Old Turkic
Old Turkic (also East Old Turkic, Orkhon Turkic language, Old Uyghur) is the earliest attested form of the Turkic languages, found in Göktürk and Uyghur Khaganate inscriptions dating from about the eighth to the 13th century. It is the old ...
: 𐰃𐱁𐰉𐰺𐰀𐰴𐰍𐰣, Ïšbara qaγan, , personal name Ashina Helu - ) (ruled 651–658) was the last
khagan
Khagan or Qaghan (Mongolian:; or ''Khagan''; otk, 𐰴𐰍𐰣 ), or , tr, Kağan or ; ug, قاغان, Qaghan, Mongolian Script: ; or ; fa, خاقان ''Khāqān'', alternatively spelled Kağan, Kagan, Khaghan, Kaghan, Khakan, Khakhan ...
of the
Western Turkic Khaganate
The Western Turkic Khaganate () or Onoq Khaganate ( otk, 𐰆𐰣:𐰸:𐰉𐰆𐰑𐰣, On oq budun, Ten arrow people) was a Turkic khaganate in Eurasia, formed as a result of the wars in the beginning of the 7th century (593–603 CE) after ...
.
Name
The khagan's underlying Turkic name, transcribed with Chinese characters 賀魯, became a debate among scholars. Gumilyov proposed ''Hallïğ'', meaning "Elevated".Von Gabain proposed name ''Kullïğ'' (slave owner). Gömeç argued for ''Uluğ'' meaning "Great",. Meanwhile, Kapusuzoğlu proposed ''Kutluğ'' (Blessed) as his underlying Turkic name. Zuev (1960) linked the Khagan personal name ''Helu'' (< MC *''ɣa-lou'') with the tribal name ''Khallukh'' attested by Persian and Arab writers, and asserted that by the 7th century Helu's tribe was dynastic; later, however, Zuev (2002) proposed that Chinese ''Helu'' reflects Turkic *''aru ~ arïğ'' "pure, light".
Early years
His parentage is uncertain. According to Gumilov his father was Böri Shad, however Chavannes attributes him to be a son of Irbis Seguy. He was awarded with the title
Nushibi
Nushibi (Nu-shibi, ; Middle Chinese: *''nuoXɕiɪt̚piɪt̚'') was a Chinese collective name for five tribes of the right (western) wingYu. Zuev, ''"The Strongest tribe - Izgil"''//Historical And Cultural Relations Between Iran And Dasht-i Kipc ...
. In 646 he rose against Irbis Seguy only to be defeated by him. He fled to China in 25 April 648 and had served the
Tang dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...
as a general stationed in Mohe (莫賀) city in
Gansu
Gansu (, ; alternately romanized as Kansu) is a province in Northwest China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeast part of the province.
The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibe ...
.
However he soon started to plan to assert independence using
Taizong
Taizong is the temple name used for several Chinese sovereign, monarchs of China. It may refer to:
* Tai Jia ( 16th-century BC), king of the Shang dynasty
* Emperor Wen of Han, Liu Heng (202 BC–157 BC, reigned 180 BC–157 BC), also known as E ...
's death in 649. Qiao Baoming (橋寶明) personal staff of Gaozong tried to avert it by ordering him to deliver his son Ashina Xiyun (阿史那咥運) to serve in palace guard. Xiyun served for a while before returning to Helu again and encouraging him to attack Irbis Dulu khagan.
Reign
After a while he set up his horde near modern Shuanghe, began to receive submissions. According to Tongjian firstly
Duolu
Duolu (Wade–Giles: To-lu; c. 603-651 as a minimum) was a tribal confederation in the Western Turkic Khaganate (c. 581-659). The Turgesh Khaganate (699-766) may have been founded by Duolu remnants.
There existed several Chinese transcriptions ...
tribe chiefs who were titled as ''čor'', namely Chomuqun chief Kuli (處木昆(屈)律啜), Ulugh Oq chief Kul (胡祿居闕啜), Chapshata chief Ton (摄舍提暾啜), Turgesh- Halach chief (突騎施賀邏施啜), Shungish chief Chuban (鼠尼施處半啜) submitted. Ulugh Oq chief was also a son-in-law to Helu. Nushibi tribal chiefs who were titled ''irkin'' also submitted - Esegel chief Kül (阿悉結闕俟斤), Geshu chief Kül (哥舒闕俟斤), Basaigan chief Tong Ishbara (拔塞幹暾沙鉢俟斤), Esegel chief Nishu (阿悉結泥孰俟斤), Geshu chief Chuban (哥舒處半俟斤). Ashina Xiyun was appointed crown prince with the title Bagatur Yabgu.
After formally reasserting independence from
Tang
Tang or TANG most often refers to:
* Tang dynasty
* Tang (drink mix)
Tang or TANG may also refer to:
Chinese states and dynasties
* Jin (Chinese state) (11th century – 376 BC), a state during the Spring and Autumn period, called Tang (唐) ...
