Qutluğ Säbäg Qatun

Qutluğ Säbig Qatun[1] (title - Chinese: 骨咄禄娑匐可敦; pinyin: Gǔduōlùsuōfúkědūn; personal name - Chinese: 阿史德婆匐; pinyin: Āshǐdé Suōfú, also known as Po Beg[2]) was the khatun (queen) and then hansha (queen mother) of the Second Turkic Khaganate. She served as regent during the minority of Tengri Qaghan in 734-741.

Qutluğ Säbäg Qatun
Khatun of Second Turkic Khaganate
BornAshide Suofu
阿史德娑匐
Noble familyAshide
Spouse(s)Bilge Khagan
IssueYollıg Khagan
Tengri Qaghan
FatherTonyukuk

Khatun

Her father was Tonyukuk, an apa tarkan, a title equivalent to prime minister. She married Bilge Khagan (683 or 684-734) before 717, while he was still a tegin (prince).[3]

In 734, Bilge was poisoned. Before dying, however, he accused Buyruk Chor, a high governor of the empire, who had previously been to China and had him executed.[4] Bilge's sons succeeded him. After the death of his first son Yollıg Khagan (commissioner of Khöshöö Tsaidam monuments), his other son Tengri Qaghan (?-741) was enthroned.

Regent

Tengri was young and Sebeg acted like a queen regent. However, the real power was in the hands of two shads (local governors), one in the west and the other in the east. Sebeg tried to centralize the power and planned to execute the two governors. She had the governor in the west executed but Pan Kül Tigin, the governor in the east, became suspicious and revolted, killing Tengri Qaghan 742.[5] Two years later, the empire was dissolved following a joint rebel of Uyghurs, Karluks and Basmyls.

During the last days of the empire, Sebeg, together with her clan, took refuge in Tang China. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang greeted her and threw a banquet for her. She was given the title of princess, and was appointed the ruler of her people. According to the New Book of Tang, Xuanzong sent flour to her clan during the harvest season.[6] According to Russian historian Lev Gumilyov (1912–1992), she saved her people but not her nation.[7]

References
  1. Batbold, Gonchig. "The Turk and Uighur term Säbig, 突厥、回鹘文中的"娑匐Säbig"一词考释". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  2. This reading, as in Gumilev (Ancient Turks, ch. 26) is based a clerical error, which changed 娑匐 (MC: *sɑ-bɨuk̚ > Ch. suōfú) into 婆匐 (MC: *buɑ-bɨuk > Ch. pófú); for more see Yukiyo Kasai (2014) "The Chinese Phonetic Transcriptions of Old Turkish Words in the Chinese Sources from 6th-9th Century Focused on the Original Word Transcribed as Tujue 突厥" in Studies of Inner Asian Languages 29. p. 129 of 57-135
  3. Gumilev p. 367
  4. Gumilev p. 398
  5. Taşağıl. p. 356-357. Sic. Note that regnal dates for the khagans vary with the source. 741 is from Baumer.
  6. Taşağıl p. 376
  7. Gumilev p. 442

Sources
  • Gumilev, L. N. (2002). Ahsen Batur, Ahsen (ed.). Eski Türkler (in Turkish). İstanbul: Selenge Yayınları. ISBN 975-7856-39-8. OCLC 52822672.
  • Taşağıl, Ahmet (2012). Göktürkler (in Turkish). Ankara: AKDTYK Yayınları. pp. 359–62. ISBN 978-975-16-2460-4.
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