South Side
(S1) I, the Täηri (Heaven)-like and Täηri
(Heaven)-born Türkish Bilgä Kaγan, succeeded to
the throne at this time. Hear my words from the beginning to
the end, first of all you, my younger brothers and my sons,
and my people and relatives, you, Šadpit (Šad+?) lords
to the south, Tarkans and Buyruq lords to the north, you, Otuz
(Tatar? ........),
(S2) and you, Tokuz-Oguz lords and people! Hear these words
of mine well, and listen hard! Eastwards to the sunrise,
southwards to the midday, westwards as far as the sunset, and
northwards to the midnight, all the peoples within these
boundaries (are subject to me). This many peoples
(S3) I have organized thoroughly, these peoples are not rebellious
now. If the Türkish Kaγan rules from the Ötükän
Mountains there will be no trouble in the realm. I went on
campaigns eastwards up to the Shantung plain; I almost reached
the ocean. I went on campaigns southwards up to Tokuz-Ärsin,
I almost reached Tibet. Westwards
(S4) I went on campaigns up to the Iron Gate (Derbent
Pass) beyond
the Yincü
(Pearl
= Seyhun = Syr Darya) River, and northwards I went on campaigns up to the
soil of Yir (Land) Bayïrqu. I have led (the armies) up to
all these places. A land better than the Ötükän
mountains does not exist at all! The place from which the
tribes can be (best) controlled is the Ötükän
Mountains. Having stayed in this place, I came to an amicable
agreement with the Tabγač (Türkish
Chinese) people.
(S5) They (i. e., the Tabγač people) give (us) gold,
silver and silk in abundance. The words of the Tabγač
people have always been sweet and the materials of the Tabγač
people have always been soft. Deceiving by means of (their)
sweet words and soft materials, the Tabγač are said
to cause the remote peoples to come close in this manner.
After such a people have settled close to them, (the Tabγač)
are said to plan their ill will there.
(S6) (The Tabγač) do not let the real wise men and real
brave men make progress. If a man commits an error, (the Tabγač
) do not give shelter to anybody (from his immediate family)
to the families of his elan and tribe. Having been taken in by
their sweet words and soft materials, you Türkish people
were killed in great numbers. O Türkish people, you will
die! If you intend to settle at the Coγay mountains and
on the Tögültün
(S 7) plain in the south, O Türkish people, you will die!
There the ill willed persons made harmful suggestions as
follows: 'If a people live afar (from them), they (i. e., the
Tabγač ) give cheap materials (to them), but, if a
people live close to them, then (the Tabγač ) give
them valuable materials'. Apparently the ill willed persons
made such harmful suggestions. Having heard these words, you
unwise people went close to (the Tabγač ) and were
(consequently) killed in great numbers.
(S8) If you go toward those places, O Türkish people, you will
die! If you stay in the land of Ötükän, and
send caravans from there, you will have no trouble. If you
stay at the Ötükän Mountains, you will live för
ever dominating the tribes! O Türkish people, you always
regard yourselves as satiated! You do not think of being
hungry or satiated, if you once become satiated, you do not
think of being hungry (again). On account of your being so,
(S9) you went in (almost) all directions without asking the advice
of your Kaγan who had nourished (you). You were
completely ruined and destroyed in those places. (Of you),
those who survived there, utterly exhausted, were marching in
(almost) all directions. Since Täηri (Heaven)
was gracious, and since I was granted with fortune, I
succeeded to the throne. Having succeeded to the throne,
(S10) I gathered all the poor and destitute people together. I made
the poor people wealthy and the few people numerous; or, is
there any falsehood in these words of mine? O Türkish
lords and people, hear this! How you should live and dominate
(other) tribes, I have recorded here, and how you would
(otherwise) perish by being unfaithful (to your Kaγan),
this, too, I have recorded here.
