Chula Khan

Chula ruled for little more than a year, between two brothers who ruled for a decade each. The Jiu Tang Shu records three things of him: a policy inherited, a pretender crowned, and a death that a later source explained by poison.^[1]

Accession (619)

Shibi died in the second month of 619. His son Shiboubi was too young to succeed and was made Nibu Shad, with a camp in the east north of Youzhou. The tribes set up Shibi’s brother, the Silifu Shad, as Chuluo Khan.^[1] Shibi’s son was seventeen.^[2] Chula married the Sui princess Yicheng, the widow of his brother and of his father. He sent envoys to announce the death.^[1] The Tang emperor Gaozu held mourning and suspended court for three days. He had the officials condole with the envoys at their lodge. He sent Zheng Deting to condole with Chula and gave thirty thousand pieces of silk.^[1] Chula thereafter sent tribute often.^[1] Modern accounts read the generous payment and the halt of the campaign Shibi had begun as the Tang buying the new khan off.^[2]

King of Sui at Dingxiang (620)

The Sui empress Xiao and Yang Zhengdao, the son of the prince of Qi and grandson of the last Sui emperor, had fallen into the hands of the rebel Dou Jiande.^[1] In the second month of 620 Chula fetched them to his court and set up Zhengdao as king of Sui.^[1] All the Chinese of the Sui period who were in the khan’s land were made his subjects. The Sui calendar was kept, and officials were appointed. Zhengdao lived at the walled town of Dingxiang with ten thousand followers.^[1] Modern accounts read this as a symbolic act to lend legitimacy to Göktürk intervention in China. It ran alongside alliances with the warlords Wang Shichong and Dou Jiande.^[2]

At the same time Chula kept his brother’s alliance with the Tang. Li Shimin, not yet emperor, was sent against Liu Wuzhou and halted at Taiyuan. Chula sent his brother, the Buli Shad, with two thousand riders to join the imperial army.^[1] In the sixth month Chula himself came to Bingzhou. The governor Li Zhongwen came out to receive him, and Chula stayed three days.^[1] His men carried off many of the beautiful women of the city. Li Zhongwen could not prevent it.^[1]

Death (620)

Soon afterwards Chula died.^[1] He died unexpectedly before a campaign planned with Liang Shidu. In that campaign Dou Jiande was to cross the Taihang mountains and join the Göktürks in the prefectures of Jin and Jiang.^[2] The Zizhi Tongjian carries indications that the Chinese minister of ceremonies Zheng Yuanshu poisoned him.^[2] A Chinese held such a post at the khan’s court. Modern accounts take this to show how far the leaning toward China had gone since Yami.^[2] The princess Yicheng passed over Chula’s son, the Aoshe Shad, as ugly and weak. She set up Chula’s brother Duobi, who became Ilig Khan.^[1]

Assessment

Chula shows the eastern state at the height of its leverage over China. He held the Sui pretender in one hand and the Tang’s gratitude in the other. He also shows that Chinese advisers managed this leverage. A Chinese princess chose his successor. Modern accounts count his inconsistency, beside Yami’s treachery, among the failures of leadership that undid the house.^[2]