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| Bilge Qaghan | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Marble Statue of Bilge Khan | |
| Qaghan of theSecond Turkic Khaganate | |
| Reign | February 717 – 25 November 734 |
| Predecessor | Inel Qaghan |
| Successor | Yollıg Khagan |
| Regent | Tonyukuk |
| Born | Ashina Mojilian 阿史那默棘連 683 |
| Died | 25 November 734(734-11-25) (aged 50–51) Otukan |
| Spouse | El Etmish Bilge Khatun |
| Issue | Yollıg Tigin Tengri Tigin Two unnamed sons |
| House | House of Ashina |
| Father | Ilterish Khagan |
| Mother | El Bilga Khatun |
| Religion | Tengrism |
Bilge Qaghan (Old Turkic:𐰋𐰃𐰠𐰏𐰀:𐰴𐰍𐰣,romanized: Bilgä Qaɣan;Chinese:毗伽可汗;pinyin:píjiā kěhàn;[1] 683 – 25 November 734), bornAshina Mojilian (Chinese:阿史那默棘連), was the fourthqaghan of theSecond Turkic Khaganate. His accomplishments were described in theOrkhon inscriptions.
As was the custom, his personal name and the name after assuming the titleqaghan were different. His personal name was recorded in Chinese characters as阿史那默棘連 (pinyin:Ashǐnà Mòjílián). His name after assuming the title wasBilgä Qaγan.[1]Chinese:毗伽可汗;pinyin:píjiā kěhàn).
Bilge Qaghan was born in 683, in the early years of theSecond Turkic Khaganate. He campaigned alongside his father from early childhood. He was made Tardush Shad and given command over the western wing of the khaganate in 697 byQapaghan Qaghan. He annihilatedWei Yuanzhong's army in 701 with his brother. He also reconquered theBasmyl tribes in 703. He subduedYenisei Kyrgyz forces in 709, after their disobedience he reconquered them and killed their qaghan in 710. He killed theTürgesh khaganSaqal at theBattle of Bolchu.
In the later years of Qapaghan's reign, he fought four battles in the span of a starting in 714, resubduing tribes, He was nearly was killed in an ambush fromUyghur forces in 716.[2]
Qapaghan Qaghan was killed in 716 during his campaign against theToquz Oghuz alliance with his severed head being sent toChang'an.[3] Although his sonInel Qaghan succeeded him, Bilge's brotherKul Tigin andTonyukuk carried out acoup d'état against Inel Qaghan. They killed him and made him Bilge qaghan.[3] His name literally means "wise king".
He appointed Kul Tigin as the Left Wise Prince, which made him the second most powerful person in the khaghanate. He re-subdued theUyghurs in 716. He also appointed his father-in-lawTonyukuk as his master strategist.
New reforms and the stabilization of the regime, caused tribes that had fled the khaganate to come back. Tang chancellorWang Jun, believing that the Göktürks who surrendered would try to flee back to the khaganate, suggested that they be forcibly moved into the heart of the empire to prevent them from doing so. Before Wang's suggestion could be acted upon, however, there was an uprising by the Göktürks who surrendered, under the leadership of Xiedie Sitai (𨁂跌思泰) and Axilan (阿悉爛).Xue Ne and Wang tried to intercept them and dealt them defeats, but they were able to flee back to the khaghanate anyway. This defeat led to Xue Ne's retirement.
In 720, Wang believed that the Pugu (僕固) and Xiedie tribes of the region were planning to defect to Turkic Khaganate and attack with Turkic troops. He thus held a feast and invited the chieftains, and, at the feast, massacred them. He then attacked the Pugu and Xiedie tribes in the area, nearly wiping them out. He then proposed a plan to attack Bilge Qaghan along with theBaximi,Xi, andKhitan.[3]Emperor Xuanzong also recruitedQapaghan Qaghan's sons Bilgä Tigin and Mo Tigin, theYenisei Kyrgyz Qaghan Kutluk Bilgä Qaghan and Huoba Guiren to fight the Göktürks. Tonyukuk cunningly launched a first attack on Baximi in the autumn of 721, completely crushing them. Meanwhile, Bilgä raidedGansu, taking much of the livestock. Later that year theKhitans, next yearXi were also crushed.
In 726, his father-in-law and chancellor Tonyukuk died.
In 727, he sent Buyruk Chor (Chinese:梅錄啜/梅录啜;pinyin:Méilù Chuò) as an emissary toXuanzong with 30 horses as a gift. He also warned him ofMe Agtsom's proposal of an anti-Tang alliance. This warning proved to be true when Tibetan generalWe Tadra Khonglo invaded Tang China in 727, sackedGuazhou (瓜州, in modernGansu), Changle (常樂, in south of modern Guazhou County), Changmenjun (長門軍, in north of modernYumen) and Anxi (安西, modernLintan).
On 27 February 731,Kul Tigin died, for which Qaghan mourned and ordered a great funeral ceremony.[4]
In 733, he defeated rebellious Khitan tribes.[1]
Just after sending an emissary toXuanzong to gain aheqin alliance, he was poisoned by Buyruk Chor.[5] He did not die immediately and had time to punish the family of Buyruk Chor with death.[3] He died on 25 November 734, his burial ceremony took place on 22 June 735.
At some point in his life, Bilge Qaghan thought about converting toBuddhism and settling in cities. However,Tonyukuk discouraged him from this, citing the Turks' few numbers and vulnerability to Chinese attacks. While the Turks' power rested on their mobility, conversion to Buddhism would bring pacifism among the population. Therefore, sticking toTengrism was necessary for survival.[3][6][7]
He was married toEl Etmish Bilge Khatun,Tonyukuk's daughter. He had several children:
After his death from poisoning, severalsteles were erected inthe capital area by theOrkhon River. TheseOrkhon inscriptions are the first known texts inOld Turkic.
Bilge Qaghan | ||
| Preceded by | Khagan of theSecond Turkic Khaganate 717–734 | Succeeded by |
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