Kutluk Tegin

Kutluk Tegin was an envoy whom Shibi Khan sent to the Tang court in 618, the first year of the new dynasty.^[1] The histories record him for the honours he received there.^[1]

The Jiu Tang Shu says that Shibi sent the tegin to court in the first year of Wude, 618.^[1] He was feasted in the Taiji hall, and the nine-part music was played. Gifts of brocade, coloured silk, cloth and plain silk were handed out according to rank.^[1] The Zizhi tongjian dates his arrival to the day xinwei of the fifth month of 618.^[2]

The Zizhi tongjian also records a second visit.^[3] In the ninth month the emperor sent singing girls to Shibi. Shibi sent Kutluk Tegin to court again.^[3] On the day wuyin of the tenth month the emperor feasted him. He led him up onto the imperial seat as a mark of favour.^[3] The Cefu yuangui puts the nine-part music at this second feast.^[4] The Tang Huiyao tells of the singing girls under the eighth month. It also tells of an envoy, unnamed, whom Shibi sent in return. The emperor seated him on the imperial seat.^[5] The Xin Tang Shu has a single visit with the feast, the music and the imperial seat.^[6] Some scholars hold that it has made one visit out of two.^[7]

Name

KutlukOld Turkic
骨咄祿特勒ChineseJiu Tangshu 194
骨咄祿特勤ChineseTongdian 197
Guduolu TeginChinese

The Tang histories write the personal name of Ilterish Khan with the same characters, 骨咄祿. Ilterish founded the Second Khaganate in the 680s.^[1] The name is understood as the Turkic Kutluk, “enjoying the favour of Heaven”, formed on Kut.^[8] No text gives the envoy’s name in Turkic. The form Kutluk follows from the same characters. He is a different man from Ilterish, who rose more than sixty years later.