Bilge Khagan

The Bilge Khagan monument with inscriptions, Mongolia

Bilge Khagan (Old Turkic: 𐰋𐰃𐰠𐰏𐰀 𐰴𐰍𐰣, Bilge qaγan)^[1] (683 – 25 November 734) was the khagan of the Second Turkic Khaganate. His accomplishments were described in the Orkhon inscriptions.

Names

As was the custom, his personal name and the name after assuming the title khagan 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 was Bilge qaγan. (Old Turkic: ‏𐰋𐰃𐰠𐰏𐰀 𐰴𐰍𐰣‬, Bilge qaγan,^[1] Chinese: 毗伽可; pinyin: píjiā kěhàn), official title: ‏𐱅𐰭𐰼𐰃𐱅𐰏 𐱅𐰭𐰼𐰃𐰓𐰀 𐰉𐰆𐰞𐰢𐱁 𐱅𐰇𐰼𐰜 𐰋𐰃𐰠𐰏𐰀 𐰴𐰍𐰣‬, Teŋіriteg Тeŋiride bolmuš Türük Bilge qaγan,^[2] His wife was Po Beg, Tonyukuk's daughter.

As khagan

In 716, Qapaghan Qaghan, the second khagan, was killed in his campaign against the Toquz Oghuz alliance and his severed head was sent to Chang'an.^[3] Although his son Inel Khagan succeeded him, the legal claimant of the throne was his cousin, Ashǐnà Mòjílián. Mòjílián's brother Kul Tigin and Tonyukuk carried out a coup d'état against Inel Khaghan. They killed him and made Mòjílián khagan.^[3] His name literally means "wise king".

Bilge's khaganate included Mongolia and parts of Manchuria and Dzungaria. He also invaded the western sections of the Chinese territories. After his death from poisoning, several steles were erected in the capital area by the Orkhon River. These Orkhon inscriptions are the first known texts in the Old Turkic language. He was poisoned by Buyruk Chor^[4] (Chinese: 梅錄啜/梅录啜; pinyin: Méilù Chuò). He didn't die immediately and he had time to punish the family of Buyruk Chor with death.^[3]

Sources

References

Encyclopædia Britannica, Micropaedia, Vol. II, pp. 16–17

Illustrations

• The National Museum of Mongolian History: The early Turk Empire and the Uighurs

External links

• Bilge Kagan Inscriptions complete text