)
''Brave, Blessed, Wise Qaghan'', birth_name=Yàoluógé Dùnmòhè (藥羅葛顿莫賀), religion=

Tengriism Tengrism (also known as Tengriism, Tengerism, or Tengrianism) is an ethnic and old state Turko- Mongolic religion originating in the Eurasian steppes, based on folk shamanism, animism and generally centered around the titular sky god Tengri. Te ...

, posthumous name=Bögü Bilge Tengri Qaghan ( otk, 𐰋𐰇𐰏𐰇∶𐰋𐰃𐰠𐰏𐰀∶𐱅𐰭𐰼𐰃∶𐰴𐰍𐰣, label=none) Tun Baga Tarkhan or Alp Qutlugh Bilge Qaghan — was the fourth leader of

Uyghur Khaganate The Uyghur Khaganate (also Uyghur Empire or Uighur Khaganate, self defined as Toquz-Oghuz country; otk, 𐱃𐰆𐰴𐰕:𐰆𐰍𐰕:𐰉𐰆𐰑𐰣, Toquz Oγuz budun, Tang-era names, with modern Hanyu Pinyin: or ) was a Turkic empire that e ...

Background

There is an uncertainty regarding Tun Baga Tarkhan's relation to ruling

Yaglakar clan , other_names= zh, c=藥羅葛 , p=Yàoluógé , region= , image = Yaglakar clan tamga.png , image_caption = Tamga of Yaglakar , founder=Bezgek Yaglakar Khan (Mythical) , dissolution=795 , other_families=Ädiz clan The Yaglakar clan was the fir ...

. His father's name is absent from Chinese documents. However an epitaph was recently found in 2010 in Xian belonged to one of the Uyghur princes, Prince Gechuai (, 葛啜王子), who died of cold fever on 11 June 795 and was buried on 28 June 795. Luo Xin, historian at

Peking University Peking University (PKU; ) is a public research university in Beijing, China. The university is funded by the Ministry of Education. Peking University was established as the Imperial University of Peking in 1898 when it received its royal charte ...

, proposed that he was in fact a younger brother of Yaoluoge Dunmohe. The epitaph stated that the Prince's father's name was Chabish Tegin (车毗尸特勤), Luo Xin established him as the prince who fought against

An Lushan An Lushan (; 20th day of the 1st month 19 February 703 – 29 January 757) was a general in the Tang dynasty and is primarily known for instigating the An Lushan Rebellion. An Lushan was of Sogdian and Göktürk origin,Yang, Zhijiu, "An Lush ...

in 757. So, according to him, Tun Baga Tarkhan was a nephew to

Bögü Qaghan )''Heaven blessed, Sovereign, Brave, Glorious Wise Qaghan'', birth_name=Yàoluógé Yídijiàn (藥羅葛移地健), religion=Tengriism Manichaeism (after 763), posthumous name=Kün Tengrida Qut Bolmish El Tutmish Alp Külüg Bilge Qaghan ( otk, ...

, as well as grandson of Bayanchur.

Li Bi Li Bi or Li Mi (; 722 – April 1, 789), courtesy name Changyuan (), formally the Marquess of Ye County (), was a Chinese political and military strategist during the Tang dynasty. Li was a trusted advisor and close friend to Emperor Suzong of Ta ...

also considered him as cousin of Bögü Qaghan.

Life

His exact birth date is unknown. He earlier participated in Uyghur army against

under military title ''Alp Tutuq'' in 757. He was a chief minister in Uyghur court and perhaps one of supporters of

Pugu Huai'en Pugu Huai'en () (died September 27, 765), formally the Prince of Da'ning (大寧王), was a general of the Chinese Tang dynasty of Tiele ancestry. He was instrumental in the final suppression of the Anshi Rebellion, but rebelled against Emperor D ...

's revolt in 764–765. However he later switched to Tang side after his death. His uncle Khan Tudun was also a minister. He was a fervent anti-Manichaean, therefore adoption of

Manichaeism Manichaeism (; in New Persian ; ) is a former major religionR. van den Broek, Wouter J. Hanegraaff ''Gnosis and Hermeticism from Antiquity to Modern Times''SUNY Press, 1998 p. 37 founded in the 3rd century AD by the Parthian prophet Mani (A ...

by Bögü was unfavorable according to him. Bögü's new plan on invading Tang dynasty due to pressure from Manichaean clergy caused him to establish his own anti-war faction. He appealed to khagan, saying:''

New Book of Tang The ''New Book of Tang'', generally translated as the "New History of the Tang" or "New Tang History", is a work of official history covering the Tang dynasty in ten volumes and 225 chapters. The work was compiled by a team of scholars of the So ...

