| Bars Bek 𐰉𐰺𐰽:𐰋𐰏 | |
|---|---|
 The commemorative coin issued by the National Bank of Kyrgyzstan in 2010 in honor of Barsbek | |
| Khagan of theKyrgyz Khaganate | |
| Reign | 693–711 |
| Successor | unknown |
| Born | 637 |
| Died | 711 Son River (modern-dayKhakassia)[1][2][3] |
| Spouse | A sister ofBilge Khagan |
| House | Are |
| Religion | Tengriism |
Bars Bek (Old Turkic: 𐰉𐰺𐰽:𐰋𐰏;Chinese:巴爾斯別克; 637–711), also known asInanch Alp Bilge (Chinese:亦難赤阿爾普毗伽),[4] was the firstkhan of theKyrgyz Khaganate.[4]
Nothing is known about Bars Bek's early reign, except minor information fragments found in theOrkhon and Yenisei inscriptions. The royalAre clan, which Bars Bek was a member of, claimed descent from theHan dynasty generalLi Ling.[5][6][7]
During his reign, he was believed to be hostile to theGöktürks until he married with one of the daughters ofIlterish Qaghan and was appointed as a lesser khagan (khan) ruling over Az and Kyrgyz tribes.[1][2][8]
In the late 7th century, according to Takeshi Osawa, Bars Bek mediated talks betweenSuoge and theEmperor Zhongzong of Tang.[9] According to Klyashtorny, he sent an ambassador named Eren Ulug to theTibetan Empire in an attempt to form an alliance but was unsuccessful.[10]
According to Sergei Klyashtorny, Bars Bek's anointed name was Inanch Alp Bilge and was mentioned as such in Yenisei inscriptions.[11] Turkish historian Saadeddin Gömeç argued against this.[12]
After news of the triple alliance reachedTonyukuk, he decided to eliminate the Kyrgyz first. Roads to Kyrgyz lands were blocked by heavy snow, forcing them to find a guide. They first crossed Ak Termel (modern Ona - atributary of theAbakan). However, after ten nights of searching for a way out, their guide became lost and was executed on the orders ofQapaghan. After a few days, they arrived at Kyrgyz headquarters and launched a night attack on Bars Bek, killing him.[13] A memorialstele was erected after his death, on the left side of theAbakan river.[14]
He was succeeded by his son andBilge Qaghan's nephew.[15]
A commemorative coin honouring Bars Bek was issued by theNational Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic in 2010.[16] In 2017, a monument to Bars Bek was erected inOsh.[17]
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)𐰾𐰇𐰭𐰏𐰤: 𐰲𐰑𐰢𐰕: 𐰴𐰣𐰃: 𐰾𐰇𐰾𐰃: 𐱅𐰼𐰠𐰢𐰾: 𐰾𐰇𐰭𐰾𐰓𐰢𐰕: 𐰽𐰨𐰑𐰢𐰕: 𐰴𐰣𐰃𐰤: 𐰇𐰠𐰼𐱅𐰢𐰕: 𐰴𐰍𐰣𐰴𐰀: (inOld Turkic script) / Their Khagan gathered the army. We fought them, killed their khagan. Kyrgyz people surrendered our Khagan. (English translation)
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