Ilterish Qaghan facts for kids

Ilterish Qaghan (also known as Ashina Qutlugh) was a very important leader. He founded the Second Turkic Khaganate, a powerful Turkic empire. He ruled from 682 to 691. His actions helped bring the Turkic people together again after a period of being controlled by the Tang Dynasty.

Early Life of Ilterish Qaghan

We don't know much about Ilterish Qaghan's early life. He was related to Illig Qaghan, who was the last ruler of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate. His father was a chief under a Chinese military governor.

Some old texts say his father had a special title called Tutunchuo. Other texts suggest that "Qutlugh," which was Ilterish Qaghan's personal name, might have actually been a title he inherited from his father. Before he became a qaghan (ruler) in 682, Ilterish Qaghan was known as a shad. This was a special title for military commanders.

The Rise of the Turkic Empire

Starting the Rebellion

In 681, a rebellion by another Turkic leader, Ashina Funian, failed. After this, Ilterish Qaghan decided to lead his own uprising against the powerful Tang Dynasty. He gathered a strong army of over 5,000 soldiers. Many of these soldiers were former Turkic rebels.

Ilterish Qaghan began his military campaigns. He first attacked the Tang forces and a group called the Toquz Oghuz to the north.

The Tonyukuk inscription, an ancient stone writing, tells us that Tonyukuk and another leader named Boyla Bagha Tarkan helped Ilterish Qaghan become the qaghan. After becoming ruler, Ilterish Qaghan gave important roles to his younger brothers. He made Mochuo a shad and Duoxifu a yabghu (another high-ranking title).

His attacks on the Tang border started on July 12, 682. The Turks attacked the Lan Prefecture and even captured its leader. Later, due to bad weather, the Turks raided the northern borders of the Bing Prefecture. The Tang Dynasty sent General Xue Rengui to defend against these attacks. The Turks suffered a defeat, losing thousands of soldiers. However, they soon resumed their attacks, raiding more prefectures and killing Tang officials.

Conquering Ötüken

In 684, Ilterish Qaghan turned his attention to the steppe, the vast grasslands. He began a campaign against the Toquz Oghuz. After the Chinese took control of the Eastern Turks in 630, the Toquz Oghuz had taken over Ötüken. Ötüken was the ancient heartland and a very important place for the Turks.

Taking back Ötüken was crucial for Ilterish Qaghan. It would help him show his power and become the true ruler of the Turks. The Tonyukuk inscription describes this campaign. It says that a person from the Toquz Oghuz told the Turks that their qaghan, Baz Qaghan, was planning an alliance with the Tang and Khitans against the Turks.

After hearing this, Tonyukuk advised Ilterish Qaghan to attack the Toquz Oghuz first. The Turks moved into Ötüken and defeated a force of 3,000 Toquz Oghuz warriors.

After conquering Ötüken in 685, the Turks encouraged the Toquz Oghuz to rebel against the Tang government. The Tang sent about 30,000 troops to stop this rebellion. Many Toquz Oghuz tribes eventually surrendered to the Tang and were moved to new areas. This allowed the Turks to fully control and settle in Ötüken.

Campaigns into China

On August 31, 684, Ilterish Qaghan began an attack on the Shuo Prefecture in China. The Turks faced difficulties at first because of a skilled Tang general. However, this general later got into trouble and was executed, which helped the Turks. Between March and May 685, the Turks raided the Shuo and Dai prefectures. They clashed with a Tang general, resulting in the loss of about 5,000 Tang soldiers.

In 686, a general named Heichi Changzhi was sent by the Tang emperor to stop the Turks. The Turks suffered a small defeat in one battle. However, the main Turkic army was likely campaigning further north. According to the Tonyukuk inscription, Ilterish Qaghan's army went deep into Tang territory, reaching areas like Shandong and Taluy. Shandong refers to lands east of the Taihang Mountains, and Taluy means "sea" or "ocean," possibly referring to the East China Sea.

The inscription also says the Turks attacked 23 Tang cities during this campaign. Chinese records confirm that on April 9, 687, Ilterish Qaghan raided the city of Changping. General Heichi was sent to stop them, but the outcome is not clear. Later, between September and October 687, General Heichi defeated Ilterish Qaghan's forces during an attack on the Shuo Prefecture.

A month later, a Tang general named Cuan Baobi decided to chase the defeated Turks north of the Gobi Desert. He went alone, against orders, and his army was completely destroyed by the Turks. As a result, on November 19, 687, General Cuan was executed by Empress Wu.

Alliances Against the Turks

After his victory over General Cuan Baobi, Ilterish Qaghan focused on campaigns to the west between 688 and 694. The Tonyukuk inscription tells us that the Tang Dynasty, the On Oq (a group of Western Turks), and the Kyrgyz formed a military alliance against the Turks. This alliance planned to attack the Turks from the Altai Mountains and destroy their new empire.

Tonyukuk advised Ilterish Qaghan to attack the Kyrgyz first. After a long journey through mountains, the Turkic troops launched a surprise attack on the Kyrgyz while they were sleeping. The Kyrgyz forces were destroyed, and their qaghan was killed. The Kyrgyz then surrendered and promised loyalty to Ilterish Qaghan.

After this victory, the Turks attacked the Türgesh. Ilterish Qaghan had to return to Ötüken because his wife, Ilbilga Khatun, had passed away, and a funeral was needed. His son Inel Qaghan and brother Mochuo took charge of the army, but Tonyukuk was the real commander. Tonyukuk led the Turkic army and defeated the Türgesh, who were supported by Tang soldiers. The Türgesh qaghan was captured. The Turks then expanded westward, collecting taxes from people like the Tocharians and Sogdians.

Later Life and Death

We don't know much about Ilterish Qaghan's last years or how he died. The Tonyukuk inscription doesn't say when he passed away. However, other inscriptions suggest that Ilterish Qaghan died in 691. His brother Mochuo became the next ruler, taking the title of Qapaghan Qaghan.

Kül Tigin's Memorial

Ilterish Qaghan is also mentioned in the Kul Tigin inscription. This ancient stone monument tells us:

...Then Turk Tengri above, Turkish holy Earth and Water said as follows: "In order to Turkish people would not go to ruin and in order to should be a nation again", They rose my father Ilterish Kagan and my mother Ilbilga Katun, to the top and sat them upwards on the throne. My father, the kagan gathered together seventeen brave Lords... Tengri gave them power. My father's army was like wolves, their enemies were like sheep..."

Legacy of Ilterish Qaghan

Names like Kutlu, Kutluk, İlter, and İlteriş are common Turkish given names today. They are used to remember Ilterish Qaghan. Some historians believe he changed how rulers were chosen, moving from a system where different relatives could succeed to one where the eldest son would inherit the throne. This might have been to avoid the problems that led to the fall of the First Turkic Khaganate.

On August 23, 2022, a memorial complex and an inscription written in Turkic and Sogdian were found in the Khangai Mountains in Mongolia's Ötüken region. This discovery is believed to be related to Ilterish Qaghan.