Suopi Shad was a shad of the Göktürks. The Hezhi Khan killed him.[1] His death is known from one sentence of the edict, quoted in the Sui Shu, in which the first Sui emperor ordered war on the Göktürks in 583.[1]
The edict sets out how the Göktürks stood with their neighbours. After the risings against Tardush and Ishbara it adds: “In past years Lijicha was badly beaten by Goguryeo and the Mohe, and Suopi Shad was killed by the Hezhi Khan.”[1] All who lived beside the Göktürks, the edict says, wished to destroy them.[1] The Bei Shi quotes the same sentence and writes the name Shapi Shad, 沙毗設.[2]
The edict does not say when or where he died, or why the Hezhi Khan killed him.[3] One translation of the Sui Shu renders the name So-pi Şad.[4] No other passage of the Chinese histories names him.
References
- ^ a b c d Sui Shu (Book of Sui), juan 84
- ^ Bei Shi (History of the Northern Dynasties), juan 99
- ^ Sui Shu (Book of Sui), juan 84; Bei Shi (History of the Northern Dynasties), juan 99
- ^ Mau-tsai 1958, Turkish edition, p. 70
Sources
- Sui Shu (Book of Sui), juan 84
- Bei Shi (History of the Northern Dynasties), juan 99 (after Wei Shu, Zhou Shu and Sui Shu)
Literature
- Liu Mau-tsai, Çin Kaynaklarına Göre Doğu Türkleri (1958, Turkish edition)
What links here3
- Persons
- Hezhi Khan · Lijicha
- Battles & Events
- Edict of Emperor Wen against the Göktürks (583)
Cite this article
Yavuz, Emre-E. “Suopi Shad.” Turkic Atlas, revised 22 October 2026. https://turkicatlas.org/persons/suopi-shad/
Last revised: 22 October 2026
