Here are the list of Blue Turk (Türük / Kök Türük / Gök Türk / Tūjué [T’u-chüeh] 突厥 ) rulers (note: only the commonly used and commonly known titles are written):


Eastern Rulers:

1 ) Bumïn Il Qaġan:
Years of reign: 551-552.
Name: Bumïn or Tümän in Turkic, Tŭmèn (T’u-men) 土門 in Chinese.
Titles: Bumïn Il Qaġan in Turkic (Bumïn Qaġan in the inscriptions), βwmyn γ'γ'n in Soghdian and Tŭmèn Yīlì Kĕhàn (T’u-men Yi-li K’o-han) 土門伊利可汗 in Chinese.

2 ) Yĭxījì Qaġan:
Years of reign: 552-553.
Name: Qara in Turkic, Kēluó (K’o-lo) 科羅 in Chinese.
Title: Yĭxījì Kĕhàn (Yi-hsi-chi K’o-han) 乙息記可汗 in Chinese.

3 ) Mùgān Qaġan:
Years of reign: 553-572.
Title before becoming Qaġan: Yāndū Sìjīn (Yen-tu Ssu-chin) 燕都俟斤 (Sìjīn 俟斤 = Irkin, a Turkic title) in Chinese.
Title of Qaġanship: If Mugan is Turkic, it should be Buqan or Buġan as words in Old Turkic could not start with the sound M; yet, the existence of a word or name in Turkic as Buqan or Buġan is unknown (however, the name of the Blue Turk commander who attacked Crimea was written as Bukhanos Βουχανος in Greek). Mwγ'n γ'γ'n in Soghdian and Mùgān Kĕhàn (Mu-kan K’o-han) 木杆可汗 in Chinese.

4 ) Tapar/Taspar Qaġan:
Years of reign: 572-581.
Name: Possibly Tapar in Turkic, T’sp’r (Taspar) in Soghdian.
Title: T’sp’r γ'γ'n in Soghdian and Ta/Tuóbō Kěhàn (T’o-bo K’o-han) 佗鉢 in Chinese.

5 ) Ānluó Qaġan: 菴羅:
Year of reign: 581
Name and title: Ānluó (An-lo) 菴羅 in Chinese, but it’s not known whether he got the title Qaġan or not.

(Civil War, Qaġanate divided between several rulers, Näväär unifies the state)

6 ) Ïšbara Qaġan:
Years of reign: 582-587.
Name: Nw’’r (Näväär/Ñevar/Nivar) in Soghdian and Shètú (She-t’u) / Niètú (Nie-t’u) 攝圖 in Chinese.
Titles: Ïšbara Qaġan in Turkic, Nw’’r γ'γ'n in Soghdian, Ĕrfú Kěhàn (Er-fu K’o-han) 爾伏可汗 and Shābōlüè Kěhàn (Sha-po-lüe K’o-han) 沙鉢略可汗 in Chinese.

7 ) Baġa Qaġan:
Years of reign: 587-588.
Name and title before becoming Qaġan: Possibly Čulluġ in Turkic, Yèhù Chŭluóhòu (Ye-hu Ch’u-lo-hou) 葉護處羅侯 (Yèhù 葉護 = Yabġu, autonomous ruler of a half of the state) in Chinese.
Title: Baġa Qaġan in Turkic, Mòhè Kěhàn (Mo-ho K’o-han) 莫賀可汗 in Chinese.

8 ) Dūlán Qaġan:
Years of reign: 588-600.
Name: Yōngyúlǘ (Yung-yü-lü) 雍虞閭 in Chinese.
Title: Dū/Dōulán Kěhàn (Tu/Tou-lan K’o-han) 都蘭可汗 in Chinese.

9 ) Qĭmín Qaġan:
Years of reign: 600-609.
Name: Tūlì (T’u-li) 突利 in Chinese.
Title: Yīlìdou Qĭmín Kěhàn (Yi-li-tou Ch’i-min K’o-han) 伊利(?)啟民可汗 in Chinese.

10 ) Shĭbì Qaġan:
Years of reign: 609-619.
Name: Duōjíshì/Doují (Tuo-chi-shih/Tou-chi) 咄吉世 in Chinese.
Title: Shĭbì Kěhàn (Shih-pi K’o-han) 始畢可汗 in Chinese.

