Worthy Prince
Encyclopedia
Tuqi was a high office in the Xiongnu
confederation, a title also known to the Chinese as "worthy/wise prince/king". In the 6-8th centuries AD the Chinese annalists used the expression 贤王 Xian wang only in references to the Eastern Türks (pin. Tujue).
The Left Tuqi was the Xiongnu Crown Prince immediately below the Chanyu
. Two titles were awarded with each of them a commander-in-chief who derived his power from the eastern and western territories respectively. These served as two wings alongside the chanyu's main domain. The Chinese annalistic explanation was a "Worthy Prince of the Left (East)" and "Worthy Prince of the Right (West)". This organization of the state was traditional for the Eurasian nomadic states from the Huns to the Turkic Kaganates.
"prince". Philologists also noted a close phonetical resemblance with another ancient Turkic title, togrul, which is homophonic with the Turkic word togrul for "falcon".
Modern philologists interpret the dā-grjəj as ancient Turkic doγri, modern Turkish doğru, Azeri, Turkmen, Gagauz doγru, Tuvinian doora, etc., "overt, just, honest", initially suggested by Friedrich von Schlegel (1772–1829), and accepted by Kurakichi Shiratori and others as direct semantical and phonetical correspondence. However, N.Ya. Bichurin, following the phonetization of the Qing
period, phoneized 屠耆 as chjuki (Russ. Чжуки), which is a direct rendering of the Turkic ükü/jükü "wise", making it a literal translation of the Chinese annalistic expression "wise prince". That the ükü/jükü "wise" was in active Hunnic vocabulary is evidenced by an inscription on a silver plate that depict Attila's
son Dikkiz
as "King Dikkiz the Wise" (Kiŋkeg Dikkiz ükü) with ükü rendered in runiform
(Right To Left).
clan Huyan
or later Suibi, were traditionally not eligible for the throne, and could be raised to the throne only as a result of a court coup. Accordingly, the Left Wise Prince commanded a larger contingent of the army, and during military actions in the absence of the Chanyu held a post of a Sureme Commander. Unlike the Right Wing Wise Prince, who held a position akin to a Supreme Judge and Prime Minister, and was involved in the daily rule of the country, the Left Wise Prince was detached from the daily operations, and his prime function during war and peace was a conrol of the army. Being a Luanti by birth, with a Suibi Khatun mother, the Left Wise Prince was always a prime target for his younger siblings with the same pedigree. Both Left and Right Wise Princes were fairly autonomous in their actions, had a right to appoint their subordinates at their will, were free to conduct their own local wars and retaliatory raids, and were in charge of the various tribes assigned to their respective Wings. The two dynastic clans formed a permanent dynastic union of the state, ensuring its stability, and being an object of political games by their southern neighbor.
Xiongnu
The Xiongnu were ancient nomadic-based people that formed a state or confederation north of the agriculture-based empire of the Han Dynasty. Most of the information on the Xiongnu comes from Chinese sources...
confederation, a title also known to the Chinese as "worthy/wise prince/king". In the 6-8th centuries AD the Chinese annalists used the expression 贤王 Xian wang only in references to the Eastern Türks (pin. Tujue).
The Left Tuqi was the Xiongnu Crown Prince immediately below the Chanyu
Chanyu
Chanyu , was the title used by the nomadic supreme rulers of Middle and Central Asia for 8 centuries, starting...
. Two titles were awarded with each of them a commander-in-chief who derived his power from the eastern and western territories respectively. These served as two wings alongside the chanyu's main domain. The Chinese annalistic explanation was a "Worthy Prince of the Left (East)" and "Worthy Prince of the Right (West)". This organization of the state was traditional for the Eurasian nomadic states from the Huns to the Turkic Kaganates.
Etymology
In the ancient Western Han language, the form 屠耆 is restored as dā-grjəj, traditionally interpretedby the philologists with some reservations as Turkic teginTegin
Tegin is a Turkic title, commonly attachable to the names of the junior members of the Khan family. History recorded many personages carrying the title Tegin, from incidentally noted to heading their own states. The most known are Kül Tegin Tegin (aka tigin, tiğin, Pin. teqin, tiin 特勤, erroneous...
"prince". Philologists also noted a close phonetical resemblance with another ancient Turkic title, togrul, which is homophonic with the Turkic word togrul for "falcon".
Modern philologists interpret the dā-grjəj as ancient Turkic doγri, modern Turkish doğru, Azeri, Turkmen, Gagauz doγru, Tuvinian doora, etc., "overt, just, honest", initially suggested by Friedrich von Schlegel (1772–1829), and accepted by Kurakichi Shiratori and others as direct semantical and phonetical correspondence. However, N.Ya. Bichurin, following the phonetization of the Qing
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
period, phoneized 屠耆 as chjuki (Russ. Чжуки), which is a direct rendering of the Turkic ükü/jükü "wise", making it a literal translation of the Chinese annalistic expression "wise prince". That the ükü/jükü "wise" was in active Hunnic vocabulary is evidenced by an inscription on a silver plate that depict Attila's
Attila the Hun
Attila , more frequently referred to as Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in 453. He was leader of the Hunnic Empire, which stretched from the Ural River to the Rhine River and from the Danube River to the Baltic Sea. During his reign he was one of the most feared...
son Dikkiz
Dengizich
Dengizich , ruler of the Akatziroi, was a son of Attila. The other forms of his name are Denzic and Dintzic...
as "King Dikkiz the Wise" (Kiŋkeg Dikkiz ükü) with ükü rendered in runiform
(Right To Left).Social function
The Left Wise Prince belonged to the Chanyu clan, and in accordance with the lateral succession order, was a heir apparent to the reigning Chanyu; on the death of the reigning Chanyu, he was raised to the throne, and every member in the hierarchy of the Left Wing advanced one step up. Unlike the Left Wing, the members of the Right Wing belonged to the KhatunKhatun
Khatun is a female title of nobility and alternative to male "khan" prominently used in the First Turkic Empire and in the subsequent Mongol Empire...
clan Huyan
Huyan
The Huyan was a noble house that led the last remnants of the Northern Xiongnu, to Dzungaria during the 2nd century, after the Battle of Ikh Bayan...
or later Suibi, were traditionally not eligible for the throne, and could be raised to the throne only as a result of a court coup. Accordingly, the Left Wise Prince commanded a larger contingent of the army, and during military actions in the absence of the Chanyu held a post of a Sureme Commander. Unlike the Right Wing Wise Prince, who held a position akin to a Supreme Judge and Prime Minister, and was involved in the daily rule of the country, the Left Wise Prince was detached from the daily operations, and his prime function during war and peace was a conrol of the army. Being a Luanti by birth, with a Suibi Khatun mother, the Left Wise Prince was always a prime target for his younger siblings with the same pedigree. Both Left and Right Wise Princes were fairly autonomous in their actions, had a right to appoint their subordinates at their will, were free to conduct their own local wars and retaliatory raids, and were in charge of the various tribes assigned to their respective Wings. The two dynastic clans formed a permanent dynastic union of the state, ensuring its stability, and being an object of political games by their southern neighbor.