Türgesh Khaganate

Rouran epoch Göktürk epoch Uyghur epoch Kirghiz epoch

Rouran First Göktürk Tang rule Second Göktürk Uyghur Kirghiz Huns Western Göktürk Türgesh Karluk Khazar

Rouran 400–554
First Göktürk 552–630
Tang rule 630–682
Second Göktürk 682–744
Uyghur 744–840
Kirghiz 840–924
Huns 370–469
Western Göktürk 552–659
Türgesh 699–766
Karluk 766–800
Khazar 650–969

Within the confederation of the On Oq, the Türgesh tribe won the upper hand. The Türgesh Baga Tarkhan Wuzhile led the tribes until 699. Another account has the tribes choose him in 699 and has him pass the place to his son Saqal (706 to 711). Saqal declared himself khan after beating the Tang in 708 and 709.^[1] According to some scholars, the Orkhon inscriptions show that the eastern Göktürks held the Türgesh in subjection for a short time in the years 710 to 715. They pushed west on the same campaigns as far as the Iron Gate, the pass between Sogdiana and Tokharistan. Where the pass lay, and whether the Göktürks met Arabs there, is disputed.^[2] One of Saqal’s generals, Sulu, became the leading figure among the Türgesh from 717 and proclaimed himself khan. He defeated the Muslim forces in 720 and 724. In 722 he made peace with the Tang, and the peace brought him the Ashina princess Jiaohe.^[3] The Tang histories say that Sulu shared all his booty among his generals and officers. When he began to keep more of it, his popularity fell.^[3] The Arab victory at Kharistan in 737 ended the danger from the Türgesh. In 738 the Baga Tarkhan Kül Chur and Tumotu killed Sulu. They led the “yellow tribes”, which claimed descent from Saqal and stood against his “black tribes”.^[3] Kül Chur recognised Tang overlordship in 740 and died in 744. The Karluks, pushed out of Mongolia by the Uyghurs, then entered the Türgesh lands about 745. They controlled Suyab by 766.^[4]^[5] Coins of the Türgesh are known. They follow the Chinese model and carry Sogdian letters and a Turkic legend. One reads “qaghan Türgesh Bay Baga”, and others carry a tamga. One names Quz Ordu, which is Balasaghun.^[6] Some scholars identify the ruler of the coin with the Baga Tarkhan of the Chinese sources and give his reign as 740 to 766.^[7] The account above gives the reign of Kül Chur as 740 to 744. In its Türgesh phase the western polity kept the khan’s dignity, titles and officials. Its internal cohesion, however, had broken down, and it functioned as a state only occasionally.^[4]

Rulers

Sulu Khan717–738

References

^ a b c d e Golden 1992, p. 139
^ Barthold 2004, p. 39–40
^ a b c d Golden 1992, p. 140
^ a b Golden 1992, p. 141
^ Barthold 2004, p. 39
^ Ögel 1984, p. 194
^ Rásonyi 1993, p. 97–98
^ Golden 1992, p. 140–141

Literature

Peter B. Golden, An Introduction to the History of the Turkic Peoples (1992)
V. V. Barthold, Orta Asya Türk Tarihi Dersleri (Orta Asya Türk Tarihi Hakkında Dersler) (2004)
Bahaeddin Ögel, İslâmiyetten Önce Türk Kültür Tarihi. Orta Asya Kaynak ve Buluntularına Göre (1984)
László Rásonyi, Tarihte Türklük (1993)