Niri Qaghan (; , probably

Rouran The Rouran Khaganate ( Chinese: zh, c=, p=Róurán, label=no), also known as Ruanruan or Juan-juan ( zh, c=, p=Ruǎnruǎn, label=no) (or variously ''Jou-jan'', ''Ruruan'', ''Ju-juan'', ''Ruru'', ''Ruirui'', ''Rouru'', ''Rouruan'' or ''Tantan'') ...

: ''nı̣rı̣ qaɣan'') was a ruler of the

Western Turkic Khaganate The Western Turkic Khaganate () or Onoq Khaganate () was a Turkic khaganate in Eurasia, formed as a result of the wars in the beginning of the 7th century (593–603 CE) after the split of the First Turkic Khaganate (founded in the 6th century o ...

Biography

He was the grandson of Muqan Qaghan through Yangsu Tegin. He had a younger brother named Poshi Tegin (婆實特勤). He was enthroned by his supporters in 587 as Western Turkic Khagan, succeeding his uncle Apa Qaghan according to '' Book of Sui''. His father was probably dead by this time. Princess Qianjin tried to forge an alliance with him by 593, According to Christoph Baumer he ruled from 579 to circa 602/03. Baumer notes that the better-documented Tardu ruled from 575 to 603. According to de La Vaissière, the unnamed Turkic ruler who was in correspondence with Emperor Maurice was Niri. Takashi Osawa dismissed these claims, saying Chinese authors recorded earlier events at a very late time. According to him, Niri died in spring or summer of 598 during a battle against the Tiele and his second funeral ceremony could be held in autumn or winter of the year of 599 at the latest.

Family

His Chinese wife Lady Xiang (向氏) was married to his brother Poshi Tegin (婆實特勤) after his death and was sent by Heshana Khagan as ambassadors to China during end of the Kaiyuan era. He was survived by his sons Heshana Khagan and Kuta Shad ().

Legacy

His memorial complex and statue which was found in 1953 in Zhaosu County,

Xinjiang Xinjiang,; , SASM/GNC romanization, SASM/GNC: Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Sinkiang, officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People' ...

. Later, inscriptions were found at the west part of the stone statue. Sogdian text was read by Yutaka Yoshida (

Kyoto university , or , is a National university, national research university in Kyoto, Japan. Founded in 1897, it is one of the former Imperial Universities and the second oldest university in Japan. The university has ten undergraduate faculties, eighteen gra ...

), and later by Takashi Osawa (

Osaka University The , abbreviated as UOsaka or , is a List of national universities in Japan, national research university in Osaka, Japan. The university traces its roots back to Edo period, Edo-era institutions Tekijuku (1838) and Kaitokudō, Kaitokudo (1724), ...

) De La Vaissere associated his name with Niri Khagan read in the

inscription of Hüis Tolgoi Epigraphy () is the study of inscriptions, or epigraphs, as writing; it is the science of identifying graphemes, clarifying their meanings, classifying their uses according to dates and cultural contexts, and drawing conclusions about the wr ...

. Lev Gumilev erraneously associated him with ''Birmudha'' figure found in Iranian stories about Bahram Chubin and Sawa and connected him to governorship of Paykend. Shamsuddin Kamoluddin also argued that Niri Khagan was identical to ''El-Tigin'' found in Persian and Arabic sources.

References

Göktürk khagans Ashina house of the Turkic Empire 7th-century monarchs in Asia Founding monarchs in Asia Buddhist monarchs {{CAsia-hist-stub