(S1l) All words which I had to tell (you) I have recorded on this
eternal (memorial)
stone. See these writings and get a lesson (from them)! You,
faithful Türkish peoples and lords, you lords, you who
have always been obedient to the throne, are you going to
betray? I (had) the memorial (stone inscribed?) I sent for
painters from (the Tabγač ) emperor, and ordered
them to decorate (the mausoleum). (The Tabγač
emperor) did not reject my request
(S 12) and (they) sent the court painters of the Tabγač
emperor. I got them to build an extraordinary mausoleum. I had
the inside and outside (of the mausoleum) decorated with
wonderful paintings and sculptures. I had the (memorial) stone
inscribed. I had (all) the words in my mind
(recorded........). See these writings and get a lesson (from
them), all of you up to (the descendants) and subjects of (the
On-Ok). I had the memorial stone
(S13) inscribed. Since this is a (central?) place, and since it is
in a much frequented place, I had the memorial stone inscribed
and written in such a frequented place. See this memorial and
learn its contents, as it is. I (inscribed?) that stone.......
The one who inscribed these inscriptions is his (that is, Kül
Tigin's) nephew Yolluγ T(igin).
East Side
(E1) When the blue sky above and the reddish-brown earth below were
created, the two human beings were created inbetween. Over the
human beings, my ancestors Bumïn Kaγan and İstämi
Kaγan became rulers. After they had become rulers, they
organized and ruled the state and institutions of the Türkish
people.
(E2) (All the peoples living in) the four quarters of the world
were hostile (to them). Having marched with the armies, they
conquered all the peoples in the four quarters of the world
and subjugated them. They made the proud enemies bow and the
powerful ones kneel. They settled the Türkish people
eastwards up to the Qapïγqa (Khingan)
Mountains and westwards as far as the Iron Gate (Derbent
Pass). They
ruled
(E 3) (organizing) the Kök ('Blue')
Türks
between the two (boundaries). Wise Kaγans were they,
brave Kaγans were they. Their Buyruqs (that is, high
officials), too, were wise and brave, indeed. Both the Bägs
(Lords)
and peoples were peaceable. For this reason, they were able to
keep the state under control. Having kept the state under
control, they arranged the state rules and regulations. They
(E4) thus became lacking (passed away).
As mourners and lamenters there came from the east, from where
the sun rises, the representatives of the people of the Bükli
plain, the Tabγač, the Tibetan, the Avar, the
Byzantium, the Qïrqïz, the Üč-Qurïqan,
the Otuz-Tatar, the Qïtań and the Tatabï.....
This many peoples came and mourned and lamented. So famous Kaγans
were they. Then the younger brothers succeeded
(E5) to the throne and the sons succeeded to the throne. But,
apparently the younger brothers did not resemble their elder
brothers, and the sons did not resemble their fathers.
(Consequently) unwise Kaγans succeeded to the throne, bad
Kaγans succeeded to the throne. Their Buyruqs, too, were
unwise and bad.
(E6) Since the lords and peoples were not in accord, and the Tabγač
people were wily and deceitful, since they were tricky and
created a rift between younger and elder brothers, and caused
the lords and peoples to slander one another, the Türkish
people caused their state which they had established to go to
ruin,
(E7) and their Kaγan whom they had crowned collapse. Their
sons worthy of becoming lords became slaves, and their
daughters worthy of becoming ladies became servants to the Tabγač
people. The Türkish lords abandoned their Türkish
titles. Those Bägs who were in China held the Tabγač
titles and obeyed the Tabγač Kaγan
(E8) and gave their services to him for fifty years. For the
benefit of the Tabγač, they went on campaigns up to
(the land of) the Bükli Kaγan in the east, where the
sun rises, and as far as the Iron Gate (Derbent
Pass) in the
west. For the benefit of the Tabγač emperor they
conquered countries. Then, the Türkish common people
(E9) apparently said as follows: 'We used to be a people who had an
(independent) state. Where is our own state now? For whose
benefit are we conquering these lands?' they said. 'We used to
be a people who had its own Kaγan. Where is our own Kaγan
now? To which Kaγan are we giving our services? ' they
said. By talking in this way (among themselves), they again
became hostile to the Tabγač emperor.
