Telpar Khagan

**Telpar Khagan**, also known as Talpar Qagan, was the first Khagan of the Western Türgesh Khaganate. He was previously a tribal chieftan and warlord in Zhetysu.

## Family

### Spouse(s)

SerapDilek Bozok
Sutqiz
Parvin of Chach
Miwnay of Chach
Several others

### Relatives

Suluk (grandfather)
Melghan (great-grandfather)
Bilgä Khagan (great-grandfather)

## Early life and ancestry

Telpar was born somewhere in the Zhetysu valley of modern-day Kyrgyzstan in the early to mid 740s. He was the son of Erkin Khan, son of Melghan, the founder of his dynasty. His mother was the daughter of Suluk, who had defended Transoxiana against the invading Muslims, and granddaughter of Bilga Khagan, making Telpar a direct descendant of the Khagans of the Second Turkic Khaganate.

Telpar spent much of his early life travelling with his father, as well as his older brother, Guzud. However, when Telpar was just old enough to start leading troops, the Karluks of the east invaded his family's land and killed many of his people, including Guzud in 766. As they assumed control over Zhetysu, Telpar and his father fled with their people west, to the city of Yangikent on the Aral Sea. The King of the city welcomed the Türgesh people with open arms, but was soon overwhelmed by their numbers to the point where he couldn't support their population anymore. He submitted to Erkin's rule, who by that point had driven out the Turkic nomads out of the area. However, Erkin died soon after of an unknown illness and Telpar had to rule from a fairly young age, around 16 or so.

## Reign

After becoming leader, Telpar knew that he had to prove himself to keep power. He also wanted revenge against the Karluks who had taken his land and killed his people a few years previous. With his country's growing population, he was able to overwhelm the western Kipchak tribes to the north in 770, which had been under the control of Kostas Khan before then.

To keep control over the city of Yangikent, he married the local priest's daughter, Dilek, around this time. To keep control over the recently conquered land in the north and west, he recruited his friend Oghlan Udunid to rule in his name from Irgiz, and later Boqtybay.

After his success in his early conquests, he continued to consolidate power around the Jaxartes basin. He began an ongoing conflict with the Karluks over the Eastern region of Chach, which lasted for several decades (with Türgesh winning in the end).

Around 774, Telpar's statue was constructed in Yangikent, possibly by a man named "Ertugrul" or "Ertogol". The statue lasted for a few hundred years until the mongols overran the area and destroyed it.

It's claimed that sometime after this Telpar was in a physical fight against Kostas Khan, and lost, leading him to invade his lands once again. After some time, Kostas Khan mustered a counter-attack and attempted to siege Yangikent, but was intercepted, and was imprisoned and probably killed after the ensuing battle. Being numerically superior, Telpar easily won the war and overran the Kipchaks to the north. It was also around this time that he began using the title "Khagan".

   In 782, Telpar raided Samarkand. The battle of Samarkand, won by Telpar's forces, was what made him a famed warrior in the Muslim world, as well as the steppes. After the battle, he was able to capture Shiekh Maslama of Farava. Telpar's sacked the city in late June of 782, and Khokand later that summer, destroying the mosque there. Telpar raided the area again in late 785.

Sometime earlier, Telpar had given a man by the name of Buqa control over the eastern part of his nation, but Buqa, wanting more power for himself, revolted but failed in his bid to get independence, and was likely killed by Telpar. This led to a second revolt from Buqa's brother or nephew, Ayçur, which also failed.

### Death and Legacy

Telpar died in December 793 after a short but painful sickness. It's thought by historians to have possibly been some kind of the plague, as it was reported that horrible spots had erupted all over his body before his death. After his death his son Suluk succeeded him.

Telpar Khagan is widely celebrated today by Mulars as the man who saved their ancestors' country, and rebuilt the Türgesh people so that they could continue on. He was known all over Asia as a valiant warrior, and was even written about in China by contemporary Tang poets. There wasn't ever a battle that Telpar was known to have lost, and he's seen today as a genius military commander as well as an influential ancestral figure.

## Appearance and Personality

Telpar Khagan, from a very young age, was a physically intimidating person who was about a head taller than the average warrior of his time. Historians believe that he was between 6'1 and 6'3, which would have been extremely tall for anyone in Medieval Asia. Byzantine and Muslim writers both stated that he had "Hunnic" Asian features, with narrow eyes and long black hair that he always kept longer than his shoulders. He had a scar that went from between his eyes to his jaw that he supposedly sustained from the fight with Kostas Khan. It's believed that he was left-handed.

Telpar Khagan was an aggressive leader who also thought tactically, even though the numbers were more than often on his side in the battles that he picked. He was especially thoughtful when it came to leading on flat terrain, and his cavalry developed an early version of the horse charge that would be used by steppe armies for the next thousand years without much change. Telpar was also an ambitious leader who was willing to do anything to achieve his goals, even if it required huge amounts of sacrifice from his subjects.

## Marriages and Children

Telpar Khagan married many women, with his favorite wife being his first, who's name was Serap. It's not known which of his wives gave birth to his children. He had many children, including:

* Suluk Khagan
* Üge
* Katun
* Aruq
* Elscin Khagan
* At least 4 unnamed sons
* At least 2 unnamed daughters

 Yachi Khagan • Komsog Khagan •