese:欲谷设,romanized: Yùgǔ Shè).[4] Turkic transliteration of this name,Yukuk means "owl", according toGumilyov,[5] or "venerable", according toGabain.[6] Russian Turkologist Sergei Klyashtorny considered his name to be derived fromyoquq (“precious”).[7] His full title was recorded asYipi Duolu Khagan (Chinese:乙毘咄陸可汗,romanized: Yǐpí Duōlù Kèhán). According toZuev's reconstructedOld Turkic title, it was *Yelbi Türük Qaghan.[8] He further argued that his title Yipi was a Chinese rendion ofYelbi (sorcerer), which was a sign of him being a "shaman-king".[9] According to Marcel Erdal, however,*yelbi was aproto-Turkic term for "sorcery", not a "sorcerer".[10] Another proposed transliteration of his name isIrbis (snow leopard), a name attested many times among Western Turkic regnal names.Christoph Baumer reconstructed his name as Illig Beg Tughluk.[11] Yet another reconstructed version was offered as*El Bilge Türk.[12]
He was born toIllig Qaghan, ruler of theEastern Turkic Khaganate and spent his early years there as ruling prince overTiele tribes.[3] In 627, he was assigned to suppress a rebellion ofUyghurs modernGansu with some 400,000 horsemen, but were defeated by an army of only 5,000 horsemen commanded by the Uyghur chieftainYaoluoge Pusa.[3][1] In a memorandum toTaizong,Zhang Gongjin pointed to Yukuk Shad’s defeat as a counterexample to the supposed invincibility of the Türks.[13] Yukuk was forced to retreat toTian Shan mountains and from there toGaochang. After his father's fall in March 630 nearTieshan, Yukuk also returned from Gaochang submitted to Taizong in autumn of that year.[3]
After the death ofTong Yabghu Qaghan of theWestern Turkic Khanate in 628, the central authority of thekhagans among the West Turks was challenged by the leaders of the ten tribes collectively known asOnoq.[14] However, there was also competition between the two wings of Onoq; i.e., theDuolu and theNushibi.Ishbara Tolis who became khagan in 634 tried to increase his authority with the support of Nushibi. But his camp was raided and he fled toFergana (in modernUzbekistan).[15] But even after his escape, the leaders of the ten tribes preferred a khagan from theAshina house to maintain the delicate balance between the two wings. Yukuk's name was proposed by an unnamedtudun and Kül Irkin ofEsegel tribe, leader of the Nushibi. Yukuk whose father's territory had been lost readily accepted the invitation. But it soon turned out that although he was welcome by Duolu, the Nushibi tribes opposed him. Early plan for the convened the people together with the tudun and others was to set up Yukuk Shad as the great qaghan, and intended to make Ishbara Tolis as lesser qaghan. However, the tudun was killed, and Yukuk Shad was defeated by Nushibis. Ishbara then recovered his former territories.
In 638, Yukuk was recognized as Yipi Duolu Khagan in the west. Once he took power, new khagan engaged Ishbara Tolis in large-scale battles. As a result, the Western Turks were split: west of theIli River belonged to Yipi Duolu, and east of the Ili belonged to Ishbara Tolis. Yipi set his khaganal court west of Mount Zuhe (鏃曷山), calling it the Northern Court.[16] The peoples of Jueyueshi (厥越失)[2],Basmil (抜悉蜜),Boma (駁馬),Kyrgyz (結骨),Huoxun (火尋), andChumukun (触木昆/処木昆) all became his vassals according toTongdian. He also sent governors toKucha, Yanqi (Karashahr),Shan-shan andQiemo in the east; Čač (Tashkent), Kang (Samarkand), Kesh (Shahrisabz), west ofOxus, south ofZarafshon andTocharistan in the west.[11]
Next year, in 639, atudunilteber under Ishbara Tolis rebelled in favor of Yipi, forcing Ishbara to flee toFergana where he died. The chieftain of the Nushibi tribe welcomedAshina Baobu (also known as Bopu Tegin (薄布特勤), a nephew of Ishbara Tolis) and set him up as the new khagan. The new khagan was recognized by Taizong, who sentZhang Dashi, General of the Left Commandant Army, to bestow drums and standards upon Baobu. Yipi, however, sent histudun ofTashkent to attack and execute Baobu, incorporating his realm. He then conquered Tuhuoluo (吐火羅; i.e.Bactrian-speakingTokharoi orTocharians) and attacked Yiwu (modernYizhou District, Hami) in 642,[17] which had by now been converted into the Tang's Yi Prefecture (伊州). The Anxi Protector-GeneralGuo Xiaoke led 2,000 light cavalry to defeated his raiding party. Yipi also sent the Chuyue (処月) and Chumi (処密) tribes to besiege Tianshan County; Guo Xiaoke again attacked and routed them. Pressing his advantage, Guo advanced, subdued chief of the Chuyue, pursued them to Mount Esuo (遏索山), beheaded over a thousand, and compelled the Chumi tribes to surrender.
Soon he began to suffer dissent within, as he was said to have hoarded the spoils from attacks on the Sogdian states ofKangju (康居) and Maymurgh (米Mǐ; on theAmu Darya near todayPanjakent) and refused to divide them with his subordinates, and when one of his generals, Nishu Čor (泥孰啜) nevertheless seized some, Yukuk Shad executed him, causing Nishu's subordinate, chief of Huluwu (胡祿屋) tribe to rebel. The rebels sought aid from the Tang as Yali Čor (屋利啜), plotted to depose him and went to Tang, petitioning that a new khagan be established. Meanwhile Huluwu chief mobilised the Nushibi troops and attacked Yipi at the city of Baishuihu (modernSaran, Kazakhstan). The Nushibi forces were defeated, but Yipi, realising he had lost popular support, fled west to Tokharistan. Soon Taizong dispatched envoys to set up the son ofAshina Moheduo asIrbis Seguy Qaghan.
He spent the rest of his life inKunduz and died in 653. His heir wasZhenzhu Yabgu, who was one of the last representatives of the family. But his authority was limited to a single city.[18]
Yukuk Shad | ||
| Preceded by | Khagan of the Western Turkic Khaganate 638–642 | Succeeded by |