Bars Bek (

Old Turkic Old Turkic (also East Old Turkic, Orkhon Turkic language, Old Uyghur) is the earliest attested form of the Turkic languages, found in Göktürk and Uyghur Khaganate inscriptions dating from about the eighth to the 13th century. It is the ...

: 𐰉𐰺𐰽:𐰋𐰏, ; 637 - 710/711,

Son River Son River ( hi, सोन नदी, also spelt Sone River) is a perennial river located in central India. It originates near Amarkantak Hill in Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi district of Chhattisgarh and finally merges with the Ganges River near Pa ...

) or Inanch Alp Bilge, was a first

khagan Khagan or Qaghan (Mongolian:; or ''Khagan''; otk, 𐰴𐰍𐰣 ), or , tr, Kağan or ; ug, قاغان, Qaghan, Mongolian Script: ; or ; fa, خاقان ''Khāqān'', alternatively spelled Kağan, Kagan, Khaghan, Kaghan, Khakan, Khakhan ...

of the

Yenisei Kyrgyz Khaganate The Yenisei Kyrgyz Khaganate ( ky, Улуу Кыргыз Дөөлөтү, Uluu Kyrgyz Döölötü; ) was a Turkic empire that existed for about a century between the early 9th and 10th centuries. It ruled over the Yenisei Kyrgyz people, who had bee ...

Reign

Nothing is known about Bars Bek's early reign, except minor information fragments contained within

Orkhon Orkhon ( mn, Орхон) may refer to: * Orkhon River, Mongolia * Orkhon Valley, the landscape around that river * Orkhon Province, an Aimag (province) in Mongolia * several Sums (districts) in different Mongolian Aimags: ** Orkhon, Bulgan ** Or ...

and Yenisei inscriptions. During his reign, he was believed to be hostile to the

Göktürks The Göktürks, Celestial Turks or Blue Turks ( otk, 𐱅𐰇𐰼𐰰:𐰉𐰆𐰑𐰣, Türük Bodun; ; ) were a nomadic confederation of Turkic peoples in medieval Inner Asia. The Göktürks, under the leadership of Bumin Qaghan (d. 552) a ...

until he married a younger daughter of

Ilterish Qaghan Ilterish Qaghan ( otk, 𐰃𐰠𐱅𐰼𐰾:𐰴𐰍𐰣, Elteris qaγan, zh, 頡跌利施可汗/颉跌利施可汗 ''Xiédiēlìshīkěhàn''; personal name: Ashina Qutlugh, 阿史那骨篤祿/阿史那骨笃禄, ''āshǐnà gǔdǔlù'', a-shih- ...

and was appointed as a lesser khagan ruling over Az and Kyrgyz tribes. In the late 7th century, according to Takeshi Osawa, Bars Bek mediated talks between

Suoge Saqal () was a Turgesh Qaghan. According toYuri Zuev, he was a Manichaeist so that his name was possibly derived from Manichean theonym ''Sakla'' which means " Creator of the World". Other reconstructions are Saqal and Soq. Early reign Suoge ...

and the

Emperor Zhongzong of Tang Emperor Zhongzong of Tang (26 November 656 – 3 July 710), personal name Li Xian, and at other times Li Zhe or Wu Xian, was the fourth Emperor of the Tang dynasty of China, ruling briefly in 684 and again from 705 to 710. During the first pe ...

. According to Klyashtorny, he sent an ambassador named Eren Ulug to the

Tibetan Empire The Tibetan Empire (, ; ) was an empire centered on the Tibetan Plateau, formed as a result of imperial expansion under the Yarlung dynasty heralded by its 33rd king, Songtsen Gampo, in the 7th century. The empire further expanded under the ...

in an attempt to form an alliance but was unsuccessful.

Title

According to Sergei Klyashtorny, Bars Bek's anointed name was Inanch Alp Bilge and was mentioned as such in Yenisei inscriptions. Turkish historian Saadeddin Gömeç argued against this.

Death

After news of the triple alliance reached

Tonyukuk Tonyukuk ( otk, 𐰋𐰃𐰠𐰏𐰀:𐱃𐰆𐰪𐰸𐰸, Bilgä Tuňuquq, lit=Tunyuquq the Wise, zh, , c=暾欲谷, p=Tunyugu, , born c. 646, died c. 726) was the baga-tarkhan (supreme commander) and adviser of four successive Göktürk khaga ...

, he decided to eliminate the Kyrgyz first. Roads to Kyrgyz lands were blocked by heavy snow, forcing them to find a guide. They first crossed Ak Termel (modern Ona - a

tributary A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainag ...

Abakan Abakan (russian: Абака́н, p=ɐbɐˈkan; Khakas: , ''Ağban''/, ''Abaxan'') is the capital city of the Republic of Khakassia, Russia, located in the central part of Minusinsk Depression, at the confluence of the Yenisei and Abakan Rive ...

). However, after ten nights of searching for a way out, their guide became lost and was executed on the orders of Qapaghan. After a few days, they arrived at Kyrgyz headquarters and launched a night attack on Bars Bek, killing him. A memorial stele was erected after his death, on the left side of the

Abakan river The Abakan (russian: Абака́н), (from the Khakas word for "bear's blood") is a river in the Republic of Khakassia, Russia. It is a left tributary of the Yenisey. The river is used for log driving and irrigation. The city of Abakan is locat ...

. He was succeeded by his son and

Bilge Khagan Bilge Qaghan ( otk, 𐰋𐰃𐰠𐰏𐰀:𐰴𐰍𐰣, Bilgä Qaγan; ; 683 – 25 November 734) was the fourth Qaghan of the Second Turkic Khaganate. His accomplishments were described in the Orkhon inscriptions. Names As was the custom, his ...

's nephew.

Legacy

A commemorative coin honouring Bars Bek was issued by the National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic in 2010. In 2017, a monument to Bars Bek was erected in

Osh Osh (Kyrgyz: Ош, romanised Osh; uz, O‘sh/Ўш) is the second-largest city in Kyrgyzstan, located in the Fergana Valley in the south of the country and often referred to as the "capital of the south". It is the oldest city in the country (e ...

References

{{Authority control 7th-century Turkic people 711 deaths 8th-century murdered monarchs