| El Bilga Khatun | |
|---|---|
| Khatun of theSecond Turkic Khaganate | |
| Successor | El Etmish Bilge Khatun |
| Spouse | Ilterish Qaghan |
| Issue | Bilge Qaghan Kul Tigin Tonja Tegin |
| House | Ashide |
| Religion | Tengrism |
El Bilga Khatun (Old Turkic:𐰃𐰠𐱅𐰼𐰾:𐰴𐰍𐰣,romanized: Elbilge qatun;[1]Chinese:比爾加·哈通;pinyin:Bǐ'ěr jiā·hā tōng) orIlbilga Katun[2] was the wife of the 8th centuryGöktürk qaghan,Ilterish Qaghan, the founder of theSecond Turkic Khaganate and the mother ofBilge Qaghan, the fourth qaghan of the same khaganate. She is mentioned in theOrkhon inscriptions erected in honor of Bilge Qaghan and his brother,Kul Tigin.
El Bilga Khatun was the wife of the 8th centuryGöktürk qaghan,Ilterish Qaghan, the founder of theSecond Turkic Khaganate, the mother ofBilge Qaghan, the fourth qaghan of the same khaganate,[3] and also the mother of GeneralKul Tigin.[4][5] She is mentioned in the 8th centuryOrkhon inscriptions, erected in honor of Bilge Qaghan and Kul Tigin.[2] It says:
But the Turks’ Heaven above, and the Turks holyYer-sub did as follows: to the end that the Turkish people should not perish but that it should [again] become a people, they raised up my father Elterish kagan and my mother Elbilga katun, supporting them from the heights of Heaven."[6]
According to the Orkhon inscriptions, she was the biggest supporter and helper of her husband.[7] El Bilga Khatun and Ilterish Qaghan were known for their unity which was rare at that time between a husband and wife.[8] When she gave ashaman a goose to eat, the shaman said that she and her husband were taken to heaven and brought back to earth.[9] Another source says that one of the Orkhon inscriptions said, "My father, Ilterish Qaghan, grabbed my mother, El Bilga Khatun, from the top of the sky, so that the Turkish bout (people) would not disappear, so that there would be people."[10] This indicates that their relationship was extremely strong.[11] Recent findings and official Chinese sources support the claim that both Ilterish Qaghan and El Bilga Khatun worked together in state administration.[12]
It is unknown how El Bilga Khatun died,[13] the only thing known about her death or disappearance is that it was during the time when Ilterish andTonyukuk attacked theYenisei Kyrgyz.[14]Inel and Tonyukuk were in charge of a special mourning ceremony that was held a while after her death.[15]
