Bilge Khan
Encyclopedia
Bilge Qaghan (683 or 684 - 734) was khagan
of the Second Eastern Turkic Khaganate. His accomplishments are described in the Orkhon inscriptions
.
His name literally means "wise chieftain". In 716, Qapaghan Qaghan was killed in his campaign against Toquz Oghuz
and his severed head was sent to Changan. Kul Tigin
and Tonyukuk
carried out a coup d'état
against the previous ruler, his cousin Inel Qaghan
who was son of Qapaghan Qaghan. They killed Qapaghan's son and brothers and made him a qaghan as Bilge Qaghan.
Bilge's khaganate spanned vast steppes from the Caspian Sea
to Manchuria
; he also invaded the western sections of the Chinese
territories. After his death from poisoning, several stelae were erected in the capital area
by the Orkhon River. These Orkhon inscriptions
are the first known texts in the Old Turkic language
. (Actually the popular name Orkhon inscriptions is out of date and most historians prefer the name Khöshöö Tsaidam Monuments inscriptions for the stelae of Bilge and Kul Tigin and Bain Tsokto for the earlier stelae of Tonyukuk
.)
He was poisoned by Buyruk Chor (梅錄啜/梅录啜, méilù chuò, mei-lu-ch'o). He didn't die immediately and he had time to punish the family of Buyruk Chor with death.
Khagan
Khagan or qagan , alternatively spelled kagan, khaghan, qaghan, or chagan, is a title of imperial rank in the Mongolian and Turkic languages equal to the status of emperor and someone who rules a khaganate...
of the Second Eastern Turkic Khaganate. His accomplishments are described in the Orkhon inscriptions
Orkhon inscriptions
"Orkhon inscription" may refer to:*two monuments in the Orkhon valley, see Khöshöö Tsaidam Monuments*inscriptions in the Old Turkic "Orkhon alphabet" in general, see Old Turkic epigraphy...
.
His name literally means "wise chieftain". In 716, Qapaghan Qaghan was killed in his campaign against Toquz Oghuz
Tokuz-Oguzes
Toquz Oghuz is a political alliance of nine Turkic tribes. Toquz Oghuz consolidated within the Turkic Kaganate , and after its fragmentation preserved their union...
and his severed head was sent to Changan. Kul Tigin
Kul Tigin
Kul Tigin Kul Tigin Kul Tigin (Old Turkic:, Kultegin, (闕特勒/阙特勤, Pinyin: quètèqín, Wade-Giles: chüeh-t'e-ch'in, ? - 575 AD) was a general of the Second Turkic Kaganate. He was a second son of Ilterish Shad and the younger brother of Bilge Kagan....
and Tonyukuk
Tonyukuk
Tonyukuk Tonyukuk Tonyukuk (Old Turkic: , Bilge Tuňuquq, died c. 724 AD, (暾欲穀/暾欲谷, Pinyin: tūnyùgǔ, personal name: Ashide Yuanzhen 阿史德元珍, āshǐdé yuánzhēn, a-shih-te yüan-chen) was the yabgu and commander-in-chief of four Göktürk khagans, the best known of whom is Bilge Khan. He played a major role...
carried out a coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
against the previous ruler, his cousin Inel Qaghan
Inel Qaghan
Inel Qaghan was a ruler of the Second Eastern Turkic Khaganate...
who was son of Qapaghan Qaghan. They killed Qapaghan's son and brothers and made him a qaghan as Bilge Qaghan.
Bilge's khaganate spanned vast steppes from the Caspian Sea
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...
to Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
; he also invaded the western sections of the Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
territories. After his death from poisoning, several stelae were erected in the capital area
Orkhon Valley
Orkhon Valley Cultural Landscape sprawls along the banks of the Orkhon River in Central Mongolia, some 360 km west from the capital Ulaanbaatar. It was inscribed by UNESCO in the World Heritage List as representing evolution of nomadic pastoral traditions spanning more than two millennia...
by the Orkhon River. These Orkhon inscriptions
Orkhon inscriptions
"Orkhon inscription" may refer to:*two monuments in the Orkhon valley, see Khöshöö Tsaidam Monuments*inscriptions in the Old Turkic "Orkhon alphabet" in general, see Old Turkic epigraphy...
are the first known texts in the Old Turkic language
Old Turkic language
Old Turkic is the earliest attested form of Turkic, found in Göktürk and Uyghur inscriptions dating from about the 7th century to the 13th century....
. (Actually the popular name Orkhon inscriptions is out of date and most historians prefer the name Khöshöö Tsaidam Monuments inscriptions for the stelae of Bilge and Kul Tigin and Bain Tsokto for the earlier stelae of Tonyukuk
Tonyukuk
Tonyukuk Tonyukuk Tonyukuk (Old Turkic: , Bilge Tuňuquq, died c. 724 AD, (暾欲穀/暾欲谷, Pinyin: tūnyùgǔ, personal name: Ashide Yuanzhen 阿史德元珍, āshǐdé yuánzhēn, a-shih-te yüan-chen) was the yabgu and commander-in-chief of four Göktürk khagans, the best known of whom is Bilge Khan. He played a major role...
.)
He was poisoned by Buyruk Chor (梅錄啜/梅录啜, méilù chuò, mei-lu-ch'o). He didn't die immediately and he had time to punish the family of Buyruk Chor with death.