11 ) Tūlì Qaġan:
Years of reign: 619-621.
Name: Possibly Čulluġ in Turkic, Chŭluóhòu (Ch’u-lo-hou) 處羅侯 in Chinese.
Titles: Yabġu Qaġan in Turkic, Tūlì Kěhàn (T’u-li K’o-han) 突利可汗 and Yèhù Kěhàn (Ye-hu K’o-han) 葉護可汗 in Chinese.

12 ) Illig Qaġan:
Years of reign: 621-630.
Name: Duōbì (To-bi) 咄苾 in Chinese.
Title: Il/Illig Qaġan in Turkic and Xié/Jiélì Kěhàn (Hsieh/Chieh-li K’o-han) 颉利可汗 / 頡利可汗 in Chinese.

(in 630, Táng [T’ang] 唐 Dynasty destroys the Eastern Qaġanate)

13 ) Dabu Qaġan: Rebellious.
Years of reign: 630-638.
Title: Dabu Kěhàn (Ta-pu K’o-han) (?)(?)可汗 in Chinese.

14 ) Yugu Šad:
Years of reign: 638-639.
Title: Yugu Shè (Yü-ku She) (?)(?)殺 in Chinese (Shè 殺 = Šad, a Turkic title used for general governors).

15 ) Yiminishusilipi Qaġan: Brought by the Táng (T’ang) 唐 Dynasty to the leadership of the Blue Turks who were settled in China.
Years of reign: 641-643.
Name: Simo (Ssu-mo) (?)(?) in Chinese.
Title: Yiminishusilipi Kěhàn (Yi-mi-ni-shu-ssu-li-p’i K’o-han) (?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)可汗 in Chinese.

16 ) Yizhu Chebi Qaġan: Rebellious.
Years of reign: 638/639-648/650.
Name: Hubo (Hu-po) (?)(?) in Chinese.
Titles: Chebi (Ch’e-pi) (?)(?) in Chinese in the beginning, later acquired the title Yizhu Chebi Kěhàn (Yi-chu Ch’e-pi K’o-han) (?)(?)(?)(?)可汗 in Chinese.

17 ) Āshǐnà Nizäk Bäg Qaġan: Rebellious.
Years of reign: 679-680.
Name: Probably Nizäk Bäg in Soghdian-Turkic, Āshǐnà Níshúfú (A-shih-na Ni-shu-fu; Āshǐnà 阿史那 was the ruling tribe of this empire) 阿史那泥熟匐 in Chinese. The Chinese form of Soghdian Nîzäk is Níshú (Ni-shu) 泥熟; whereas Fú 匐 might have been used for Turkic Bäg (Chieftain).

18 ) Āshǐnà Fúniàn Qaġan: Rebellious.
Year of reign: 681.
Name: Āshǐnà Fúniàn (A-shih-na Fu-nien) 阿史那伏念 in Chinese.

19 ) Iltiriš Qaġan: Rebellious but successful.
Years of reign: 682-691.
Name: Qutluġ in Turkic, Āshĭnà Gǔduōlù (A-shih-na Ku-do-lu) 阿史那骨咄祿 in Chinese.
Titles: Qutluġ Qaġan and Iltiriš Qaġan in Turkic, Xié/Jiédiēlìshī Kěhàn (Hsieh/Chieh-tie-li-shih K’o-han) 頡跌利施可汗 and Gǔduōlù Kěhàn (Ku-to-lu K’o-han) 骨咄祿可汗 in Chinese.

20 ) Qapġan Qaġan:
Years of reign: 691-716.
Title before becoming Qaġan: There are view about this being Bögü or Bäg Čor in Turkic, but I support the Bäg Čor theory; Mòchuò (Mo-ch’o) 默啜 in Chinese.
Titles of Qaġanship: Bögü Qaġan and Qapghan Qaġan in Turkic, Mòchuò Kěhàn (Mo-ch’o K’o-han) 默啜可汗 in Chinese.

21 ) Inäl Qaġan:
Year of reign: 716.
Name: Might be Bögü in Turkic, Fújù (Fu-chü) 匐俱 in Chinese.
Title: Inäl Qaġan (according to one view, Ini Il-Qaġan; but I support the Inäl Qaġan theory) in Turkic, Yíniè Kěhàn (Yi-nie K’o-han) 移涅可汗 in Chinese.