(E 10) But, after they had become hostile to him, they could not
form and organize themselves (i. e., the state) well, and
therefore they again submitted (to the Tabγač). (The
Tabγač), without taking into consideration the fact
that (the Türkish people) have given their services so
much (to the Tabγač), said: 'We shall kill and
exterminate the Türkish people'. (The Türkish
people) were about to be annihilated. But, the Türkish Teηri
above and the Türkish Yir-Sub (Tengri’s
wife, Goddess of holy earth and water)
(E11) below acted in the following way: in order that the Türkish
people would not go to ruin and in order that it would be an
(independent) nation again, they (i. e., the Türkish
Gods) held my father, İlteris Kaγan, and my mother,
İlbilgä Katun, at the top of Teηri and raised
them upwards. My father, the Kaγan, went off with
seventeen men.
(E12) Having heard the news that (İlteris) was marching off,
those who were in towns went up mountains and those who were
on mountains came down (from there), thus they gathered and
numbered to seventy men. Due to the fact that Teηri
granted strength, the soldiers of my father, the Kaγan,
were like wolves, and his enemies were like sheep. Having gone
on campaigns forward and backward, he gathered together and
collected men; they all numbered seven hundred men.
(E13) After they had numbered seven hundred men, (my father, the Kaγan,)
organized and ordered the people who had lost their state and
their Kaγan, the people who had turned slaves and
servants, the people who had lost the Türkish
institutions, in accordance with the rules of my ancestors. He
(also organized there) the Tölis and Tarduš peoples,
(E 14) and gave them a Yabγu and a Šad. To the south the
Tabγač people was (our) enemy, to the north Baz Kaγan
and the Tokuz-Oguz people were (our) enemies; the Kirghiz, Qurïqan,
Otuz-Tatar, Qitań and Tatabï..... they all were
hostile (to us). My father, the Kaγan, (fought against?)
all these (peoples?).
(E15) He went on campaigns forty seven times and engaged in twenty
battles. By the grace of Heaven, he took the realm of those
who had had a realm, and captured the Kaγan of those who
had had a Kaγan; he subjugated the enemies. He made the
powerful enemies kneel and the proud ones bow. (My father, the
Kaγan,)
(E 16) after he had founded (such a great) empire and gained power,
went flying (passed
away). (My
uncle, the Kaγan,) first erected Baz Kaγan as a
balbal for my father, the Kaγan, in accordance with the
state rules, my uncle succeeded to the throne. After my uncle,
the Kaγan, succeeded to the throne, he organized and
nourished the Türkish people anew. He made the poor rich
and the few numerous.
(E17) When my uncle, the Kaγan, succeeded to the throne, I was
Šad over the Tarduš people. Together with my uncle,
the Kaγan, we went on campaigns eastwards to the Green
River (Yellow
River, Huanhe)
and the Shantung plain, and we went on campaigns westwards as
far as the Iron Gate (Derbent
Pass). (We
went on campaigns up to the land of the Kirgiz) beyond the Kögmän
(mountains).
(E18) In all we went on campaigns twenty five times and we fought
thirteen times. We took the realm of those who had had a
realm, and we captured the Kaγan of those who had a Kaγan;
we made the powerful enemies kneel and the proud ones bow. The
Türgis Kaγan (and his people) were our Türks
and (our people. On account of their foolishness)
(E 19) and their being traitorous to us, their Kaγan was
killed; his Buyruqs and Bägs, too, were killed. The On-Ok
people suffered (a great deal). In order that the earth and
water (land), which
was ruled by our ancestors, would not be without ruler, we
organized the Azbodun (Az
people) and
put them in order....
(E20) was Bars Bäg. It was we who had given him the title of
Kaγan. We had also given him my younger sister, the
princess, in marriage. But he betrayed (us). (As a result) the
Kaγan was killed and the people became slaves and
servants. In order that the Kögmän land would not
remain without ruler, we organized the Az and Qïrqïz
peoples, and then we came (back) and fought.
(E21) We gave (them) back.... Eastwards as far as beyond the
Khingan mountains we thus settled and organized the people
westwards as far as Käηü Tarman we thus settled
and organized the Türkish people. At that time slaves
themselves had slaves (and servants themselves had servants.
Younger brothers did not acknowledge their elder brothers, and
sons did not acknowledge their fathers).
