Böri Shad (fl. c. 627) ( otk, 𐰋𐰇𐰼𐰃𐱁𐰑, böri šad, , "Wolf governor") was a Turkic prince or general who fought the Persians south of the Caucasus during the

Third Perso-Turkic War The Third Perso-Turkic War was the third and final conflict between the Sassanian Empire and the Western Turkic Khaganate. Unlike the previous two wars, it was not fought in Central Asia, but in Transcaucasia. Hostilities were initiated in 627 ...

. In this war the

Western Turkic Khaganate The Western Turkic Khaganate () or Onoq Khaganate ( otk, 𐰆𐰣:𐰸:𐰉𐰆𐰑𐰣, On oq budun, Ten arrow people) was a Turkic khaganate in Eurasia, formed as a result of the wars in the beginning of the 7th century (593–603 CE) after t ...

was allied with Byzantium against Persia during the last great Byzantine-Persian war before the Arab conquests. He was an appointed head of a provincial principality in the far western North Caucasus periphery of the

. A succession of princes, or shads, occupied that position. The principality of ''Böri Shad'' originated in 558 CE, when Kara-Churin (later named

Tardu Tardu or Tardush Yabghu was the second yabgu of the Western Turkic Khaganate (c. 575–603), and ninth Qaghans of the Turkic khaganates, Khagan of the First Turkic Khaganate (599–603). He was the son of Istämi. Names The regnal name in Turk ...

or Tardush), a brother of the ruling kagan, campaigned in Ural and Volga regions, but the lands he captured were given to his junior brother Turksanf and his cousin Buri-khan. From 576 through 583 CE, Tardu fought with the Byzantines, but, instead of himself, he appointed as head of the campaign his cousin Böri Shad, whose possessions were in the North Caucasus. According to Movses Kagankatvatsi, Böri Shad was a 7th-century Göktürk prince and an ''

ishad {{Distinguish, Shad (prince) Ishad was an Old Turkic word used to designate the highest-ranking Göktürk generals (e.g., Buri-sad). It is also used in some Arabic sources to describe the Khagan Bek of the Khazars. Brook (2006:261), citing Golden ...

'' or general in the army of the

. He was the son of Bagha Shad, who may have been the ''

yabgu Yabghu ( otk, 𐰖𐰉𐰍𐰆, yabγu,Entrabγu">"𐰖𐰉𐰍𐰆_[yabγuйабғұ"in_"Ethno-Cultural_Dictionary"_''Türik_Bitig''_),_also_rendered_as_Jabgu,_Djabgu_or_Yabgu,_was_a_state_office_in_the_early_Turkic_peoples.html" ;"title="abγuй ...

'' or prince of the Khazars. (anachronistic since the Khazars were not yet a separate polity.) Böri Shad's uncle was Tong Yabghu Khagan, the khagan of the Western Göktürks.Christian 283. Böri Shad was probably commander of the Khazar forces during the

in the

Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia (country), Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range ...

in 627–629. Under Böri Shad's command the Khazars sacked many cities in Caucasian Albania and attempted to establish a firm foothold in

Transcaucasia The South Caucasus, also known as Transcaucasia or the Transcaucasus, is a geographical region on the border of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, straddling the southern Caucasus Mountains. The South Caucasus roughly corresponds to modern Arme ...

. Following Tung Yabghu's instructions, Böri Shad suggested to the Persian satrap of Aghvania and to Catholicos Viro that they should acknowledge the Khagan as their overlord. The governor refused to pay homage to the Turks and fled to Persia. The Catholicos was also hesitant. After the Turks started to plunder the cities, Viro escaped to the mountainous region of Artsakh, where the Turks managed to track him down. When asked to capitulate, the Catholicos summoned princes and potentates from across the country and asked them whether the Albanians should resist the invaders. It was decided that resistance was futile. Viro personally brought the message of obedience and allegiance to Böri Shad, whose army encamped in the vicinity of

Partav Barda ( az, Bərdə ) is a city and the capital of the Barda District in Azerbaijan, located south of Yevlax and on the left bank of the Tartar river. It served as the capital of Caucasian Albania by the end of the 5th-century. Barda became the ch ...

. The ''shad'' reproached Viro for his delays: "Why did you procrastinate with your visit? If only you were more expeditious, your country would have been spared the calamities brought about by my troops". After paying homage to Böri Shad, the Catholicos asked him to free the Albanian prisoners. Böri Shad dispatched his bailiffs to search the tents. They found many young men hiding among the treasure and cattle and set them free. In April 630 Böri Shad took advantage of dynastic disorders in the Sassanid Empire and dispatched

Chorpan Tarkhan Chorpan Tarkhan is recorded by Moses of Kalankatuyk as a Khazar general, who conquered Armenia in April 630 CE. He was most likely an officer in the army of the Western Gokturks led by Böri Shad in the wake of Ziebel's (or Tong Yabghu Khagan' ...

to conquer

Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ' ...

.Gumile
online
/ref> Although the campaign was successful, Böri Shad had to flee to Central Asia after learning about the murder of Tong Yabghu later that year.

Notes

References

* Artamonov, Mikhail. ''Istoriya Khazar''. Leningrad, 1962. * Christian, David. ''A History of Russia, Mongolia and Central Asia.'' Blackwell, 1999. *

Golden, Peter Benjamin Peter Benjamin Golden (born 1941) is an American historian who is Professor Emeritus of History, Turkish and Middle Eastern Studies at Rutgers University. He has written many books and articles on Turkic and Central Asian Studies, such as ''An i ...

. ''Introduction to the History of the Turkic Peoples.'' Wiesbaden: Harrasowitz, 1992. * Gumilev, Lev. ''The Gokturks'', 1st ed. Moscow: Nauka, 1967. * Pletneva, Svetlana. ''Khazary'', 2nd ed. Moscow: Nauka, 1986. {{DEFAULTSORT:Bori Shad Göktürk rulers Ashina house of the Turkic Empire 7th-century Turkic people