22 ) Bilgä Qaġan:
Years of reign: 716-734.
Name: Mòjílián (Mo-chi-lien) 默棘連 in Chinese.
Title: Bilgä Qaġan in Turkic and Píjiā Kěhàn (P’i-chia K’o-han) 毗伽可汗 in Chinese.

23 ) Yīrán Qaġan:
Years of reign: 734-740.
Title: Yīrán Kěhàn (Yi-jan K’o-han) 伊然可汗 in Chinese.

24 ) Täŋri Qaġan:
Years of reign: 740-741.
Title: Täŋri Qaġan in Turkic and Cheng/Dēnglì Kěhàn 登利可汗 in Chinese.

25 ) (name and title unknown; one of Bilgä Qaġan's sons)

26 ) (name and title unknown; one of Bilgä Qaġan's sons)

27 ) Qutluġ Yabġu:
Years of reign: 741-742.
Title: Qutluġ Yabġu in Turkic and Gǔduōlù Yèhù (Ku-to-lu Ye-hu) 骨咄祿葉護 in Chinese.

28 ) Ozmïš Qaġan:
Years of reign: 742-744.
Title before becoming Qaġan: Ozmïš Tigin.
Title of Qaġanship: Ozmïš Qaġan (some people read this as Özmiš but it is written Ozmïš in the inscriptions) in Turkic and Wūsūmĭshī Kěhàn (Wu-su-mi-shih K’o-han) 烏蘇米施可汗 in Chinese.

29 ) Báiméi Qaġan:
Years of reign: 744-745.
Title: Báiméi Kěhàn (Pai-mei K’o-han) 白眉可汗 in Chinese; it might be Aqqaš Qaġan in Turkic because Báiméi 白眉 means White Eyebrowed in Chinese, but we have no written evidence.



Western Rulers:

1 ) Istämi Yabġu: Not independent
Years of Yabġuship: 552-576.
Name: Istämi in Turkic inscriptions; Silziboulos ΣΙΛΖΙΒΟΥΛΟΣ / Σιλζιβουλοσ, Dizaboulos ΔΙΖΑΒΟΥΛΟΣ / Διζαβουλοσ, Stembis ΣΤΕΜΒΙΣ / Στεμβισ in Greek; Sinjibû ﺴﻨﺠﺒﻮ in Arabic and Shìdiănmì (Shih-tien-mi) 室點蜜 / Shìdìmĭ (Shih-ti-mi) 室帝米 in Chinese.
Titles: Istämi Yabġu in Turkic (Istämi Qaġan in the inscriptions) and Shìdiănmì Yèhù (Shih-tien-mi Ye-hu) 室點蜜葉護 in Chinese.

2 ) Tardu Yabġu/Qaġan: Mostly accepted as independent, some say it's his successor who made the Western Qaġanate independent.
Years of reign: 576-603.
Name: Tardu in Turkic and Soghdian, Dátóu (Ta-t’ou) 達頭 in Chinese.
Titles: Tardu Yabġu/Qaġan in Turkic, Dátóu Kěhàn (Ta-t’ou K’o-han) 達頭可汗 and Bùjiā Kěhàn (Pu-chia K’o-han) 步迦可汗 in Chinese.

3 ) Chŭluó Qaġan:
Years of reign: 603-611.
Name: Hésànà (Ho-sa-na) 曷薩那 in Chinese.
Title: Níjuē Chŭluó Kěhàn (Ni-chüeh Ch’u-lo K’o-han) 泥撅處羅可汗 in Chinese.

4 ) Shèguì Qaġan:
Years of reign: 611-618.
Title: Shèguì Kěhàn (She-kui K’o-han) 射匱可汗 in Chinese.

5 ) Tǒng Yabġu Qaġan:
Years of reign: 618-630.
Title: Tǒng Yèhù Kěhàn (T’ung Ye-hu K’o-han) 統野護可汗 in Chinese.