, he commanded raids to Jin Ling (金嶺城, near modern
Shanshan
Shanshan (; ug, پىچان, Pichan, Piqan) was a kingdom located at the north-eastern end of the Taklamakan Desert near the great, but now mostly dry, salt lake known as Lop Nur.
The kingdom was originally an independent city-state, known in ...
,
Xinjiang
Xinjiang, SASM/GNC: ''Xinjang''; zh, c=, p=Xīnjiāng; formerly romanized as Sinkiang (, ), officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China (PRC), located in the northwes ...
) and Pulei (蒲類縣). Angered
Gaozong Gaozong () is the temple name of several Chinese monarchs. It can refer to:
* Emperor Yuan of Han (reign: 49 BC–33 BC)
* Emperor Gaozong of Tang (reign: 649–683)
* Emperor Gaozong of Song (reign: 1127–1162)
* Qianlong Emperor of the Qing dyna ...
stripped him of Chinese titles and ordered
Qibi Heli
Qibi Heli () (died 677), formally Duke of Liang (凉国公) was a prominent Turkic general in early Tang dynasty and a companion of the Emperor Taizong of Tang. He was accorded the posthumous name Lie (烈).
Early life
Qibi Heli was born to a ...
and Liang Jianfang (梁建方) to secure border areas.
Conflicts also began in southern border when
Zhenzhu yabgu
Zhenzhu Yabgu was a claimant to throne of Western Turkic Khaganate.
Life
He was Yukuk Shad's son and Illig Khagan's grandson. He was known as El Bi Tardu Shad () during his father's reign.
In 653, he succeeded his father in Kunduz. Starting f ...
(son of Yukuk Shad) started major incursions to Western Tujue territory. Later Zhenzhu contacted Tang to receive soldiers and requested to be created a qaghan in 655. Yuan Lichen (元礼臣) was ordered by Gaozong to visit Zhenzhu in 8 November 656 to create him khagan, but he was stopped by Helu's soldiers near
Suyab
Suyab ( fa, سوی آب; Middle Chinese: /suʌiH jiᴇp̚/), also known as ''Ordukent'' (modern-day ''Ak-Beshim''), was an ancient Silk Road city located some 50 km east from Bishkek, and 8 km west southwest from Tokmok, in the Chu r ...
, causing Zhenzhu to lose much prestige.
In 657
Emperor Gaozong of Tang
Emperor Gaozong of Tang (21 July 628 – 27 December 683), personal name Li Zhi, was the third emperor of the Tang dynasty in China, ruling from 649 to 683; after January 665, he handed power over the empire to his second wife Empress Wu (the f ...
started the
Conquest of the Western Turks
The conquest of the Western Turks, known as the Western Tujue in Chinese sources, was a military campaign in 655–657 led by the Tang dynasty generals Su Dingfang and Cheng Zhijie against the Western Turkic Khaganate ruled by Ashina Helu. The ...
. General
Su Dingfang
Su Dingfang () (591–667), formal name Su Lie () but went by the courtesy name of Dingfang, formally Duke Zhuang of Xing (), was a Chinese military general of the Tang Dynasty who succeeded in destroying the Western Turkic Khaganate in 657. He wa ...
was appointed to be leading commander during whole operation. Chumukun tribe was first to lose whose chief Lantulu (懶獨祿) submitted. Tang army defeated Ishbara at the
Battle of Irtysh River
The Battle of Irtysh River () or Battle of Yexi River () was a battle in 657 between Tang Dynasty general Su Dingfang and the Western Turkic Khaganate qaghan Ashina Helu during the Tang campaign against the Western Turks. It was fought along the ...
. However he fled to Chach with his son Ashina Xiyun and a noble retainer Xuyan. However he was soon handed over to Xiao Siya (萧嗣业) by Chach ruler Yixian Tarkhan.
Later years
After being captured he reportedly told Xiao Siya:'' Zhizhi Tongjian'' 6310, 6311:
"…阿史那賀魯既被擒，謂蕭嗣業曰：「我本亡虜，為先帝所存，先帝遇我厚而我負之，今日之敗，天所怒也。吾聞中國刑人必於市，願刑我於昭陵之前以謝先帝。」上聞而憐之。賀魯至京師， 甲午，獻於昭陵。敕免其死，分其種落為六都督府，其所役屬諸國皆置州府，西盡波斯，並隸安西都護府。賀魯 尋死，葬於頡利墓側。"
Emperor Gaozong spared him after 15 days and he lived out his days at the Tang capital
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 ...
Tang campaigns against the Western Turks
The Tang campaigns against the Western Turks, known as the Western Tujue in Chinese sources, were a series of military campaigns conducted by the Tang dynasty against the Western Turkic Khaganate in the 7th century AD. Early military conflicts we ...