''
vol. 217a
/ref> Unable to accomplish his task, he murdered Bögü and his followers among him in 779/780, went on to declare himself a qaghan.

Reign

He was invested with Chinese title Wuyi Chenggon Qaghan () from Emperor Dezong on 28 July 780. His first order was to repeal protection of Manicheans and

Sogdia Sogdia ( Sogdian: ) or Sogdiana was an ancient Iranian civilization between the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya, and in present-day Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Sogdiana was also a province of the Achaemenid Emp ...

ns living in China. This also rendered Uyghurs in China defenceless. His uncle Tudun was thus murdered on 7 September 780. His body was brought back to Uyghur capital in 782 when the embassy was greeted by Tun Baga's new chancellor (İl Ögesi in

Old Uyghur Old Uyghur () was a Turkic language which was spoken in Qocho from the 9th–14th centuries and in Gansu. History The Old Uyghur language evolved from Old Turkic after the Uyghur Khaganate broke up and remnants of it migrated to Turfan, ...

) Inanchu Bilge (頡千逝斯) of Xiedie (𨁂跌) clan, who would later rise to be an important member of khaganate. Tun Baga demanded

blood money Blood money may refer to: * Blood money (restitution), money paid to the family of a murder victim Films * Blood Money (1917 film), ''Blood Money'' (1917 film), a film starring Harry Carey * Blood Money (1921 film), ''Blood Money'' (1921 film ...

from Dezong in order to not to start a war later.

Marriage to Princess Xian'an

As an effort to obtain an alliance, Tun Baga sent an emissary to

Tang China The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdom ...

for a marriage proposal on 2 October 787. Emperor Dezong hated the Uyghurs, ever since several of his attendants were tortured and killed by

in 762 while he was still a prince and therefore refused. Only after repeated attempts by

that that grudge should not be borne against the current khagan as well as repeated analyses of how crucial the Huige alliance would be did Emperor Dezong agree — particularly after Li Bi, who had strong friendships with both khagan and the Uyghur chancellor Inanchu Bilge extracted promises from khagan to submit to Tang as a subject as a matter of formality. Emperor Dezong was pleased, and subsequently, the treaty was cemented with the betrothal of Emperor Dezong's daughter Princess Xian'an to khagan. Marriage ceremony was well documented in

. Delegation of men consisted of 1000 people and was headed by chancellor Inanchu Bilge, women delegation was led by Kutluk Bilge Konchuy, khagan's younger sister. Qaghan also asked Emperor to change Chinese name for Uyghurs - Huihu (回鶻) to Huihe (回紇). He also received a new Chinese title Changshou Tianqin Qaghan () along with the princess who was created Zhihuiduan Zhengshou Xiaoshun Khatun () on 30 November 788.

Death

He died in December 789 and succeeded by his son. According to Luo Xin, he as posthumously renamed Bögü Bilge Tengri Qaghan ({{Lang-otk, 𐰋𐰇𐰏𐰇∶𐰋𐰃𐰠𐰏𐰀∶𐱅𐰭𐰼𐰃∶𐰴𐰍𐰣).

Family

He was married to Princess Xian'an, daughter of

Emperor Dezong of Tang Emperor Dezong of Tang (27 May 742According to Li Kuo's biography in the ''Old Book of Tang'', he was born on the ''guisi'' day in the 4th month of the 1st year of the Tianbao era of Tang Xuanzong's reign. This date corresponds to 27 May 742 in ...

on 30 November 788. He had at least two sons from other wives: #

Külüg Qaghan )''Moon Godborn Glorious Wise Qaghan'', birth_name=Yàoluógé Duōluósī (藥羅葛多邏斯), religion=Tengriism, posthumous name=Külüg Bilge Qaghan — 5th leader of Uyghur Khaganate. His Tang invested title was Zhongzhen Qaghan (忠貞可汗) ...

- Ruled

in 790 # Another son whose name was not preserved. He also had at least two younger brothers: * Prince Gechuai (or Qari Chor) - born in 776, died in 795 in

Chang'an Chang'an (; ) is the traditional name of Xi'an. The site had been settled since Neolithic times, during which the Yangshao culture was established in Banpo, in the city's suburbs. Furthermore, in the northern vicinity of modern Xi'an, Qin ...

. * Apa Chor (was alive in 795)

References

789 deaths 8th-century Turkic people 8th-century monarchs in Asia Yaglakar clan Tengrist monarchs Regicides