(Rulers after these are vassals of Táng [T’ang] 唐 Dynasty; civil war starts)

6 ) Baġatur Küllüg Sìpí Qaġan:
Year of reign: 630.
Titles before becoming Qaġan: Baġatur in Turkic which is Mòhèduō (Mo-ho-to) 莫賀咄 in Chinese and Yǎngsù Tèjìn (Yang-su T’e-chin) 鞅素特靳 (Tèjìn 特靳 = Tigin, prince).
Titles of Qaġanship: Mòhèduō Qūlì Sìpí Kěhàn (Mo-ho-to Ch'ü-li-ssu-p'i K’o-han; Qūlì 屈利 = Küllüg [Famous]) 莫賀咄屈利俟毗可汗, Hou Qūlìpí Kěhàn (Hou Ch'ü-li-p'i K'o-han) (?)屈利毗可汗 or Sì Qūlìsìpí Dūlù (Ssu Ch'ü-li-ssu-p'i Tu-lu) 俟屈利俟毗都陸 in Chinese

7 ) Yĭpí Bōluó Sì Yabġu Qaġan:
Years of reign: 630-633.
Title before becoming Qaġan: Xi/Tielì Tèjìn (Hsi/li T'e-chin) 咥利特靳 in Chinese.
Title of Qaġanship: Yĭpí Bōluó Sì/Lü Yèhù Kěhàn (Yi-p'i Po-lo Ssu Ye-hu K’o-han) 乙毗鉢羅肆葉護可汗 in Chinese.

8 ) Tarduš Qaġan:
Years of reign: 633-634.
Name: Nîzäk in Soghdian, Níshú (Ni-shu) 泥孰 in Chinese.
Title: Tarduš Qaġan in Turkic, Duōluó Kěhàn (To-lo K’o-han) 咄羅可汗 in Chinese.

9 ) Ïšbara İltiriš Qaġan:
Years of reign: 634-638.
Title before becoming Qaġan: Toŋa Šad in Turkic, Tóng’é Shè (T’ung-e She) 同俄殺 in Chinese.
Title of Qaġanship: Ïšbara İltiriš Qaġan in Turkic, Shābōluó Die/Xilìshī Kěhàn (Sha-po-lo Tie/Hsi-li-shih K’o-han) 沙鉢羅咥利失可汗 in Chinese.

(Civil war, the Qaġanate is divided into two)

10 ) Yĭpí Tarduš Qaġan:
Years of reign: 638-642.
Title before becoming Qaġan: Yugu Shè (?)(?)殺 in Chinese.
Title of Qaġanship: Tarduš Qaġan in Turkic, Yĭpí Duōluó Kěhàn (Yi-p’i To-lo K’o-han) 乙毗咄羅可汗 in Chinese.

11 ) Yiqulishi Yĭpí Qaġan:
Years of reign: 639-640.
Title: Yiqulishi Yĭpí Kěhàn (Yi-ch’ü-li-shih Yi-p’i K’o-han) (?)(?)(?)(?)乙毗可汗 in Chinese.

12 ) Baġatur Yĭpí Yabġu Qaġan:
Years of reign: 640-641.
Title: Mòhèduō Yĭpí Yèhù [Mo-ho-to Yi-p’i Ye-hu] 莫賀咄乙毗葉護 in Chinese.

13 ) Yĭpí Ïšbara Qaġan:
Years of reign: 641-642.
Title before becoming Qaġan: Biheduo Yèhù (Pi-ho-do Ye-hu) (?)(?)(?)葉護 in Chinese.
Title of Qaġanship: Yĭpí Shābōluó Kěhàn (Yi-p’i Sha-po-lo K’o-han) 乙毗沙鉢羅可汗 in Chinese.

14 ) Yĭpí Shèguì Qaġan:
Years of reign: 642-649.
Title: Yĭpí Shèguì Kěhàn (Yi-p’i She-kui K’o-han) 乙毗射匱 in Chinese.

15 ) Ïšbara Qaġan:
Years of reign: 651-656.
Name: Āshǐnà Hèlǔ (A-shih-na Ho-lu) 阿史那賀魯 in Chinese.
Title: Ïšbara Qaġan in Turkic and Shābōluó Kěhàn (Sha-po-lo K’o-han) 沙鉢羅可汗 in Chinese.

16 ) Xīngxīwáng Qaġan and Jìwǎngjué Qaġan: Puppet qaġans appointed by the Táng (T’ang) 唐 Dynasty of China. They had civil war between each other.
Years of reign: 651-667.
Names: Xīngxīwáng Qaġan's name is Āshǐnà Míshe (A-shih-na Mi-she) 阿史那彌射 in Chinese, Jìwǎngjué Qaġan's name is Āshǐnà Bùzhēn (A-shih-na Pu-chen) 阿史那步真 in Chinese.
Titles: Āshǐnà Míshe’s 阿史那彌射 title is Xīngxīwáng Kěhàn (Hsing-hsi-wang K’o-han) 興昔亡可汗 in Chinese, Āshǐnà Bùzhēn’s 阿史那步真 title is Jìwǎngjué Kěhàn (Chi-wang-chüeh K’o-han) 繼往絕可汗 in Chinese.

