Tardu


Tardu or Tardush Yabghu was the second yabgu of Western Half of Turkic Khaganate, and Ninth Khagan of the First Turkic Khaganate. He was the son of Istämi.

Names

The regnal name in Turkic was Tarduš. According to Lev Gumilev his personal name was Kara-Churin-Turk. However, when he subjugated Eastern half after death of Tulan Qaghan, he assumed regnal name Bilge Khagan.

Background

Turkic Khaganate was a vast khaganate ; from Manchuria and Chinese wall to Black sea. It was impossible to govern the whole khaganate from a certain capital. So while the eastern part was directly ruled by the khagan, the western part was governed by yabgu in behalf of the khagan. The capital of the west was Ordukent . Istemi who was the khagan's brother was the first and Tardu was the second yabgu.

Years of civil war

Tardu became the yabgu in c. 575. In that year he met the Byzantine ambassador Valentinius. Being a very ambitious yabgu he was planning to seize power in whole khaganate. He saw his chance in 581 when khagan Taspar died. Taspar had announced his preference for Talopien instead of his son Anluo. But Göktürk kurultay which was authorized to appoint the new khagan refused the former kagan's will and appointed the former khagan's son who in turn acknowledged Ishbara Qaghan as the new khagan. This gave Tardu the necessary cause to interfere. He sent an army to back Talopien. Ishbara applied Sui China for protection and both contestants were played off against each other by China.

Later years

While the east part of the khaganate suffered from civil war, Tardu was waiting for a suitable moment to realize his plans. After the Battle of Blarathon in 591 in Sassanid Persia, Bahram Chobin who was a short term Sasanid empreror, sought asylum in Western Turks.
In 599 Tardu declared himself to be khagan of the united khaganate But his new status was not recognised widely. Probably to persuade the kurultay, he began a campaign against China. But unlike Turks of eastern part his target of campaign was too far away and his army suffered intensely from the poisoned waterwells during the long expedition through the steppe. Finally, he had to retreat without serious combats. But this defeat was disastrous for him. After a rebellion of his subjects, he disappeared from the scene in 603 or 604.
He was succeeded in west by Niri Qaghan, a son of Talopien.

Family

He was father to Tulu and Külüg Sibir. Sheguy and Tong Yabghu were his grandsons through Tulu.