# List of khagans of the Göktürks

Khagan (Qaghan) was a title used by the Turkic people of the Medieval Ages. The First and Second Turkic Khaganate were empires ruled by the Ashina tribe of the Göktürks that controlled much of Central Asia and the Mongolian Plateau between 552 and 745 and composed of confederated Turkic tribes. Their history is turbulent. In the 6th century, they challenged the power of numerous dynasties in the Central Plains. At the end of the century following a civil war, the khaganate was divided into eastern and western wings. In the second half of the 7th century, both wings were defeated by the Tang dynasty. However, in 682 they regained their independence.

## Khagans of the Turkic Khaganate

| Title | Personal name and other title. | Qatun | Throne | Note |
| Bumin Qaghan / Illig Qaghan (Yii) 伊利可汗 | "Tumen" "土門" / "土门" | Princess Changle 長樂公主 / 长乐公主 From Western Wei | 552 | |
| Issik Qaghan 乙息記可汗 / 乙息记可汗 | Kara 卡拉 | | 552–553 | Son of Bumin Qaghan |
| Muqan Qaghan 木桿可汗 / 木杆可汗 | Yandou / Yen-to 燕都, "俟斤" | | 553–572 | Son of Bumin Qaghan |
| Taspar Qaghan (Tuobo) 佗缽可汗 / 佗钵可汗 | | | 572–581 | Son of Bumin Qaghan |
| Unknown title | Anluo / An-lo 庵邏 / 庵逻 | | 581 | Son of Tapir Qaghan |
| Ishbara Qaghan (Shabolue) 沙缽略可汗 / 沙钵略可汗 | Shetu / She-t'u 攝圖 / 摄图 Il Kul Shad Bagha Ishbara Qaghan 伊利俱盧設莫何始波羅可汗 / 伊利俱卢设莫何始波罗可汗 | Princess Qianjin of Northern Zhou 千金公主 After the fall of Northern Zhou, she was given surname Yang and became Princess Dayi of Sui 大義公主 / 大义公主 | 581–587 | Son of Issik Qaghan |
| Bagha Qaghan / Yabgu Qaghan Mohe Kehan 莫何可汗 / Yehe Kehan 葉護可汗 | Chuluohou / Ch'u-lo-hou 處羅侯 / 处罗侯 | | 587–588 | Son of Issik Qaghan |
| Tulan Qaghan Dulan Kehan 都藍可汗 | Yongyulü / Yung-yü-lü 雍虞閭 / 雍虞闾 | | 588–599 | Son of Ishbara Qaghan |

## Khagans of the western side of the Turkic Khaganate

| Title | Personal name and other title | Qatun | Throne | Note |
| Yabghu Qaghan 葉護可汗 / 叶护可汗 | Istemi Shidianmi / Shih-tien-mi 室點密 / 室点密 | | 552–575 | Younger brother of Bumin Qaghan |
| Tardu (Datou) 達頭可汗 / 达头可汗 | Dianjue / Tien-chüeh 玷厥 | | 575–602 | Son of Istemi |

## Khagans of Apa line

| Title | Personal name and other title | Qatun | Throne | Note |
| Apa Qaghan (Abo) 阿波可汗 | Daluobian / Ta-lo-pien 大邏便 / 大逻便 | | 581–587 | Son of Muqan Qaghan |
| Niri Qaghan (Nili) 泥利可汗 | | | 587–601 | Son of Yangsu Tigin Grandson of Tardush Qaghan |

