Chiji Shad

Chiji Shad was a younger brother of Shibi Khan. In the last years of the Sui, Shibi ruled the eastern Göktürks.^[1] The Sui Shu names Chiji for a single offer: a Sui bride and the title of Southern Khan. He refused it.^[1]

The offer came from Pei Ju, the Sui official who managed the court’s dealings with the frontier peoples.^[1] In 614 Pei Ju followed the emperor’s army to the Huaiyuan garrison. He was then put in charge of the military affairs of the northern peoples.^[2] He saw that Shibi’s following was growing stronger. He proposed to divide its strength.^[1] A woman of the imperial clan was to be married to Chiji Shad. He was to be made Southern Khan.^[1] Chiji did not dare to accept.^[1] Shibi heard of the offer. He began to resent the Sui.^[1]

Pei Ju then turned against Shibi’s adviser Shishu Huxi. He lured him to a market at Mayi and killed him.^[1] After that Shibi stopped coming to court. In 615 he besieged the emperor at Yanmen.^[1] The Zizhi tongjian tells the offer to Chiji and the murder together under 615, as the background of the siege.^[3] The histories record nothing more of Chiji Shad.

Name

叱吉設ChineseSui Shu 67
叱吉ChineseSui Shu 67

The texts give his name as Chiji Shad, 叱吉設. In the sentence on his refusal he is Chiji alone.^[2] The form is the same in every text that tells the episode.^[4] The last character, 設, is the title shad. The Chinese histories give it to the princes who commanded the troops of a separate division.^[5]