Second Turkic Khaganate
The Second Turkic Khaganate was a khaganate in Central and Eastern Asia founded by Ilterish of the Ashina clan of the Göktürks and lasted from 682 to 744. It was preceded by the Eastern Turkic Khaganate and the early Tang dynasty period. The Second Khaganate was centered on Ötüken in the upper reaches of the Orkhon River. It was succeeded by its subject Toquz Oghuz confederation, which became the Uyghur Khaganate.
Outline
A few decades after the fall of Eastern Turkic Khaganate, Ashina Nishufu was declared Qaghan in 679 but soon revolted against the Tang dynasty. In 680, he was defeated by Pei Xingjian. Shortly afterwards, Nishufu was killed by his men. Following Nishufu's death, Ashina Funian, another member of the royal clan, was made qaghan and the Eastern Türks once again rebelled against Tang rule. The early stages of the rebellion brought about some victories for Funian. However, they were eventually defeated again by Pei Xiangjin. According to Tonyukuk, the attempt to revolt against the Tang and set a qaghan on the throne was a legitimate action. It was the people's fault that they deposed and killed Nishufu, and subdued themselves to the Tang dynasty again.Qutlugh, a grandson of Illig Qaghan, rebelled in 681, leading to his withdrawal into the Gobi Desert in 682. Once they had established themselves in the Yin Shan mountains, Qutlugh, his brother Bögü-chor, and his closest comrade-in-arms, Tonyukuk succeeded in winning the support of most of the Türks and conducted successful military operations against the imperial forces in Shanxi between 682 and 687. In 687 Ilterish Qaghan left the Yin Shan mountains and turned his united and battle-hardened army to the conquest of the Türk heartlands in modern-day central and northern Mongolia. Between 687 and 691 Toquz Oghuz and the Uyghurs, who had occupied those territories, were routed and subjugated. Their chief, Abuz Kaghan, fell in battle. The centre of the Second Turkic Khaganate shifted to the Otuken mountains, and the rivers Orkhon, Selenga and Tola.
Rise
In 691 Ilterish Qaghan died and was succeeded by his younger brother, who assumed the title Qapaghan Qaghan. In 696–697 Qapaghan subjugated the Khitans and sealed an alliance with the Kumo Xi, which stemmed the advance of the Tang armies to the northeast, into the foothills of the Khingan, and secured the empire's eastern frontier. Between 698 and 701 the northern and western frontiers of Qapaghan's state were defined by the Tannu Ola, Altai and Tarbagatai mountain ranges. After defeating the Bayirku tribe in 706–707, the Türks occupied lands extending from the upper reaches of the Kerulen to Lake Baikal. In 709–710 the Türk forces subjugated the Az and the Chik, crossed the Sayan Mountains, and inflicted a crushing defeat on the Yenisei Kyrgyz. The Kyrgyz ruler, Bars beg, fell in battle, and his descendants were to remain vassals of the Göktürks for several generations. In 711 the Türk forces, led by Tonyukuk, crossed the Altai Mountains, defeated the Türgesh army in Dzungaria on the River Boluchu. Tonyukuk forced a crossing over the Syr Darya in pursuit of the retreating Türgesh, leading his troops to the border of Tokharistan. However, in battles with the Arabs near Samarkand the Türk forces were cut off from their rear services and suffered considerable losses; they had difficulty in returning to the Altai in 713–714. There they reinforced the army that was preparing to besiege Beshbalik. The siege was unsuccessful and, after losing in six skirmishes, the Türks lifted it.Crisis
In violation of custom, the throne was taken by Qapaghan's son Inel Qaghan in 716. Inel and his supporters, were killed by Ilterish's son Kul Tigin, who had support of many Turkic families, and gave the throne to his elder brother Bilge Qaghan, who ruled from 716 to 734.Bilge Qaghan took the throne at a time when the empire was on the verge of collapse. The western lands seceded for good, and immediately after the death of Qapagan, the Türgesh leader Suluk proclaimed himself kaghan. The Kitan and Tatabi tribes refused to pay tribute, the Toquz Oghuz revolt continued, and the Türk tribes themselves began to rebel. Feeling unable to control the situation, Bilge Qaghan offered the throne to Kul Tigin. The latter, however, would not go against the legal order of succession. Then, at last, Bilge decided to act. Kul Tigin was put at the head of the army, and Tonyukuk, who had great authority among the tribes, became the qaghan's closest adviser.
In 720 Xuanzong of Tang">Emperor Xuanzong of Tang">Xuanzong of Tang attacked but Tonyukuk defeated his Basmyl cavalry and the Türks pushed into Gansu. Next year Xuanzong bought him off. In 727 he received 100,000 pieces of silk in return for a 'tribute' of 30 horses. He refused to ally with the Tibetan Empire against the Tang dynasty. His wisdom was praised by Zhang Yue.
Decline
The deaths of Tonyukuk and Kul Tigin removed Bilge's best advisors. It is reported that Bilge was killed by poison, but the poison was slow-acting and he killed his murderers before he died. Bilge was succeeded by his elder son Yollıg Khagan, and later Yollıg was succeeded by his brother Tengri Qaghan. After the death of Tengri Qaghan, the empire began to disintegrate. The Ashina tribe was less and less able to cope with central power. The young Tengri Qaghan was killed by his uncle, Kutlug Yabghu, who seized power. War broke out with the tribal groups of the Uyghurs, the Basmils and the Karluks, and Kutluk Yabgu Khagan and his followers died in the fighting.Defeat
Kutlug I Bilge Khagan of Uyghurs allied himself with the Karluks and Basmyls. In 744 Kutlug seized Ötüken and beheaded the last Göktürk qaghan, Ozmish Qaghan. His head was sent to the Tang court. In the span of a few years, the Uyghurs gained mastery of Inner Asia and established the Uyghur Khaganate. Kulun Beg succeeded his father Ozmish. The Tang emperor Xuanzong decided to destroy the last traces of the Turkic Khaganate and sent general Wang Zhongsi Kulun's forces. Meanwhile, Ashina Shi was deposed by Kutlug. Wang Zhongsi, defeated the eastern flank of Turkic army headed by Apa Tarkhan. Although Kulun Beg tried to escape, he was arrested by the Uyghurs and was beheaded in 745. Most of the Türks fled to other Turkic tribes like the Basmyl. However, a group including Qutluğ Säbäg Qatun, Bilge Khagan's widow, and Tonyukuk's daughter, took refuge in the Tang dynasty. The Tang emperor legitimised her as a princess and she was appointed as the ruler of her people.Rulers of the Second Turkic Khaganate
Khagans
;Later claimants- Eletmish Kagan 747–759
- Bügü Kagan 759–779