## Khagans of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate

| Title | Personal name and other title | Qatun | Throne | Note |
| Yami Qaghan (Qimin) 啟民可汗 / 启民可汗 | Rangan / Jan-kan 染干 Tölis Qaghan 突利可汗 / 突利可汗 | Princess Anyi 安義公主 / 安义公主 (597–599) From Sui Princess Yicheng 義成公主 / 义成公主 (599–) From Sui | 599–609 | Son of Ishbara Qaghan |
| Shibi Qaghan 始畢可汗 / 始毕可汗 | Duojishi / To-chi-shih 咄吉世 | Princess Yicheng 義成公主 / 义成公主 | 609–619 | Son of Yami Qaghan |
| Chuluo Khan 處羅可汗 / 处罗可汗 | "Ilteber Shad" "俟利弗設" / "俟利弗设" | Princess Yicheng 義成公主 / 义成公主 | 619–620 | Son of Yami Qaghan |
| Illig Qaghan (Xieli) 頡利可汗 / 颉利可汗 | Duobi / To-pi 咄苾 "Baghatur Shad" "莫賀咄設" / "莫贺咄设" | Princess Yicheng 義成公主 / 义成公主 | 620–630 | Son of Yami Qaghan |

## Khagans under the Jimi system of Tang dynasty

| Title | Personal name and other title | Throne | Note |
| Qilibi Khan 俟力苾可汗 | Simo / Ssu-mo 思摩 | 639–644 | Son of Tughruq Shad |
| Chebi Khan 車鼻可汗 / 车鼻可汗 | Hubo / Hu-po 斛勃 | 646–649 | |
| Ashina Nishufu | Nizük Beg Nishoufu / Ni-shou-fu 泥熟匐 | 679–680 | |
| | Funian / Fu-nien 伏念 | 680–681 | Relative of Illig Qaghan |

## Khagans of the Western Turkic Khaganate

| Title | Personal name and other title | Qatun | Throne | Note |
| Heshana Khagan 曷娑那可汗, 曷薩那可汗 | Daman 達曼 / 达曼 Nijue Chuluo Kehan 泥厥處羅可汗 | Princess Xinyi 信義公主 / 信义公主 From Sui | 604–611 | Son of Niri Qaghan |
| Sheguy (Shegui) 射匱可汗 / 射匮可汗 | | | 610–617 | Son of Tughluq Yabghu Grandson of Tardush Qaghan |
| Tong Yabghu Qaghan (Tongyehu) 統葉護可汗 / 统叶护可汗 | | | 617–630 | Son of Tughluq Yabghu Grandson of Tardush Qaghan |
| Baghatur Qaghan 莫賀咄可汗 / 莫贺咄可汗 | | | 630 | Son of Tughluq Yabghu Grandson of Tardush Qaghan |
| Si Yabghu Qaghan 肆葉護可汗 / 肆叶护可汗 | Dieli Tegin 咥力特勒 | | 630–632 | Son of Tuluq Yabghu Qaghan |
| Tughluq Qaghan 咄陸可汗 / 咄陆可汗 | Nizük 泥孰 吞阿婁拔奚利咄陸可汗 / 吞阿娄拔奚利咄陆可汗 | | 632–634 | Son of Baghatur Qaghan |
| Ishbara Tolis 沙缽羅咥利失可汗 / 沙钵罗咥利失可汗 | Tonga / Tongra 同俄 | | 634–639 | Son of Baghatur Qaghan |
| Illig Beg Tughluq Qaghan 乙毗咄陸可汗 / 乙毗咄陆可汗 | Yukuk Shad 欲谷設 / 欲谷设 | | 638–642 | Grandson of Tughluq Yabghu |
| Illig Qutlugh Illig Beg Qaghan rival? 乙屈利失乙毘可汗 / 乙屈利失乙毗可汗 | | | 639–640 | Son of Ishbara Tolis Qaghan |
| Illig Beg Ishbara Yabghu Qaghan (rival) 乙毗沙缽羅葉護可汗 / 乙毗沙钵罗叶护可汗 | Tigin 薄布特勒 | | 639–641 | Son of Genna Shad |
| Illig Beg Shekuei Qaghan 乙毗射匱可汗 / 乙毗射匮可汗 | | | 642–653 | Son of Illig Kul Bilge Qaghan Grandson of Apa Qaghan |
| Ishbara Qaghan 沙缽羅可汗 / 沙钵罗可汗 | Helu 賀魯 / 贺鲁 | | 650–658 | Son of Böri Shad Grandson of Tughluq Yabghu |

