Bumin Khan
Encyclopedia
Bumin Qaghan or Illig Qaghan (Chinese
: 伊利可汗, Pinyin
: yīlì kěhàn, Wade-Giles
: i-li k'o-han, death: 552 AD) was the founder of the Turkic Khaganate
. He was the eldest son of Ashina Tuwu (吐務 / 吐务) He was the chieftain of the Turkic people who was so-called "blacksmith slave" (鍛奴 / 锻奴, Pinyin: duàn nú, Wade-Giles: tuan-nu) under the sovereignty of Rouran Khaganate
. He is also mentioned as "Tumen" (土門, 吐門, commander of ten thousand) of the Rouran Khaganate.
According to History of Northern Dynasties
and Zizhi Tongjian
, in 545 Tumen's tribe started to rise and frequently invaded the western frontier of Wei. The chancellor of Western Wei
Yuwen Tai
sent An Nuopanto (Nanai-Banda, a Sogdian from Bukhara
) to Kök Türks to greet its chieftain Tumen to try to establish commercial relationship. In 546, Tumen presented tribute to Western Wei.
And in the same year he put down a revolt of the Tiele tribes
against their overlords the Rouran Khaganate
. He took advantage of this success and requested a Rouran princess in marriage. But the qaghan of Rouran Anagui
refused this request and sent to Bumin a mission and message: You are my blacksmith slave. How dare you utter these words?. Bumin got angry and killed Anagui's mission and cut all relationship with Rouran Khaganate.
Anagui's "blacksmith" (鍛奴 / 锻奴, Pinyin: duàn nú, Wade-Giles: tuan-nu) insult was recorded in Chinese chronicles and historians accepted that the Kök Türks were indeed blacksmith servants for the Rouran elite, and that "blacksmith slavery" may indicate a kind of vassalage system prevailed in Rouran society. Nevertheless, after this incident Bumin emerged as the leader of the revolt against Rouran.
In 551, Bumin requested a Western Wei princess in marriage. Yuwen Tai permitted it and sent Princess Changle of Western Wei to Bumin. In the same year when Emperor Wen
of Western Wei died Bumin sent mission and gave two hundred horses.
The beginning of formal diplomatic relations with China propped up Bumin's authority among the Turks. He eventually united the local Turkic tribes and threw off the yoke of the Rouran
domination.
In 552 Bumin's army defeated Anagui's forces at the north of Huaihuang
and then Anagui committed suicide. With their defeat Bumin proclaimed himself "Illig Qaghan" and made his wife qaghatun. According to the Bilge Qaghan's memorial conplex and the Kul Tigin's memorial conplex, Bumin and Istemi
ruled people by Turkic laws and they developed them.
Bumin died within several months after proclaiming himself Illig Qaghan. He was succeeded by his younger brother Istemi
in the western part and by his son Issik Qaghan in the eastern part. In less than one century, his khaganate expanded to comprise most of Central Asia
.
There was a large influx of Sogdian refugees to his territory because of the persecution of the Zurvanites by Shah Anushirvan Khorasau I.
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
: 伊利可汗, Pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
: yīlì kěhàn, Wade-Giles
Wade-Giles
Wade–Giles , sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a romanization system for the Mandarin Chinese language. It developed from a system produced by Thomas Wade during the mid-19th century , and was given completed form with Herbert Giles' Chinese–English dictionary of 1892.Wade–Giles was the most...
: i-li k'o-han, death: 552 AD) was the founder of the Turkic Khaganate
Göktürks
The Göktürks or Kök Türks, were a nomadic confederation of peoples in medieval Inner Asia. Known in Chinese sources as 突厥 , the Göktürks under the leadership of Bumin Qaghan The Göktürks or Kök Türks, (Old Turkic: Türük or Kök Türük or Türük; Celestial Turks) were a nomadic confederation of...
. He was the eldest son of Ashina Tuwu (吐務 / 吐务) He was the chieftain of the Turkic people who was so-called "blacksmith slave" (鍛奴 / 锻奴, Pinyin: duàn nú, Wade-Giles: tuan-nu) under the sovereignty of Rouran Khaganate
Rouran Khaganate
Rouran , Mongolia name Jujan or Nirun Ruanruan/Ruru , Tan Tan , Juan-Juan or Zhu-Zhuwas the name of a confederation of nomadic tribes on the northern borders of Inner China from the late 4th century until the middle 6th century...
. He is also mentioned as "Tumen" (土門, 吐門, commander of ten thousand) of the Rouran Khaganate.
According to History of Northern Dynasties
History of Northern Dynasties
The History of Northern Dynasties is one of the official Chinese historical works in the Twenty-Four Histories canon. It contain 100 volumes and covers the period from 386 to 618, the histories of Northern Wei, Western Wei, Eastern Wei, Northern Zhou, Northern Qi, and Sui Dynasty...
and Zizhi Tongjian
Zizhi Tongjian
The Zizhi Tongjian was a pioneering reference work in Chinese historiography, published in 1084, under the form of a chronicles. In 1065 CE, Emperor Yingzong of Song ordered the great historian Sima Guang to lead with other scholars such as his chief assistants Liu Shu, Liu Ban and Fan Zuyu, the...
