Tonyukuk
Tonyukuk | |
|---|---|
| Tarkhan of the Second Turkic Khaganate | |
| Reign | 681–716 or 717 |
| Full name | |
| Native name | 𐰋𐰃𐰠𐰏𐰀 𐱃𐰆𐰪𐰸𐰸 𐰉𐰆𐰖𐰞𐰀 𐰉𐰍𐰀 𐱃𐰺𐰴𐰣 (in Old Turkic) |
| Other titles | Apa Tarkan |
| Born | Ashide Yuanzhen 阿史德元珍 c. 646 Yulin, Tang dynasty (modern day Inner Mongolia) |
| Died | c. 726 (aged 79–80) |
| Noble family | Ashide |
| Issue | Po Beg |
| Occupation | Counsellor Grand vizier Commander-in-chief |
| Memorials | Tonyukuk inscriptions |
Tonyukuk (Old Turkic: 𐰋𐰃𐰠𐰏𐰀:𐱃𐰆𐰪𐰸𐰸, romanized: Bilgä Tuňuquq, lit. 'Tunyuquq the Wise', Chinese: 暾欲谷; pinyin: Tunyugu, Chinese: 阿史德元珍; pinyin: Āshǐdé Yuánzhēn, born c. 646, died c. 726) was the baga-tarkhan (supreme commander) and adviser of four successive Göktürk khagans – Ilterish Qaghan, Qapaghan Qaghan, Inel Qaghan and Bilge Qaghan. He conducted victorious campaigns against various Turkic and non-Turkic steppe peoples, such as Tölis, Xueyantuo, Toquz Oguz, Yenisei Kyrgyz, Kurykans, Thirty Tatar, Khitan and Tatabi as well as the Tang dynasty. He was described as a kingmaker by historians such as E. P. Thompson and Peter Benjamin Golden.