Bilge Qaghan (Old Turkic: , Bilge qaγan,[1] 毗伽可汗, Pinyin: píjiā kěhàn, Wade-Giles: p'i-chia k'o-han, official title: , Teŋіriteg Тeŋiride bolmuš Türük Bilge qaγan,[2] personal name: 阿史那默棘連, āshǐnà mòjílián, a-shih-na mo-chi-lan) (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.[3] 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.[3]
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 (Actually the popular name Orkhon inscriptions is out of date and most historians prefer the name Khöshöö Tsaidam Monuments inscriptions for the stelae of Bilge and Kul Tigin and Bain Tsokto for the earlier stelae of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[4] (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.[3]
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Bilge Qaghan
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| Preceded by Inel Qaghan |
Khagan of the Second Eastern Turkic Khaganate 717–734 |
Succeeded by Yiran Qaghan |
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Micropaedia, Vol. II, pp16–17
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