## Xingxiwang khagans

| Title | Personal name and other title. | Throne | Note |
| Ashina Mishe | 阿史那弥射 莫贺咄叶护 奚利邲咄陆可汗 | 657–662 | |
| Ashina Duzhī Onoq Qaghan | 阿史那都支 十姓可汗 | 671–679 | |
| Ashina Yuanqing | 阿史那元庆 | 685–692 | Son of Ashina Mishe |
| Ashina Tuizi | 阿史那俀子 | 693–694 | Son of Ashina Yuanqing |
| Ashina Xian | 阿史那献 | 708–717 | Son of Ashina Yuanqing |
| Ashia Zhèn | 阿史那震 | 735–736 | Son of Ashina Xian |

## Jiwangjue khagans

| Title | Personal name and other title. | Throne | Note |
| Ashina Buzhen | 阿史那步真 | 657–667 | |
| Ashina Huseluo Jiezhong Shizhu Qaghan | 阿史那斛瑟罗 竭忠事主可汗 | 685–703 | Son of Ashina Buzhen |
| Ashina Huaidao | 阿史那怀道 | 704–708 | Son of Ashina Huseluo |
| Ashina Xin | 阿史那昕 | 740–742 | Son of Ashina Huaidao |

## Khagans of the Second Eastern Turkic Khaganate

| Title | Personal name and other title | Qatun | Throne | Note |
| Ilterish Qaghan 頡跌利可汗 / 颉跌利可汗 | Qutlugh 那骨咄祿 / 骨咄禄 | El Bilge Khatun | 682–694 | Relative of Illig Qaghan |
| Qapaghan Qaghan 遷善可汗 / 迁善可汗 | Mòchuò 默啜 | | 694–716 | Younger brother of Ilterish Qaghan |
| Inel Qaghan 拓西可汗 | 匐俱 | | 716–717 | Son of Qapaghan Qaghan |
| Bilge Qaghan 毗伽可汗 | Bögü 默棘連 / 默棘连 | Po Beg | 717–734 | Son of Ilterish Qaghan |
| Yiran Qaghan 伊然可汗 | - | | 734-739 | Son of Bilge Khagan |
| Tengri Qaghan 登利可汗 | - | | 739–741 | Son of Bilge Khagan |
| Kutluk Yabgu Qhagan | 骨咄 | | 741–742 | |
| Ashina Shi 頡跌伊施可汗 / 颉跌伊施可汗 | | | 742–744 | Uti Beg |
| Özmiş Khagan 烏蘇米施可汗 / 乌苏米施可汗 | | | 742–744 | Son of Pan Kul Tigin |
| White Eyebrow Qaghan 白眉可汗 | Kulun Beg 鶻隴匐 / 鹘陇匐 | | 744-745 | Son of Pan Kul Tigin |
| El Etmish Kagan | | | 747–759 | Son of Bilge Khagan |
| Bügü Qaghan | | | 759–779 | |

## Sources

* ↑ Jean Deny; Louis Bazin; Hans Robert Roemer; György Hazai; Wolfgang-Ekkehard Scharlipp (2000). History of the Turkic Peoples in the Pre-Islamic Period. Schwarz. p. 108. ISBN 9783879972838.
* ↑ Lovell, Julia (2007). The great wall: China Against the World, 1000 BC - AD 2000. Grove Press. p. 354. ISBN 978-0-8021-4297-9.
* ↑ Xiong, Victor Cunrui (2006). Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty: His Life, Times, and Legacy. State University of New York Press. p. 213. ISBN 0-7914-6587-X.
* 1 2 Yu. Zuev (I︠U︡. A. Zuev) (2002) (in Russian), Early Türks: Essays on history and ideology (Rannie ti︠u︡rki: ocherki istorii i ideologii), Almaty, Daik-Press, p. 233, ISBN 9985-4-4152-9.
* ↑ "Memorial Complex El etmish Bilge kagan (Moyn-Čor)". bitig.kz. Retrieved 22 April 2023.