Tonyukuk

Tonyukuk
Chancellor of Second Turkic Khaganate
Native name đ±ƒđ°†đ°Ș𐰞𐰞 (in Old Turkic)
Born Ashide Yuanzhen
阿ćČćŸ·ć…ƒç
646
Near Tuul River
Died 726 (aged 79-80)
Noble family Ashide
Issue
Occupation Supreme Commander of Second Turkic Khaganate
Memorials Bain Tsokto inscriptions

Tonyukuk (Old Turkic: Bilge Tuƈuquq, Chinese: 阿ćČćŸ·ć…ƒç; pinyin: ĀshǐdĂ© YuĂĄnzhēn, born c. 646, died c. 726) was the baga-tarkhan (military leader) and adviser of four successive GöktĂŒrk khagans - Ilterish Qaghan, Qapaghan Qaghan, Inel Qaghan and Bilge Qaghan.

Name

The name is spelled as t-o-ƈ-uq-uq (đ±ƒđ°†đ°Ș𐰾𐰾‬) in the Old Turkic script, variously interpreted as Tunuquq, Tonuquq, Tuj-uquq, Tony Yuguq, Tujun-oq, Tojuquq, with a number of suggestions for its etymology.[1]

Early years

He was born in 646, near Tuul River in Ashide tribe. He fled Tang in 679 and joined Ilterish in 681. He was created Apa Tarkhan by him.

During Ilterish's reign

Although he lost early wars against Xue Rengui (薛仁莔) he was formidable force in establishing Turkic Khaganate. In 687, another invasion of Tang by khagan and Ashide Yuanzhen (阿ćČćŸ·ć…ƒç) began. Empress Dowager Wu commissioned the ethnically Baekje general Heichi Changzhi, assisted by Li Duozuo, to defend against Tujue attack and they were able to defeat Tujue forces at Huanghuadui (é»ƒèŠ±ć †, in modern Shuozhou, Shanxi) causing Tujue forces to flee.

During Qapaghan's reign

In 703, he was sent by khagan for marriage proposal to China. Wu Zetian accepted the proposal, in exchange Wu Yanxiu was released on khagan's order. However, Emperor Zhongzhong's accession changed political climate. Marriage was cancelled.

In 712, he commanded Tujue army during Battle of Bolchu which proved disastrous for Turgesh army.

During Inel's reign

He was not in active politics during Inel's reign. Although Mihaly Dobrovits believes he accepted him as legitimate ruler.[2]

During Bilge's reign

In 716 he was appointed to be Master Strategist (Bagha Tarkhan) by his son-in-law Bilge khagan.

At some point in his life, Bilge khagan wanted to convert to Buddhism, settle in cities. However, Tonyukuk discouraged him from this, citing Tujue's small numbers[3] and vulnerability to Chinese attack. While Turks' power rested on their mobility, conversion to Buddhism would bring pacifism among population. Therefore sticking to Tengriism was necessary to survive.[4][5]

In 720 Tang chancellor Wang Jun proposed a plan to attack Bilge khagan along with the Baximi, Xi, and Khitan.[6] Emperor Xuanzong also recruited Qapaghan Khagan's sons Bilge Tigin and Mo Tigin, Yenisei Kyrgyz khagan Kutluk Bilge Khagan and Huoba Guiren to fight against Tujue. Tonyukuk cunningly launched first attack on Baximi in 721 autumn, completely crushing them. Meanwhile Bilge raided Gansu, taking much of the livestock. Later that year Khitans, next year Xi were also crushed.

He died in 726.

Family

He was father to El Etmish Bilge Khatun and a father-in-law to Bilge Khagan, thus a grandfather to Yollıg and Tengri Qaghans.

Legacy

His biography, achievements and advice for state administration were carved in the so-called Orkhon-Turkic script on two stelae erected in 716 (before his death) at a site known as Bayn Tsokto, in Ulaanbataar's Nalaikh district.[7]

References

  1. ↑ Nadelyaev V.M. “Orhon–Eniseisk mark’s reading” and “Etymology of the name of Tonuquq”. // Turkology researches M.L. 1963 pp. 197–213; Amanzholov A.C. “Talas, Enisey and Orhon inscriptions’ graphics” /Kazakh language and literature, KAz SU, Almaty, 1973. Amanzholov A.C. “Old Turkic inscriptions History and Theory”, Almaty, 2003; pp. 56–57.
  2. ↑ Dobrovits,M.:“Textological Structure and Political Message of the Old Turkic Runic Inscriptions”, TalĂąt Tekin Armağanı, TĂŒrk Dilleri AraƟtırmaları 18 (2008), 149-153.
  3. ↑ Denis Sinor (ed.), The Cambridge History of Early Inner Asia, vol.1, Cambridge University Press, 1990, ISBN 978-0-521-24304-9, 312–313.
  4. ↑ Wenxian Tongkao, 2693a
  5. ↑ New Book of Tang, vol 215-II
  6. ↑ Old Book of Tang, Vol. 194-I
  7. ↑ For the site see Sören Stark Die AlttĂŒrkenzeit in Mittel- und Zentralasien. ArchĂ€ologische und historische Studien (Nomaden und Sesshafte, Band 6), Reichert: Wiesbaden 2008, pp. 75–76. Ross (1930): "About 48° N. and a little more 107° W. [sic] of Greenwich, near a place said to have the name of Bain Chokto, between the Nalaikha post-station and the right bank of the upper waters of the Tola."
  • E. Denison Ross, The Tonyukuk Inscription, Being a Translation of Professor Vilhelm Thomsen's final Danish Rendering, Bulletin of the School of Oriental Studies, University of London, 1930.
  • Nathan Light. An 8th Century Turkic Narrative: Pragmatics, Reported Speech and Managing Information. Turkic languages. 10.2, 2006. pp 155–186.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.