17 ) Āshǐnà Yuánqìng and Jiézhōng Shìzhŭ Qaġan:
Years of reign: 667-692.
Names: Yuánqìng’s name is Āshǐnà Yuánqìng (A-shih-na Yüan-ch’ing) 阿史那元慶 in Chinese, Jiézhōng's name is Buli Húsèluó (Pu-li Hu-se-lo; Buli = Turkic Böri [Kurt]) (?)(?)斛瑟羅.
Titles: Húsèluó’s title is Jiézhōng Shìzhŭ Kěhàn (Chieh-chung Shih-chu K’o-han) 竭忠事主可汗 in Chinese.

18 ) First On Oq Qaġan: Rebellious
Years of reign: 677-679.
Name: Tuizi (T’ui-tzu) 俀子 in Chinese.
Title: On Oq Qaġan in Turkic and Shíxìng Kěhàn (Shih-hsing K’o-han) 十姓可汗 in Chinese.

19 ) Second On Oq Qaġan:
Years of reign: 704-716.
Name: Āshǐnà Huáidào (A-shih-na Huai-tao) 阿史那懷道 in Chinese.
Title: On Oq Qaġan in Turkic and Shíxìng Kěhàn (Shih-hsing K’o-han) 十姓可汗 in Chinese.

20 ) Āshǐnà Xiàn: Even though he did not acquire the title Qaġan, he was sent by China to rule over the On Oq, people of the Western Blue Turk Qaġanate.
Years of service: 705-717.
Name: Āshǐnà Xiàn (A-shih-na Hsien) 阿史那獻 in Chinese.

20 ) Third On Oq Qaġan:
Year of reign: 739.
Name: Āshǐnà Xīn (A-shih-na Hsin) 阿史那昕 in Chinese.
Title: On Oq Qaġan in Turkic and Shíxìng Kěhàn (Shih-hsing K’o-han) 十姓可汗 in Chinese.

Nice list.. I'm going to pin this up :lol:

Just curious, I read that the ancestor of the Tujue is "AhSiNa" (阿史那) . Do you have any info on him?

Ashina 阿史那 was the name of the tribe that ruled the Tujue Qaghanate. All the Qaghans were paternally from the Ashina tribe, while most of the Prime Ministers and Qatun empresses were from the Ashide 阿史德 tribe.

However, myths about early Tujue are varied, let me post some of them:

Tongdian, Chapter 197, Tujue Section, 1067/1C:
Cefu Yuangui, Chapter 956, p.11251, 30/b:

Is Li Shimin considered a Tujue Ruler as well? He was given the title of Tian Qaghan by the Tujue in one occasion. :blink:
Nice list, btw.

Li shimin is not a turky, but a mix-blood of Han-sianbei, Tian Khan was
a respect title called by Tujue at that time.

Then he must have commanded such great respect that the Turks would give him the title of Qaghan.

Well, as ananda pointed out, he wasn't a Tujue; his family, the Li, was half Han and half Xianbei 鮮卑.

I don't remember the details about Taizong getting the title Tengri Qaghan (Tian Kehan); yes he got it but I can't recall when and how. He probably got that because he ruled over the Tujue (I'm not sure though).


Thanks, but it's not complete I suppose :(

Btw, I found out that Yugu Shad wasn't rebellious, I shall update that.

The term Tengri Qaghan first showed up in Jio Tang Shu 舊唐書:

(貞觀)四年正月乙亥，定襄道行軍總管李靖，大破突厥，獲隋皇后蕭氏及煬帝之孫正道，送至京師。......二月甲辰，又破突厥于陰山，頡利可汗輕騎遠遁。......三月庚辰，大同道行軍總管張寶相生擒頡利可汗，獻於京師。......甲午，以俘頡利，告於太廟。夏四月丁酉，御順天目，軍吏執頡利以獻捷。自是西北諸蕃請上尊號為天可汗。於是降璽書，冊命其君長，則兼稱之。

Short trans:
Tang army defeated the Tujue army and captured Il-Qaghan. And all the barbarians in the north-west asked Tai-Tsong to be their Tengri Qaghan.

After that, through out Tang history in Han language, every Tang emperor was called Tengri Qaghan. So that mean Tang has the command and respect over the Turk people?