(E22) We had such a well acquired and well-organized state and
institutions. You, Türkish and Oγuz Bägs and
peoples, hear this, if the sky above did not collapse,
and if the earth below did not give way, O Türkish
people, who would be able to destroy your state and
institutions? O Türkish people, regret and repent!
(E23) Because of your unruliness, you yourselves betrayed your wise
Kaγan who had (always) nourished you, and you yourselves
betrayed your good realm which was free and independent, and
you (yourselves) caused discord. From where did the armed come
and put you to flight? From where did the lancer come and
drive you away? You, people of the sacred Ötükän
mountains, it was you who went away.
(E24) (Of you) those who meant to go to the east went away, and
those who meant to go to the west went away. In the places you
went, your (only) profit was the following: your blood ran
like a river, and your bones were heaped up like a mountain;
your sons worthy of becoming Bägs became slaves, and your
daughters worthy of becoming ladies became servants. Because
of your unawareness
(E25) and because of your mischievousness, my uncle, the Kaγan,
met his death. First I erected the Qïrqïz Kaγan
as a balbal (for him). In order that the name and fame of the
Türkish people would not perish, Täηri, who
raised my father, the Kaγan, and my mother, the Katun,
and who gave them the state, in order that the name and fame
of the Türkish people would not perish, (Täηri)
(E26) enthroned (me). I did not become ruler over a wealthy and
prosperous people at all, (on the contrary,) I became ruler
over poor and miserable people who were foodless in the inside
and clothless on the outside. I and Kül Tigin, my younger
brother, consulted together. In order that the name and fame
of the people, which our father and uncle had won, would not
perish, and
(E27) for the sake of the Türkish people, I did not sleep by
night and I did not relax by day. Together with my younger
brother, Kül Tigin, and together with two Šads, I
worked to death and I won. Having won and gathered in that
way, I did not let the people split into two (opposite) parts
like fire and water. (When) I (succeeded to the throne) the
people who had gone (in almost all directions,)
(E28) came back utterly exhausted, without horses and without
clothes. In order to nourish the people, I, with great armies,
went on campaigns twelve times, northwards against the Oγuz
people, eastwards against the Qitań and Tatabï
peoples, southwards against the Tabγač, (and I
fought... times)
(E29) After (that), since I had fortune and since I had good luck -
may Täηri be gracious! - I brought the people to
life who were going to perish, and nourished them. I furnished
the naked people with clothes and I made the poor people rich
and the few people numerous. I made them superior to the
peoples who have great states and (esteemed rulers).
(E30) I subjugated all the peoples who live (in the four quarters
of the world), and I made them harmless. They all submitted to
me. They have been giving their services to me. After he had
succeeded so much in making the state powerful, my younger
brother, Kül Tigin, passed away. When my father, the Kaγan,
passed away, my younger brother Kül Tigin (was at the age
of seven). (At the age of...)
(E31) my younger brother Kül Tigin got (his) adult name (=
he was lifted up among grown-ups),
by the good luck of my Umay-like mother, the Katun. At the age
of sixteen, for the sake of the realm of my uncle, the Kaγan,
he accomplished the following: We went on a campaign in the
direction of the territory of the Six Sogdian colonies. The
Tabγač governor Oη (came with an army) of fifty
(thousand men and we fought).
(E32) Kül Tigin rushed and attacked on foot. He took the
governor's brother-in-law prisoner while he (i. e., the
prisoner) had weapons in his hands, and presented him (i. e.,
the prisoner)| to the Kaγan in this armed manner. There
we destroyed that army. When he was twenty one years old, we
fought against (the army of) General Čača. First he
(mounted) Tadïq Čor's gray horse (and attacked.
There that horse)
(E33) was killed. Secondly, he mounted Išbara Yamtar's gray
horse and attacked. That horse, (too), was killed there.
Thirdly, he mounted Yegän Silig Beg's dressed bay horse
and attacked. That horse, (too), was killed there. They hit
(him) with more than one hundred arrows on his armor and
caftan; (but he did not let the enemy hit him) even once on
his face or head.
(E34) Türkish lords, you all know that they hit him on the...
