The
Turgesh Kaganate (also
Türgesh,
Turgish or
Türgish - known as
Tuchishi in Chinese) were a
Turkic tribal confederation who emerged from the ruins of the
Western Turkic Khaganate. In time, the Turgesh, themselves a branch of the greater Tardush (Tulu,
Dulo) subdivision of the On Okh (
Onoq, Ten Arrows) or Western Turks, managed to build up a considerable if short-lived Kaganate (699-766), attested by minting of Türgesh coins. Presently, the ethnonym
Türgesh survived in the name of seok (modern tribe)
Tirgesh among
Altaians [1].
The foundation of the Türgesh Kaganate was precipitated by anti-Ashina Türgesh rebellion. The counter-Ashina movement of Türgeshes ended in 699 with a capture of Suyab. The founder of the first dynasty of the Türgesh state before the enthronization was a Tutuk (commander) of the Talas district and a town Balu, which name symbolizes some sacred relation to a divine or heavenly sphere. The first Türgesh Kagan was called Yuzlik (Chinese transcription means "black substance"), he was a leader of the Manichean consortium yüz er "hundred men". In 706 his son Sakal inherited him. Both first Kagans had a church rank of Yuzlik. Their residence (Great horde) was in the city Suyab in the valley of the river Chu. Sakal younger brother Chjenu dissented, but unable to take the throne in Suyab asked for military support from the Eastern Türkic Kapagan-Kagan, starting a cruel Eastern Türkic campaign against Türgeshes in 708 that ended with the death of Chjenu [2]. .
Türük (singular form of Türküt) rule was shaky at best, since the entire Onoq quadrant teemed with rebellion. Despite defeating the rebels again in 714, the Göktürks/Türküt couldn't subdue them. Three years later the Kara Turgesh elected Sulu as their Khaghan. The new ruler moved his capital to Balasagun in the Chu valley, receiving the homage of several chieftains formerly bond to the service of Bilge Khaghan of the Türküt. Sulu acted as a bulwark against further Umayyad encroachment from the south the Arabs had indeed become a major player in recent times, despite Islam hadn't still made many converts in central Asia (that would need some two or three centuries still).
In Chinese sources the Türgesh name first appeared in 651, by that time they dwelt in Ili Valley, and disappears after 766. The Turgesh Kaganate seems to have come into existence towards the end of the 7th century, after a massive revolt against the Western Turkic khan, a Chinese puppet. The Turgesh leader was Ushyly (Wushile), who titled himself Baga Tarkhan and led a strong army to victory, putting the puppet khan to full speed flight. His power soon spanned from present-day Zhetysu area to Turpan and Kucha.