You wish....

let's see the same period, an other 舊唐書 record:

乾元二年夏四月，廻紇毗伽闕可汗(Kul Bilga Qaghan, aka Qarliq Qaghan 葛勒可汗)死，長子葉護先被殺，乃立其少子登里可汗，其妻可敦。

So? you ask, where is 天可汗 mentioned? 登里可汗 = Tengri Qaghan

well, don't take my word for it, just look at YiShan's original text:
23) Tengri Qaghan: 740-741. Titles are Tengri Qaghan in Turkic and Chengli/Dengli Kehan 登利可汗 in Chinese. (some source has it in 登里 some in 登利... there's a lot of Tengris out there)

Well, appearently there's more than one Tengri out there.... a lot more than one.

Let's see what the tujue people actually refer to Tang emperors in their documents. (Yes, other people have history too)

In tablets found by archeologiests. Including the Bilga Qaghan tablet, Ton Juquq tablet, Qarliq Qaghan tablet and others, China is "tabgac". Tang Emperor is "tabac Qan. Tang people are aware of this term for them, in Chinese translation this Tuejue word is translated to 桃花石。

In Turkic languages, tabgac = tavgas = taugas.

In "Divanu Lugat-it-Turk Tercumesi" by Mahamud al-Qashgari:

Tabghac is the name for Sin, Masin (from Indian, Ma = 大, Sin 秦)

Even in Eastern Roman Empire at this time refers to China as Taugas.

But there was not any record that says Tang Emperors are called Tengri (or Tangri) besides in Han language. Hmm........ I guess only when they send someone to China, then they use it to please the Tang emperors I guess.

Source: well... all mentioned in the text already v_v But one source is 中國西域研究 by 劉義棠

China was "Tabghach" and the Chinese Emperor was "Tabghach Qaghan" in Old Turkic.

And 'Tabghach' was actually the original pronunciation of Tuoba, the Xianbei tribe that ruled the Northern Wei during the Age of Fragmentation. The Turkut rose and destroyed the Rouran during the later part of the Northern Wei, so they referred to China as 'Tabghach' even after the Northern Wei had fallen. The name 'Tabghach/Tuoba' was so prestigious after the 6th century that the founding father of the Tangut (Dangxiang) also claimed to be a Tuoba.

"After that, through out Tang history in Han language, every Tang emperor was called Tengri Qaghan. So that mean Tang has the command and respect over the Turk people?

You wish....

let's see the same period, an other 舊唐書 record:

乾元二年夏四月，廻紇毗伽闕可汗(Kul Bilga Qaghan, aka Qarliq Qaghan 葛勒可汗)死，長子葉護先被殺，乃立其少子登里可汗，其妻可敦。

So? you ask, where is 天可汗 mentioned? 登里可汗 = Tengri Qaghan

well, don't take my word for it, just look at YiShan's original text:
23) Tengri Qaghan: 740-741. Titles are Tengri Qaghan in Turkic and Chengli/Dengli Kehan 登利可汗 in Chinese. (some source has it in 登里 some in 登利... there's a lot of Tengris out there)

Well, appearently there's more than one Tengri out there.... a lot more than one.

Let's see what the tujue people actually refer to Tang emperors in their documents. (Yes, other people have history too)

In tablets found by archeologiests. Including the Bilga Qaghan tablet, Ton Juquq tablet, Qarliq Qaghan tablet and others, China is "tabgac". Tang Emperor is "tabac Qan. Tang people are aware of this term for them, in Chinese translation this Tuejue word is translated to 桃花石。

In Turkic languages, tabgac = tavgas = taugas.

In "Divanu Lugat-it-Turk Tercumesi" by Mahamud al-Qashgari:

Tabghac is the name for Sin, Masin (from Indian, Ma = 大, Sin 秦)

Even in Eastern Roman Empire at this time refers to China as Taugas.

But there was not any record that says Tang Emperors are called Tengri (or Tangri) besides in Han language. Hmm........ I guess only when they send someone to China, then they use it to please the Tang emperors I guess."


You are greatly confused. The Orkun inscriptions were only written in the 8th entury. Its NOT the tujue that gave him that title, but the Tie lie tribes of xue yang tuo and Uighurs. And they continued to do so even after the Turuk empire was restored. Since the Tujue were under Tang domination from 630-682 a.d. obviously they were to call the Tang emperors as masters, this itself is recorded in the orkun inscription, but when they became independent, there is no reason for them to recognize the Tang emperors as superiors, although in early times, title was still granted by the Tang to them.

