Ishbara Khagan (Old Turkic: 𐰃𐱁𐰉𐰺𐰀𐰴𐰍𐰣, Ïšbara qaγan, , personal name Ashina Helu ) (ruled 651–658) was the last khagan of the Western Turkic Khaganate.
Name
His underlying Turkic name, transcribed with Chinese characters 賀魯, was debated among scholars.
Lev Gumilyov proposed
Hallïğ, meaning "Elevated".
Von Gabain proposed name
Kullïğ (slave owner).
[Gabain, Eski Türkçenin Grameri, TDK Yayınları, s. 284: kullıg: köle sahibi.] Gömeç argued for
Uluğ meaning "Great".
[GÖMEÇ, Saadettin Yağmur (2011), Köktürk Tarihi, Ankara: Berikan Yayınevi, p. 110] Meanwhile, Kapusuzoğlu proposed
Kutluğ (Blessed) as his underlying Turkic name.
Zuev (1960) linked the Khagan personal name
Helu (<
Middle Chinese *
ɣa-lou) with the tribal name
Khallukh attested by Persian and Arab writers, and asserted that by the 7th century Helu's tribe was dynastic;
[Zuev, Yu. "Horse Tamgas from Vassal Princedoms" (Translation of Chinese composition "Tanghuiyao" of 8-10th centuries), Kazakh SSR Academy of Sciences, Alma-Ata, 1960, p. 126 (in Russian)] later, however, Zuev (2002) proposed that Chinese
Helu reflects
Proto-Turkic *
aru ~ arïğ "pure, light".
[Zuev, Yu. A. (2002) Early Turks: Essays on History and Ideology. Almaty. p. 221]
Biography
Early years
Ashina Helu's parentage is uncertain. According to
Lev Gumilyov his father was Böri Shad,
however Chavannes attributes him as a son of
Irbis Seguy.
He was awarded with the title shad by
Duolu Qaghan in 633 and appointed to govern certain tribes including the
Shatuo,
Karluks,
Nushibi. In 646 he rose against
Irbis Seguy only to be defeated by him. He fled to China on 25 April 648 and served the
Tang dynasty as a general stationed in Mohe (莫賀) city in
Gansu.
However he planned to assert independence using Taizong's death in 649. Qiao Baoming (橋寶明) personal staff of Gaozong tried to avert it by ordering him to deliver his son Ashina Xiyun (阿史那咥運) to serve in the palace guard. Xiyun served for a while before returning to Helu again and encouraging him to attack Yukuk Shad.
Reign
After a while he set up his horde near modern
Shuanghe and began to receive submissions. According to the
Zizhi Tongjian firstly the
Duolu tribe chiefs who were titled as
čor, namely Chomuqun chief Kuli (處木昆(屈)律啜), Ulugh Oq chief Kul (胡祿居闕啜), Chapshata chief Ton (摄舍提暾啜), Türgesh-
Khalaj people chief (突騎施賀邏施啜), Shungish chief Chuban (鼠尼施處半啜) submitted. Ulugh Oq chief was also a son-in-law to Helu.
Nushibi tribal chiefs who were titled
irkin also submitted;
Esegel chief Kül (阿悉結闕俟斤), Geshu chief Kül (哥舒闕俟斤), Basaigan chief Tong Ishbara (拔塞幹暾沙鉢俟斤),
Esegel chief Nishu (阿悉結泥孰俟斤), Geshu chief Chuban (哥舒處半俟斤).
[Ouyang Xiu, "Xin Tang shu (History of Tang dynasty", 618-907, New Edition)], Peking, Bo-na, 1958, Ch. 215b, p. 1506, f. 56] Ashina Xiyun was appointed crown prince with the title Bagatur Yabgu.
After formally reasserting independence from the Tang dynasty, he commanded raids to Jin Ling (金嶺城, near modern Shanshan County, Xinjiang) and Pulei (蒲類縣). Emperor Gaozong stripped him of Chinese titles[Xiang, Han (2006), Dust in the Wind: Retracing Dharma Master Xuanzang's Western Pilgrimage, Rhythms Monthly, p. 137] and ordered Qibi Heli and Liang Jianfang (梁建方) to secure border areas.
Conflicts also began in southern border when Zhenzhu Yabgu (son of Irbis Dulu Qaghan) started major incursions to Western Turkic territory. Later Zhenzhu contacted the Tang to receive soldiers and requested to be made a khagan in 655. Yuan Lichen (元礼臣) was ordered by Gaozong to visit Zhenzhu on 8 November 656 to make him khagan, but he was stopped by Helu's soldiers near Suyab, causing Zhenzhu to lose much prestige.
In 657 Emperor Gaozong started the Conquest of the Western Turks. General Su Dingfang was appointed to be leading commander during whole operation. The Chumukun tribe was first to lose whose chief Lantulu (懶獨祿) submitted. The Tang army defeated Ashina Helu at the Battle of Irtysh River. However he fled to Tashkent with his son Ashina Xiyun and a noble retainer Xuyan. However he was soon handed over to Xiao Siya (萧嗣业) by Chach ruler Yixian Tarkhan.
Later years
After being captured he reportedly told Xiao Siya:
[ Zizhi Tongjian 6310, 6311:
]
"…阿史那賀魯既被擒，謂蕭嗣業曰：「我本亡虜，為先帝所存，先帝遇我厚而我負之，今日之敗，天所怒也。吾聞中國刑人必於市，願刑我於昭陵之前以謝先帝。」上聞而憐之。賀魯至京師， 甲午，獻於昭陵。敕免其死，分其種落為六都督府，其所役屬諸國皆置州府，西盡波斯，並隸安西都護府。賀魯 尋死，葬於頡利墓側。"
Emperor Gaozong spared him after 15 days and he lived out his days at the Tang capital Chang'an. He was buried near Illig Qaghan's memorial.
See also
-
Tang campaigns against the Western Turks
Sources
-
Christoph Baumer, History of Central Asia, volume two, 2014, index