, in 545 Tumen's tribe started to rise and frequently invaded the western frontier of Wei. The chancellor of Western Wei
Western Wei
The Western Wei Dynasty followed the disintegration of the Northern Wei, and ruled northern China from 535 to 556.After the Xianbei general Yuwen Tai killed the Northern Wei emperor Yuan Xiu, he installed Yuan Baoju as emperor of Western Wei while Yuwen Tai would remain as the virtual ruler...
Yuwen Tai
Yuwen Tai
Yuwen Tai , nickname Heita , formally Duke Wen of Anding , later further posthumously honored by Northern Zhou initially as Prince Wen then as Emperor Wen with the temple name Taizu , was the paramount general of the Chinese/Xianbei state Western Wei, a branch successor state of Northern Wei...
sent An Nuopanto (Nanai-Banda, a Sogdian from Bukhara
Bukhara
Bukhara , from the Soghdian βuxārak , is the capital of the Bukhara Province of Uzbekistan. The nation's fifth-largest city, it has a population of 263,400 . The region around Bukhara has been inhabited for at least five millennia, and the city has existed for half that time...
) to Kök Türks to greet its chieftain Tumen to try to establish commercial relationship. In 546, Tumen presented tribute to Western Wei.
And in the same year he put down a revolt of the Tiele tribes
Tiele people
The Tiele or Tele , were a confederation of nine Turkic peoples living to the north of China and in Central Asia, emerging after the disintegration of the Xiongnu confederacy...
against their overlords the Rouran Khaganate
Rouran Khaganate
Rouran , Mongolia name Jujan or Nirun Ruanruan/Ruru , Tan Tan , Juan-Juan or Zhu-Zhuwas the name of a confederation of nomadic tribes on the northern borders of Inner China from the late 4th century until the middle 6th century...
. He took advantage of this success and requested a Rouran princess in marriage. But the qaghan of Rouran Anagui
Yujiulü Anagui
Yujiulü Anagui khan of the Rouran with the title of Chiliantoubingdoufa Khan . He was succeeded by Yujiulü Tiefa.When Bumin Qaghan wanted to marry a princess of the royal family, Anagui sent an emissary to Bumin to rebuke him, saying, "You are my blacksmith slave...
refused this request and sent to Bumin a mission and message: You are my blacksmith slave. How dare you utter these words?. Bumin got angry and killed Anagui's mission and cut all relationship with Rouran Khaganate.
Anagui's "blacksmith" (鍛奴 / 锻奴, Pinyin: duàn nú, Wade-Giles: tuan-nu) insult was recorded in Chinese chronicles and historians accepted that the Kök Türks were indeed blacksmith servants for the Rouran elite, and that "blacksmith slavery" may indicate a kind of vassalage system prevailed in Rouran society. Nevertheless, after this incident Bumin emerged as the leader of the revolt against Rouran.
In 551, Bumin requested a Western Wei princess in marriage. Yuwen Tai permitted it and sent Princess Changle of Western Wei to Bumin. In the same year when Emperor Wen
Emperor Wen of Western Wei
Emperor Wen of Western Wei , personal name Yuan Baoju , was an emperor of the Chinese/Xianbei state Western Wei -- a branch successor state to Northern Wei...
of Western Wei died Bumin sent mission and gave two hundred horses.
The beginning of formal diplomatic relations with China propped up Bumin's authority among the Turks. He eventually united the local Turkic tribes and threw off the yoke of the Rouran
Rouran
Rouran , Mongolia name Jujan or Nirun Ruanruan/Ruru , Tan Tan , Juan-Juan or Zhu-Zhuwas the name of a confederation of nomadic tribes on the northern borders of Inner China from the late 4th century until the middle 6th century...
domination.
In 552 Bumin's army defeated Anagui's forces at the north of Huaihuang
Six Frontier Towns
The Six Frontier Towns , also known as Northern Frontier Towns , refers to six military towns that Northern Wei government built during Huangshi era and Yanhe era to prevent the southward invasion by Rouran...
and then Anagui committed suicide. With their defeat Bumin proclaimed himself "Illig Qaghan" and made his wife qaghatun. According to the Bilge Qaghan's memorial conplex and the Kul Tigin's memorial conplex, Bumin and Istemi
İstemi
İstemi is a common masculine Turkish given name. In Turkish, "İstemi" means "Conquerror of the Sky".-Real People:* İstemi, the Yabgu of the western part of the Göktürks, the Western Turkic Khaganate ....
ruled people by Turkic laws and they developed them.
Bumin died within several months after proclaiming himself Illig Qaghan. He was succeeded by his younger brother Istemi
İstemi
İstemi is a common masculine Turkish given name. In Turkish, "İstemi" means "Conquerror of the Sky".-Real People:* İstemi, the Yabgu of the western part of the Göktürks, the Western Turkic Khaganate ....
in the western part and by his son Issik Qaghan in the eastern part. In less than one century, his khaganate expanded to comprise most of Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
.
There was a large influx of Sogdian refugees to his territory because of the persecution of the Zurvanites by Shah Anushirvan Khorasau I.