Kuhanzhen

Kuhanzhen was the seventh son of Ishbara Khan, the ruler of the Göktürks, and a prince of the house of Ashina.^[1] In 585 he carried his father’s memorial of submission to the Sui court. The emperor made him a zhuguo and duke of Anguo.^[2]

The memorial of 585

In 585 Ishbara, whom the Chinese histories call Shabolüe, was hard pressed by Tardush in the west. He feared the Khitan in the east.^[2] After the wars with the Sui he made a treaty with them that fixed the frontier at the desert. He also sent up a memorial of submission.^[1] Heaven had no two suns, it said, and the earth no two kings. The emperor of the Great Sui was the true emperor.^[1] The memorial ends: “I respectfully send my seventh son, your servant Kuhanzhen, and others to present this memorial.”^[1] The Bei Shi has the same words.^[3] The Tongdian calls him only Ishbara’s son.^[4]

At the Sui court

In his edict the emperor said that the two had formerly been at peace but still two states. Now they were lord and subject and formed one body.^[1] He made Kuhanzhen a zhuguo and duke of Anguo. He feasted him in the inner palace, presented him to the empress and rewarded him richly.^[1] The Zizhi tongjian has him reach Chang’an on the day bingxu of the eighth month of 585.^[5] At the same time, in the Sui Shu’s account, Ishbara’s wife Qianjin was given the imperial surname Yang and the new title Princess Dayi.^[1] Ishbara was greatly pleased. From then on his tribute came every season.^[1]

The annals of the Sui Shu, in a modern translation, call him Kuhezhen Tegin.^[6] In the first month of 587 Ishbara again sent a son to the court with the products of his country.^[1] The Sui Shu does not give that son’s name.^[1]

Name

窟含真ChineseSui Shu 84
窟合真ChineseBei Shi 99
窟舍真ChineseTongdian 197
庫合真ChineseZizhi tongjian 176

The histories write the name in four ways.^[7] The Sui Shu’s chapter on the Göktürks has 窟含真, Kuhanzhen. The Bei Shi has 窟合真, Kuhezhen. The Tongdian has 窟舍真, Kushezhen. The Zizhi tongjian has 庫合真, Kuhezhen with another first character.^[7] The editors of the Sui Shu note that its annals have 庫合真 as well.^[1] A translator of the Sui Shu leaves open which form is right.^[8]