There we destroyed that army. Then, Great Irkin of Yir Bayïrqu
started hostilities. We dispersed them and put them to rout at
the Lake Türgi Yarγun. The Great İrkin ran away
together with a few men. When Kül Tigin was (twenty six)
(E35) year old, we went on a campaign against the Qïrqïz.
Having opened our way through the lance deep snow, we marched
up over the Kögmän mountains and fell upon the Qïrqïz
people while they were asleep. We fought with their Kaγan
at the Soηa mountains. Kül Tigin mounted Bayïrqu's
(white stallion)
(E36) and attacked; he hit one man with an arrow and stabbed two
men through the thighs. In that attack, (the enemy) hit and
broke the thigh of Bayïrqu's white stallion. We killed
the Kaγan of the Qïrqïz and conquered their
realm. In that year we marched (against the Türgis)
climbing over (the Altai mountains)
(E37) and crossing over the
Ärtis (Irtish) river. We fell upon the Türgis
people, while they were asleep. At Bolčuda the army of
the Türgis Kaγan came (upon us) like fire and storm.
We fought. Kül Tigin mounted the white headed horse and
attacked. The white headed gray (horse).
(E38) ... and he (i. e., Kül Tigin) himself captured two of
them. There (Kül Tigin) again broke into (the enemy's
lines) and captured by (his own) hands the Governor of the Az
(people) who was the Buyrug of the Türgis Kaγan.
There we killed their Kaγan and took their realm. The
common Türgis people all submitted to us. We (settled)
those people in Tabar.
(E39) In order to organize the Sogdian people, we marched with the
army as far as the Iron Gate (Derbent
Pass),
crossing over the Yincü
(
Pearl = Seyhun = Syr Darya) river. After that the common Türgis
people rose in revolt, and went toward Käηäris (Kangar
= Kipchaks?).
Our army horses were lean (and exhausted), and our army had no
provisions. (Our men were) in bad condition ...............
(E40) (Furthermore), those who had attacked us were brave men.
Having been discouraged under such circumstances, we sent Kül
Tigin forward together with a few men. He fought a great
battle, we were told. He mounted the white horse of Alp Šalči
and attacked. There he killed and subjugated the common Türgis
people. Having marched again ........
North
Side
(N1) He fought with ...... and with Qošu Tutuq; he killed all
of their men. He brought their properties and belongings
without leaving anything behind. When Kül Tigin was
twenty-seven years old, the Qarluq people became an enemy who
began to behave freely and fearlessly. We fought at the Tamaγ
İduq-Baš.
(N2) Kül Tigin was thirty years old when this battle took
place. He mounted the (white horse) of Alp Salči and
attacked suddenly. He stabbed two men through the thighs. We
killed the Qarluq and subjugated them. (Meanwhile) the Azbodun
(Az
people)
started hostilities (against us). We fought at the Black Lake.
Kül Tigin was thirty-one years old then. He mounted the
white (horse) of Alp Salci
(N3) and attacked suddenly. He took the Az governor prisoner. The
Azbodun (Az
people) were
annihilated there. When the empire of my uncle, the Kaγan,
became shaky and when the people and ruler were split into two
parts, we fought against the Izgil people. Kül Tigin
mounted the white (horse) of Alp Salči
(N4) and (attacked suddenly). That horse fell down there. The
İzgil (people) were killed (that
is, defeated).
The Tokuz-Oguz people were my own people. Since Heaven and
Earth were in disorder, they revolted (against us). We fought
five times in a year. First we fought at Toγu-Balïq.
(N5) Kül Tigin mounted the yellowish white (horse) and
attacked suddenly. He stabbed six men with a lance. In
hand-to-hand fighting he cut down a seventh man with a sword.
Secondly, we fought at Quš-Alγaq against the Ädiz.
