# Kyrgyz Khaganate

The Kyrgyz Khaganate (Chinese: 黠戛斯汗國) was a Turkic empire that existed between the early 6th and 13th centuries. It ruled over the Yenisei Kyrgyz people, who had been located in southern Siberia since the 6th century. By the 9th century, the Kyrgyz had asserted dominance over the Uyghurs who had previously ruled the Kyrgyz. The empire was established as a khaganate from 539 to 1218, lasting 679 years. The khaganate's territory at its height would briefly include parts of modern-day China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, and Russia. After the 10th century, there was little information on the Yenisei Kyrgyz. It is believed the khaganate had survived in its traditional homeland until 1207.

## Periodization

* 693: Bars Bek founded the state
* 711: The Second Turkic Khaganate won the Battle of Sayan Mountains
* 758: The Uyghur Khaganate conquers the Kyrgyz Khaganate
* 840: The Kyrgyz Khaganate conquers the Uyghur Khaganate
* 840–924: Imperial period

## History

The earliest records of Yenisei Kyrgyz Khaganate were written during the Tang dynasty. The Kyrgyz did not keep reliable written records during this period.
Before 201 BC, Xiongnu chanyu Modun conquered the Kyrgyzes, then known to Chinese as Gekun (鬲昆), along with the Hunyu (渾庾), Qushe (屈射), Dingling (丁零), and Xinli (薪犁).
In 50 BC, Xiongnu chanyu Zhizhi defeated the Wusun, Wujie (Oguzes?), Dinglings and Jiankun (Kyrgyzes). During those times, Kyrgyz people lived in the Borohoro Mountains and the Manasi River valley on east Tengir-Too, about 7,000 li (4,000 km) west of Ordos – the center of Xiongnu's territory.
In Chinese historiography, the Kyrgyzes' endonym was first transcribed as Gekun (or Ko-kun; Chinese: 鬲昆) or Jiankun (or Chien-kun; Chinese: 堅昆) in Records of the Grand Historian and Book of Han, respectively. other transcriptions are Jiegu (結骨), Hegu (紇骨), Hegusi (紇扢斯), Hejiasi (紇戛斯), Hugu (護骨), Qigu (契骨), Juwu (居勿), and Xiajiasi (黠戛斯), Peter Golden reconstructs underlying *Qïrğïz < *Qïrqïz< *Qïrqïŕ and suggests a derivation from Old Turkic qïr 'gray' (horse color) plus suffix -q(X)ŕ/ğ(X)ŕ ~ k(X)z/g(X)z.
They were largely subordinate to the Göktürks from 560s to 700s. Kyrgyz khagan Bars Bek was a brother-in-law to Bilge Khagan. His son ruled Kyrgyzs after Bars Bek's defeated in hands of Qapaghan in 710. After Turkic downfall, they submitted to Uyghurs. Their leader Bayanchur killed the Kyrgyz leader and appointed a new Kyrgyz khagan named Bilge Tong Erkin (毗伽頓頡斤).

### Bars Khagan

After an unsuccessful campaign against the Kyrgyz in 693, the Gokturk khagan Qapaghan was forced to recognize the title of Khagan for the Kyrgyz ruler Bars Bek and even tried to conclude a dynastic alliance with him by marrying his "younger sister-princess" to him. However, this only temporarily dulled the most acute contradictions between the Gokturks and the Kyrgyz, who fought for dominance over Central Asia. In 707 and 709 Kyrgyz envoys visited the Tang Empire twice. At this time, the Gokturks were at war with the Tang Empire and the Kyrgyz found themselves in a new coalition with the Türgesh, Chik, Az and Tang Empire. The greatest danger to the Gokturks during this period was represented by the Kyrgyz who gained strength. In 709, the Gokturk army defeated the Chiks and Azs, capturing Tuva and a bridgehead for the invasion of the Kyrgyz lands. Bars Khagan did not dare to intervene, hoping for the impregnability of their lands beyond the Sayan Mountains. However, in the winter of 710–711. the Gokturk army, having made a roundabout maneuver, crossed the Sayan Range and suddenly fell upon the Kyrgyz. As a result of the defeat in Battle of Sayan Mountains, the Kyrgyz army was defeated, the Khagan Bars died. The Kyrgyz state was conquered, Gokturk troops were stationed in the Minusinsk Basin. However, management was handed over to the Kyrgyz ruler. Already in 711, China arrived Kyrgyz embassy. Perhaps it was sent by Bars Khagan before his death in the hope of help. In 722 and 723 two arrived in Tang Empire Kyrgyz embassies headed by tegin Isibo Sheyuzhe Bishi Sygin and Tegin Juili Pinhezhong Sigin.

