Ishbara Qaghan

Ishbara Khagan (Old Turkic: 𐰃𐱁𐰉𐰺𐰀𐰴𐰍𐰣, Ïšbara qaγan, , personal name Ashina Helu - ) (ruled 651–658) was the last khagan of the Western Turkic Khaganate. Name The khagan's underlying Turkic name, transcribed with Chinese characters 賀魯, became a debate among scholars. Gumilyov proposed Hallïğ, meaning "Elevated". Von Gabain proposed name Kullïğ (slave owner). Gömeç argued for Uluğ meaning "Great",. Meanwhile, Kapusuzoğlu proposed Kutluğ (Blessed) as his underlying Turkic name. Zuev (1960) linked the Khagan personal name Helu (< MC *ɣa-lou) with the tribal name Khallukh attested by Persian and Arab writers, and asserted that by the 7th century Helu's tribe was dynastic; later, however, Zuev (2002) proposed that Chinese Helu reflects Turkic *aru ~ arïğ "pure, light". Early years His parentage is uncertain. According to Gumilov his father was Böri Shad, however Chavannes attributes him to be a son of Irbis Seguy. He was awarded with the title shad by Dulu khagan in 633 and appointed to govern certain tribes including Chuye, Qarluq, Nushibi. In 646 he rose against Irbis Seguy only to be defeated by him. He fled to China in 25 April 648 and had served the Tang dynasty as a general stationed in Mohe (莫賀) city in Gansu. However he soon started to plan to assert independence using Taizong's death in 649. Qiao Baoming (橋寶明) personal staff of Gaozong tried to avert it by ordering him to deliver his son Ashina Xiyun (阿史那咥運) to serve in palace guard. Xiyun served for a while before returning to Helu again and encouraging him to attack Irbis Dulu khagan.