Özmiş Khagan () - was the last penultimate
khagan
Khagan or Qaghan (Middle Mongol:; or ''Khagan''; ) or zh, c=大汗, p=Dàhán; ''Khāqān'', alternatively spelled Kağan, Kagan, Khaghan, Kaghan, Khakan, Khakhan, Khaqan, Xagahn, Qaghan, Chagan, Қан, or Kha'an is a title of empire, im ...
of the
Second Turkic Khaganate (Göktürks).
Background
His father
Pan Kul Tigin was a shad (governor) of the empire during the reign of
Bilge Kutluk Khagan. Although Pan Kül Tigin had staged a successful coup against Kutluk Bilge, he was killed during a battle against
Ashina Shi and his
Basmyls. Following a short and turbulent term where
Kutlug Yabgu Kagan tried to restore the authority without success, Özmiş was elected as the new khagan in 742.
Reign
The policy of
Tang China
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...
was to vassalize all people to the north of Chinese border line and Özmiş was also expected to pay respect. Initially, Özmiş agreed to visit emperor
Xuanzong’s court and pay respect to the emperor, but then he changed his mind and tried to keep his independence. His reluctance annoyed the emperor and the emperor tasked his general Wang Zhongsi (王忠嗣) to arrest Özmiş. Wang Zhongsi organized a coalition of three Turkic people Basmyl,
Uighur and
Karluk, who had previously accepted the suzerainty of Chinese emperor, instead of Özmiş. The coalition defeated Özmiş. Although Özmiş escaped he was soon defeated for the second time and was killed in 744 by
Ashina Shi.
[Ahmet Taşağıl:''Göktürkler'', AKDTYK yayınları, , p. 358-9]
Although the Turkic people elected Özmiş’s son
Kulun Beg as their new khagan, his empire is usually considered to be collapsed by the death of Özmiş.
References
Göktürk khagans
8th-century monarchs in Asia
744 deaths
Ashina house of the Turkic Empire
Year of birth unknown
8th-century murdered monarchs
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