### Relations with Tang dynasty

The first embassy to Yenisei Kyrgyz was sent during reign of the Emperor Taizong of Tang, in 632. He received Kyrgyz ambassador named Shiboqu Azhan (失鉢屈阿棧) who was later appointed to the Yanran (燕然) Commandery.
The Kyrgyz khagans claimed descent from the Han dynasty general Li Ling, grandson of the general Li Guang. Li Ling was captured by the Xiongnu and defected in the first century BCE. And since the Tang imperial Li family also claimed descent from Li Guang, the Kyrgyz khagan was therefore recognized as a member of the Tang imperial family. This relationship soothed the relationship when Kyrgyz khagan Are (阿熱) invaded the Uyghur Khaganate and put Qasar Qaghan to the sword. The news brought to Chang'an by Kyrgyz ambassador Zhuwu Hesu (註吾合素).
   The Khitan ruler Abaoji did extend his influence onto the Mongolian Plateau in 924, but there is no indication whatsoever of any conflict with the Kyrgyz. The only information we have from Khitan (Liao) sources regarding the Kyrgyz indicates that the two powers maintained diplomatic relations. Scholars who write of a Kyrgyz "empire" from about 840 to about 924 are describing a fantasy. All available evidence suggests that despite some brief extensions of their power onto the Mongolian Plateau, the Kyrgyz did not maintain a significant political or military presence there after their victories in the 840s.
The Yenisei Kyrgyz Khaganate of the Are family bolstered his ties and alliance to the Tang imperial family against the Uyghur Khaganate by claiming descent from the Han dynasty general Li Ling who had defected to the Xiongnu and married a Xiongnu princess, daughter of Qiedihou Chanyu and was sent to govern the Jiankun (Ch'ien-K'un) region which later became Yenisei. Li Ling was a grandson of Li Guang (Li Kuang) of the Longxi Li family descended from Laozi which the Tang dynasty Li imperial family claimed descent from. The Yenisei Kyrgyz and Tang dynasty launched a victorious successful war between 840 and 848 to destroy the Uyghur Khaganate and its centre at the Orkhon valley using their claimed familial ties as justification for an alliance. Tang forces under General Shi Xiong wounded the Uyghur Khagan (Qaghan) Ögä, seized livestock, took 5,000–20,000 Uyghur Khaganate soldiers captive, killed 10,000 Uyghur Khaganate sources on 13 February 843 at the Battle of Shahu (kill the barbarians) mountain.
In 845, Are khagan was created Zong Yingxiong Wu Chengming Khagan (Chinese: 宗英雄武誠明可汗; lit. 'Fathering Heroes', 'Martial and Sincere', 'Khagan of Light') by Emperor Wuzong. But Wuzong died before his ambassadors departed Chang'an. The new emperor Xuanzong did not rush to create him khagan. At a general council of senior officials, they decided that the titles were given to the Uyghurs when they were strong, and if the Yenisei Kyrgyz were awarded as well, they would become proud and become dangerous. The emperor revoked the letter.
After Are's murder by one of his officials in 847, new Kyrgyz khagan was created Yingwu Chengming Khagan (英武誠明可汗) by Xuanzong, who sent Li Ye (李業) to award him the title.
   After the tenth century, there is little additional information regarding the Kyrgyz until their absorption into the Mongol Empire in the thirteenth century. There was a conflict between the Kyrgyz and the Qara Khitai around 1130; the Kyrgyz were not defeated, but there is some speculation that at some point they came under the sway of the Qara Khitai. Almost 80 years later, in 1207/1208, the Kyrgyz submitted to the rising power of the Mongols under Genghis Khan.

