Kutlug I Bilge Kagan

Kutlug I Bilge Kagan
Khagan of Uyghur Khaganate
Reign	744 - 747 CE
Successor	El-etmish Bilge Kagan
Died	747
House	Yaglakar (Djalair, Jalayir)
Father	Hushu (护输)
Religion	Tengriism, Manichaeism

Kutlug I Bilge Peilo Kagan , also known by his throne name Qutlugh Bilge Köl Kaghan (骨咄禄毗伽阙可汗, gudulupigaquekehan), and in Chinese sources the personal name of Guli Peiluo (骨力裴罗, or Ku-li p'ei-lo ), was the Kaghan of Uyghur Khaganate, the successor state of the Turkic Khaganate.^[1] He ruled from 744 to 747 AD. Guli Peiluo was a leader of Uigur confederation with a title Kutlug Boyla (Guli Peilo in Chinese rendering), a son of Hushu (护输). After the leader of the Turkic Kaghanate Bilge Qaghan died, within the ruling Ashina clan arose a factional struggle. An alliance of Basmyls (拔悉蜜), Uigurs, and Karluks overthrew the Ashina dynastic tribe and in the spring of 745 killed the last Ozmish Qaghan. At first, the Basmyl chief was elected a Kaghan titled Ilterish Kaghan (742—744), but he was soon overthrown by the allies, who elected Kutlug Boyla as Kutlug Bilge Kaghan.

Reign

The Uyghur Khaganate included Toquz Oghuz (nine Uigur tribes), which were the Kaghan clan Yaglakar (Ch. 藥羅葛/药罗葛 Yaoluoge) and eight Uigur tribes known in Chinese rendering: 1. 胡咄葛 Huduoge, 2. 啒罗勿 Guluowu, 3. 貊歌息讫 Mogexiqi, 4. 阿勿嘀 A-Wudi, 5. 葛萨 Gesa, 6. 斛嗢素 Huwasu, 7. 藥勿葛 Yaowuge, 8. Xiyawu 奚牙勿 ; six Tele tribes in the confederation, Boke, Hun, Bayyrku, Tongren, Syge, and Kibir, had an equal status with the Uigurs; the reduced Basmils numbered eight tribes, and Karluks had three tribes calld Uch-Karkuk (Three Karkuks). Eleven tribes of the Basmils and Karluks had a lowewr status, and were staged as vanguard of the Uighur army.

After coming to power in 744, Kutlug Bilge Kaghan moved his court to Khar Balgas (Ordu-Baliq) in the Orkhon valley. In foreign policy, Kutlug Bilge Kaghan maintained alliance with the Tang China, started at the China behest in its fight against the Eastern Turkic Khaganate. In 745 Uigurs defeated last Turkic Kaghan Baimei Kagan Cooloon bey (aka Ch. Ashina Gulongfu, 744 - 745, 白眉可汗 Baimei Kehan 鶻隴匐/鹘陇匐 Gulongfu), and Kutlug Bilge Kaghan ordered to send his head to Chang'an, after which the Tang Emperor generously thanked him. For the next two years, the Uigur power continuously expanded, although its control did not reach the size of the Turkic Kaghanate.

In 747, Kutlug Bilge Kaghan died and his son Bayanchur Khan was elected Kaghan as El-etmish Bilge Kaghan.

References

1. Mackerras, Colin (1990), "Chapter 12 - The Uighurs", in Sinor, Denis, The Cambridge History of Early Inner Asia, Cambridge University Press, pp. 317–342, ISBN 0 521 24304 1