Que Dadu Shad

Que Dadu Shad was a Göktürk prince of the early seventh century. He was the younger brother of Heshana Khan, who ruled the western Göktürks.^[1] The Chinese histories name him in three roles: as the keeper of his brother’s people at Huining, as a raider of the Tuyuhun for the Sui, and as a short-lived khan at the fall of the Sui.^[2]

At Huining

The Jiu Tang Shu says that he came to the Sui court with Heshana and the tegin Danai in the Daye years.^[3] When Heshana submitted to the Sui, the emperor kept more than ten thousand of the weaker of his people inside China.^[4] He had Heshana’s younger brother graze their herds in the commandery of Huining.^[4] The Zizhi tongjian enters the division of Heshana’s people under the first month of 612.^[5] In its account the brother took the weak to Huining. The tegin Danai took the rest to Loufan. Heshana followed the emperor with five hundred horsemen.^[5] At Huining, the Jiu Tang Shu says, he had a following of more than three thousand horsemen.^[6]

The raids on the Tuyuhun

In 613, after the rising of Yang Xuangan had been put down, the emperor sent Pei Ju to settle the lands west of the Long mountains.^[7] Pei Ju went to Huining and looked after Heshana’s people. He sent Que Dadu Shad to raid the Tuyuhun.^[7] The raids brought in many captives. The people grew rich.^[8] The emperor rewarded Pei Ju richly for it.^[8]

The Que Khan

At the end of the Sui he called himself khan.^[9] The Xin Tang Shu calls him the Que Khan. The Jiu Tang Shu and the Tongdian call him the Que Da Khan.^[10] According to the Cefu yuangui, in the seventh month of 618 the Que Khan of the Göktürks of the west sent envoys with tribute to the new Tang court.^[11] The Tang gave him the title Tuwuguoba Que Khan and treated him generously.^[12]

He first sided with Li Gui. Li Gui had made himself king of Great Liang at Wuwei in 617.^[13] Cao Qiong, the Sui envoy to the western peoples, held Ganzhou and won him over.^[14] The two fought Li Gui together and were beaten.^[14] The Que Khan fled to the Dadouba valley and made common cause with the Tuyuhun.^[14] Li Gui destroyed him soon after.^[15] His people scattered and went back to the western lands.^[16] Some scholars date his end to 619.^[17]

The histories order these events in two ways.^[18] The Zizhi tongjian sets his submission to the Tang after his flight to the Tuyuhun.^[19] The Xin Tang Shu sets it first and has him join Li Gui afterwards.^[20]

Name

闕達度設ChineseXin Tangshu 215
達度闕ChineseSui Shu 84
闕達設ChineseJiu Tangshu 194
闕可汗ChineseXin Tangshu 215
吐烏過拔闕可汗ChineseJiu Tangshu 194

The forms of his name differ from text to text.^[1] The chapter on the Göktürks in the Sui Shu writes 達度闕. The Bei Shi writes 達度闕設. The biography of Pei Ju, the Xin Tang Shu and the Zizhi tongjian write 闕達度設.^[21] The Jiu Tang Shu and the Tongdian shorten it to 闕達設.^[6] The last character is understood as the title shad.^[22] Some scholars take him for a son of Niri, the father of Heshana.^[23]