### Religion

The religion of the population of the Kyrgyz Kaganate has been studied by various scientists since the 19th century. Chinese and Arabic-Persian sources contain various information about the religion of the Yenisei Kyrgyz. Thus, the Chinese chronicles preserved data on the religious rituals of the Yenisei Kyrgyz:
A sacrifice is made to the spirits in the field. There is no fixed time for sacrifice. Shamans are called gan [kam]. At funerals, they do not scratch the faces, only wrap the body of the deceased in three rows and cry, and then burn it, and the collected bones are buried a year later. After that, crying is produced at certain times.
The Persian historian Gardizi in the XI century wrote the following about the Yenisei Kyrgyz:
Some Kyrgyz worship the cow, others the wind, others the hedgehog, others the magpie, others the falcon, and others the mahogany trees. They have a special measured speech that they use in prayer. When they pray, they turn towards the south. They worship Saturn and Venus, and Mars is considered a bad omen. They have a prayer house.… Lamps (lit) they don't go out until they go out by themselves.
Similar information is given in the "Dictionary of Countries" by Yaqut al-Hamawi, which was published at the beginning of the 13th century:
They have a temple for worship, and they have reed pens with which to write. They do not extinguish their lamps until the combustible substance in them goes out by itself. They know the poetic speech that they utter during their prayer. They have several holidays a year. They pray facing south, worship Saturn and Venus, and consider Mars a bad omen. They have stones that glow at night, thanks to which they do not need lamps and which are used only in their country.
Reconstruction of the ancient Kyrgyz burial site According to Gardizi and al-Marwazi, there was a position of "faginun" in the state of the Yenisei Kyrgyz, who performed the duties of religious ministers. During the rituals, which were accompanied by music, the Faginuns brought themselves to unconsciousness, and after waking up, predicted various events such as natural disasters or invasions of enemies. The burial cycle of the Yenisei Kyrgyz has been archaeologically studied quite well in various regions of Southern Siberia and Central Asia. The funeral ceremony took a long period of time — at least one year. The cycle consisted of several stages: choosing a place for the burial of the deceased, transporting the body of the deceased, preparing a funeral pyre, and so on. As the Kyrgyz Khaganate rose, other beliefs began to enter the state. Thus, as Manichaeism spread, some Kyrgyz kagans began to use the title "Kagan of Light" in relation to themselves, and monumental Manichaean temples began to be built in the state (the aforementioned Gardizi and Yakut al-Hamawi write about them) and Manichaean monasteries. Nestorian missionaries also actively served on the territory of the Khaganate. Nestorianism became widespread among the Kyrgyz aristocracy during the Kyrgyz expansion. Objects similar to the doors of the Christian panagia were found at the Kyrgyz burial ground of the 13th—14th centuries "Koibaly-I" from the Minusinsk basin. In turn, some Yenisei Kyrgyz who lived in East Turkestan, under the influence of Islam, switched from cremation rituals to traditional funerals.
The Kyrgyz Khaganate pursued a tolerant policy towards all religions of the state. The statesmen of the Kyrgyz Kaganate took into account the interests of adherents of all religions who lived on the territory of the state of the Yenisei Kyrgyz. The religious elite of the state included the kagan, who had a sacred status, his dynasty and entourage, missionaries and traditional religious servants — shamans who participated in the most important religious events.

## Khagans

According to the Tobchiyan and Jami' al-tawarikh, title of the Yenisei Kyrgyz Khagan was Īnāl (Persian: اینال, Chinese: 亦纳勒).
| Personal Name | Title | Reign | Religion | Dynasty |
| Bars Khagan 𐰴𐰍𐰣‎:𐰉𐰺𐰋𐰏 | Inanch Alp Bilge(𐰃𐰣𐰀𐰣𐰲𐰆 𐰀𐰞𐰯 𐰋𐰄𐰠𐰏𐰅) | 693–711 | Tengrism (after 765 - Manichaeism) | Aje dynasty |
| ??? | | 711–758 | Tengrism (after 765 - Manichaeism) | Aje dynasty |
| Bilge Tong Erkin 𐰋𐰄𐰠𐰏𐰅 𐱄𐰆𐰣𐰏 𐰅𐰼𐰚𐰄𐰤 | Pitsye Tungye Gin (𐰯𐰄𐰾𐰾𐰘𐰅 𐱄𐰆𐰣𐰏𐰘𐰅 𐰏𐰄𐰪) | 758–795 | Tengrism (after 765 - Manichaeism) | Aje dynasty |
| Ajo Khagan 𐰴𐰍𐰣‎:𐰀𐰳𐰆 | Zong Yingxiong Wu Chengming Khagan (宗英雄武誠明可汗) | 795–847 | Tengrism (after 765 - Manichaeism) | Aje dynasty |
| Yingwu Khagan 𐰴𐰍𐰣‎:𐰄𐰤𐰍𐰆 | Yingwu Chengming Khagan (英武誠明可汗) | 847–866 | Tengrism (after 765 - Manichaeism) | Aje dynasty |