I think so too, though there are a lot of theories out there.

But 拓拔 in classic Chinese is To-Beik, or To-Bak, judging by that I think it is the translation from Tabghach.

I wonder how the Tuoba called themselves...

Wei.

The Byzantine called Tang Tabgach because their embassy sent eastward to search for an alliance against the arabs in the 630s met a group of western turks which called Tang Tabgach, so thats how the byzantines called it.

Tang Tabgach <-- That's a group of western turks? Besides, if that was a group of Turks, why would the Byzantines call China by that name? It's not like the eastern romans didn't know about Turks.

No, what Warhead meant is that the Western Turks called the Tang "Tabgach", as in they referred to the Tang empire as the Tabgach (Tuoba?).

Ok, got it.

Yes, since the Wei was such an influencial state that even after its collapse, the turkic people still called its successor states as Tabgach.

The only people that might refered to the Tang empire as Tang is perhaps the leading clans of the turks which enters direct diplomatic negotiation with the Tang.

Warhead, I didn't ask the name of the Tuoba's dynasty in China, I asked how the original Tuoba tribe of the Xianbei people named itself.

Is anything known about the wives and mothers of any of these Tujue/Gok Turk/Turuk rulers. Specifically, there's a question being discussed on another forum/news group about the possibility of the Xi-Wei princess who was married first to Bumin, and then apparently to Istemi, being the mother of the Tujue princes who became the mother of the Homizd IV of Persia (r. 579-590). Are there any sources which might address this issue?

Thanks.

Jeff Duvall

Jeff, I was invited to that group by Ford Mommaerts-Browne, and read the discussion. I have looked through the Zhou Shu records on the Western Wei emperors (there are none in the Wei Shu), and also their description of Persia (Bosi), but there is no mention of Princess Changle's daughter being married off to the Sassanians. However, this is not surprising, since Princess Changle's descendants would not be considered part of the Western Wei aristocracy.

Could you elaborate on the Sassanian record of Homizd IV's mother? On Mommaerts-Browne's chart, she is indicated as 'Kayen of Turmania'.

I'd also be very pleased if you could provide a link to Valentin C. Golovachev's "Matricide Among the Touba-Xianbei and its
Transformation During the Northern Wei", which you said was available online.

Yun,

Here's the link for the Golovachev article: http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/cchenna/journal/volume%202/

I found it on the Early Medival China webpage. You should also be able to find a couple of article there by Dr. Jennifer Holmgren. In addition, a number of Holmgren's articles on the Northern Wei dynasty and its successor states have been compiled and published in book form under the title *Marriage, Kinship and Power in Northern China* (Variorum, 1995).

The marriage between Istemi's daughter (called Kayen of Turkmania in Ford's charts) and Khosrow/Chosroes I of Persia (r. 531-579) seems to be widely accepted -- you can find references to it in any number of sources both online (via Google) as well as in print, but they are all, as far as I can determine so far, secondary sources and I've not yet had a chance to check the notes (etc.) to see what primary sources such claims are being based upon. One such source, which I have on hand, is Rene Grousset's *The Empire of the Steppes: A History of Central Asia* (1939, rprnt. Rutgers University Press, 1997). The same holds true for placing this same princess (i.e. Istemi's daughter) as the mother of Khosrow/Chosroes I's son and successor, Hormizd/Hormazd IV "the Turk" (r. 579-590).

My concern, once I began looking more closely at this possible link between the Persian Sassanids and Western Wei/Norther Wei (which might in turn prove to be a link between various Western dynasties and China), was whether or not it was even remotely possible (chronologically) for the Western Wei princess to have been the grandmother of Hormizd/Hormazd IV given the fact that most of the sources I've seen so far seem to indicate that Istemi's marriage to Chang-lo/Changle would have taken place after his brother's death in 552/553. I gather that it was perfectly acceptable practice among the Turkish Khans for the successor sons/brothers of a dead Khan to select various wives, concubines, etc., out of his harem and add them to their own (so it would be plausible that Istemi would have taken the Western Wei princess as his wife following his brother's death), but I'm not sure a child of such a marriage (assuming it didn't take place until 552/3) would have been old enough to pass along to Khosrow/Chosroes I of Persia early enough for their child to be Hormizd/Hormazd IV. In short, the daughter Istemi sent to Persia could just as likely been born to another of his wives, concubines, etc. And that's why I was curious about knowing whether or not any Chinese sources say anything about the other wives (as well as the mothers) of these early Tujue/Gok-Turk/Turuk Khans.

