Bayanchur Khan


Mo-yun Chur or Eletmish Bilge Qaghan was second qaghan of Uyghur Khaganate. His Tang dynasty invested title was Yingwu Weiyuan Pijia Qaghan or simply Yingwu Qaghan. He was also known as Gelei Qaghan. His official regnal name in Turkic was Tengrida Bolmish Eletmish Bilge Qaghan. He ordered the erection of the Tariat Inscriptions.

Biography

Early life

Bayanchur Khan was born in 713 in the Hanhai Protectorate near Ganzhou and Lanzhou to Kutluk Boyla. At time of his birth, clan chief Yaoluoge Dujiezhi had recently moved near the Tang border, avoiding expansion of the Second Turkic Khaganate. Yaoluoge Dujiezhi died in 715 and was succeeded by his son Yaoluoge Fudifu, who was followed by his son Yaoluoge Chengzong sometime later. In 727, at the suggestion of the general Wang Junchuo, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang commissioned Wang Junchuo to attack the Tibetan Empire, and after a Tibetan incursion in late 726, Wang counterattacked and inflicted losses on the Tibetan forces commanded by the general Xinuoluogonglu. Later in the year though, Xinuoluogonglu and another general, Zhulongmangbuzhi attacked and captured Wang's home prefecture Gua Prefecture, taking Wang's father Wang Shou captive. As a result, Wang Junchuo did not dare to counterattack, and subsequently blamed the defeat on a number of tribal chiefs in the area and had them exiled. In response, Bayanchur's grandfather Yaoluoge Hushu – the nephew of Yaoluoge Chengzong – ambushed Wang Junchuo and killed him, and while Yaoluoge Hushu was forced to flee thereafter, for several years the Tang dynasty did not engage in any offensive campaigns in the region. The 14 year old Bayanchur and his brothers had to follow his grandfather into exile.
He was made the eastern shad in 744 by his father Kutlug Bilge Khagan, who made his elder brother Tay Bilge Tutuq the yabgu of the west and heir. He spent the next 6 years ousting him to become heir.

Reign

He spent 3 years fully consolidating his rule after he succeeded in his father in 747. He captured and executed his brother Tay Bilge Tutuq who was supported by the Karluks, Basmyls, and Khitans in 750. He was enthroned in Ordu-Baliq, a new capital that was built by Chinese and Sogdian architects. His royal court consisted of 60 nobles, Court Secretary Inancu Baga Tarkan and Chief Minister Bilge Tay Sanggun. He also appointed his sons as viceroys over the western and eastern tribes.

Involvement in An Lushan rebellion

Emperor Suzong of Tang appealed to Bayanchur in 756 for help against An Lushan, sending his second cousin Li Chengcai, Prince of Dunhuang and Pugu Huai'en as emissaries. Uyghur troops were instrumental in dealing with rebellion. Uyghur forces led by Uyghur prince Ulu Bilge Yabgu and General Dide arrived at Emperor Suzong's headquarters at Fengxiang to join the elite Tang forces recalled from the Anxi Circuit and the Western Regions. Emperor Suzong did so by promising that the Uyghur forces would be permitted to pillage the Chang'an region once it was recaptured. The Chinese chancellor Li Mi suggested that these forces be used to attack An Lushan's power base at Fanyang first, stop the possibility of a recovery. Emperor Suzong chose not to do so and decided to attack Chang'an first, with Li Chu in command of the joint forces. The forces recaptured Chang'an in the fall of 757, allowing Emperor Suzong to rebuild his administration in the capital. The Uyghurs were set on pillaging Chang'an, but Li Chu begged Ulu Bilge Yabgu to plead to delay the pillage—pointing out that if pillaging were carried out, the people of the eastern capital Luoyang, then serving as Yan's capital, would resist heavily, and asking that the Uyghurs pillage Luoyang instead.

Death

Bayanchur Khan died soon after completion of his successful expedition against the Yenisei Kirghiz in the Sayan Mountains in May of 759 during a feast.

Family

Bayanchur was married to a Uyghur who was made El Bilge Khatun in 747 and Princess Xiaoguo on 25 August 758 and was daughter of Emperor Suzong of Tang. Marriage to a true daughter of a Chinese emperor was unprecedented. She left for China after Bayanchur's death. Bayanchur had at least two sons:
  1. Ulu Bilge Tardush Yabghu – commander of western part of the empire, who was commanding officer of Uyghurs in An Lushan rebellion, thought to be executed by his father in 759.
  2. Bögü Qaghan – commander of eastern part of the empire, succeeded his father.
He also adopted his sister-in-law and married her to Prince Li Chengcai, Prince of Dunhuang, son of Li Shouli, Prince of Bin in 758. She was made Princess Pijia by Emperor Suzong.

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