Kül Tigin mounted his yellow(ish) black (horse) and
attacked suddenly. He stabbed one man with a lance
(N6) and stroke nine men turning them around and around. The Ädiz
people were killed (=
defeated)
there. Thirdly, we fought against the Oγuz at ..... Kül
Tigin mounted his yellowish white (horse), attacked and
stabbed (the enemy) with a lance. We killed (that is,
defeated) their army and conquered their realm. Fourthly, we
fought at the headwaters of Čuš. The Türkish
(N7) people tottered and were about to be put to rout. Kül
Tigin put their army, which had come assaulting, to flight. We
surrounded and killed a Toηra squad consisting of ten
champion warriors at the funeral of Prince Toηra.
Fifthly, we fought against the Oγuz at Äzginti-Qadîz.
Kül Tigin
(N8) mounted his yellow(ish) black (horse) and attacked. He stabbed
two men and thrust them into mud (? ) . That
army was killed (=
defeated)
there. After we spent the winter at Amγa-Qorγan, in
spring we marched off with an army against the Oγuz. We
ordered (the army) to make a raid, while we left Kül
Tigin at home to command the camp.
(N9) The hostile Oγuz suddenly attacked the camp. Having
mounted his white orphan (horse), Kül Tigin stabbed nine
men and did not surrender the camp. My mother, the Katun, and
my ( step-) mothers, my elder sisters, my daughters-in-law, my
princesses this many people who were going to survive would
have become slaves, and those of you who were going to be
killed would have been left lying at the camp and on roads.
(N10) If Kül Tigin had never existed, you all would have been
killed. My younger brother Kül Tigin passed away. I
mourned. My eyes which have always seen became as if they were
blind, and my mind which has always been conscious became as
if it were unconscious. I mourned. Human beings have all been
created in order to die.
(N11) I mourned in the following way: When tears came (down) from
the eyes, I mourned holding them back, and when wails came
(out) from the heart, I mourned turning them back, I mourned
deeply. I worried that the eyes and eyebrows of the two Šads
and of my younger brothers, my sons, my lords and of my people
could have been ruined (by weeping) . As mourners and
lamenters, representing the Qïtań and Tatabï
peoples,
(N12) General Udar came. From the Tabγač Kaγan,
İsiyi Likäη came. He brought an immeasurable
quantity of treasures, gold and silver in abundance. From the
Tibet Kaγan a minister came. General Änik and Oγul
Tarqan came from the Sogdians, Persians, and the people of the
Bukhara Ulus who are at the sunset in the west.
(N13) From my On-Ok descendants, from the Türgis Kaγan,
seal-keepers Maqarač and Oγuz Bilgä came. From
the Qïrqïz Kaγan, Tarduš İnanču
Čor came. General Čaη, the nephew of the Tabγač
Emperor, came in order to build the mausoleum, to make
sculptures, to paint and to prepare the inscription stones.
North-East
Side
Kül Tigin flew (passed
away) on the
seventeenth day of the Sheep Year. We held (his) funeral on
the twenty-seventh day of the ninth month. We finished his
mausoleum, the statues and paintings, and his inscription
stone on the twenty-seventh day of the seventh month, in the
Monkey Year. Kül Tigin's age (?) (was?) forty-seven. The
sun ( ? ) and clouds (?) ...... The Governor Tuy γut
brought all of these sculptors and painters
South-East Side
The one who has inscribed all inscriptions - I, Prince Yolluγ,
the nephew of Kül Tigin, have inscribed (all these
inscriptions) . Having sat down twenty days, I, Prince Yolluγ,
inscribed (all these inscriptions) on this stone and this
wall. You used to nourish (the people) better than your
beloved children and descendants. You went flying (passed away) .
With Täηri (may you be? ) just as you were in this
life.
South-West Side
In order to take care of Kül Tigin's gold and silver, his
treasures and possessions, his four (thousand?) horses, Tuy γut
.…….. My lord, the prince,….... upwards (to
Täηri?)
...... I inscribed the stone.
Prince Yolluγ.
West Side
From the west the Sogdians rose in revolt. Since my younger
brother, Kül Tigin, ......... and since he (willingly?)
gave his services (to me), I, looking after my brother Kül
Tigin, mounted the throne over the dominions (?) of the Türkish
Bilgä Kaγan. I gave him the title İnanču
Apa Yarγan Tarqan and I made (my lords and my subjects)
praise and esteem him