I'll see if I can gather together a bibliography on the marriage between Persia and the Turks and Hormizd/Hormazd IV's mother being the daughter of Istemi and post it here when time permits.

Jeff

Do you know of any source for a genealogy of this dynasty, with OR without the Khazar Khagans?

Unfortunately, not yet...

General Zhaoyun or any other mods, please re-sticky this thread.

I wonder if there is any sort of connection between the Tujue royal name of "Ashina" with "Attila" of the Huns? Both groups are reputed to be descended from the Xiongnu.

There probably aren't such a connection. The Ashina appeared in the Southern Altais, Attila's lineage continued as the Bulgar khans in the Pontic Steppes.

There are also quite a few Tujue (Gokturk) rulers with the title "Arsila". I still think there is some kind of connection with "Attila" of the Huns.

Well "Arsila" is a modified form in one of the Gök Türks' neighbors' languages, it's original form is Arslan (Lion).

Is there any Turks that have established a Dynasty in China ?
If yes, which Dynasty and which King ?

The Shatuo 沙坨 Turks, who are said to be descended from the Western Turks/Turkut, founded three successive dynasties in the Five Dynasties period:

Later Tang (ruled by the Li family, 923-936), Later Jin (ruled by the Shi family, 936-946), and Later Han (ruled by the Liu family, 947-979).

Later Tang was destroyed by Later Jin and its Khitan allies, Later Jin was destroyed by the Khitan when it turned against them, and Later Han was all but destroyed in 950 by a rebel general (Guo Wei) who founded the Later Zhou dynasty, although a Later Han prince, followed by his son and grandsons, continued to rule as Han emperors at Taiyuan (in reality a client state of the Khitan) until the Song dynasty completed the unification of China by defeating a Khitan and Later Han army and capturing Taiyuan in 979.

We have a thread on the Shatuo here: http://www.chinahistoryforum.com/index.php?showtopic=4333

Btw I should update my list of qaghans... I'm currently working on the Turkish version of my list; after finishing that, I'll work on the English version too and I shall put the updated better version here.

But i heard that Tang dynasty were unable to defeat the Arab in the middle east ?

Yes, Tang Dynasty's Army of the Western Regions was destroyed by the army of the 'Abbâsid Caliphate, supported with the Qarluq Turks, at the Battle of Talas.

The list has been updated.

Or is there some connection with the Asen dynasty of the Bulgars?

and Kül Tigin (Köl Tegin) was the brother of Bilgä Qaġan (no. 22) = Bilge Kagan...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%BCl_Tigin

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Bögü Kagan = Kapgan Kagan

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Inel Kagan = İni İl Kagan

1) Bumın Kagan

2) Kara Kagan (son of Bumın Kagan)

3) Mukan Kagan (son of Bumın Kagan)

4) Taspar Kagan (son of Bumın Kagan)

4a) Ta-lo-pien (son of Mukan Kagan)

4b) An-lo (son of Taspar Kagan)

5) Ishbara (son of Kara Kagan)

6) Baga Kagan (son Kara Kagan)

7) Tou-lan Kagan (son of Ishbara Kagan)

8) Ch'i-min Kagan (son of Baga Kagan)

9) Shih-pi Kagan (son of Ch'i-min Kagan )

10) Ch'u-lo Kagan (son of Ch'i-min Kagan )

11) İl Kagan (son of Ch'i-min Kagan )

SECOND GÖKTÜRK STATE:


1) Kutlug Kagan = İlteriş

2) Kapgan Kagan (brother of Kutlug Kagan)

3) İni İl Kagan (son of Kapgan Kagan)

4) Bilge Kagan (son of Kutlug Kagan)

5) I-jan Kagan (son of Bilge Kagan)

6) Tengri Kagan = Bilge Kutlug Kagan (son of Bilge Kagan)

7) name unknown (son of Bilge Kapgan)

8) name unknown (son of Bilge Kagan)

9) Kutlug Yabgu

10) Ozmış Kagan

11) Baimei Kagan










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note: my nickname "Bilge" comes from Bilge Kagan (no.4)