Kul Tigin

Kul Tigin commanded the Turkic army alongside his brother Bilge Qaghan at the Battle of the Irtysh River. He led a decisive cavalry charge that broke the Tang and allied forces, securing a major victory for the revived Eastern Turkic Khaganate.

Kul Tigin led a campaign against the Tiele tribes, who had rebelled against Turkic rule. He defeated them in a series of battles, reasserting Turkic authority over the steppe and preventing the fragmentation of the khaganate.

Kul Tigin died of illness at the age of 47. His death was a major blow to the Eastern Turkic Khaganate, as he was a key military leader and supporter of Bilge Qaghan. His funeral was attended by envoys from the Tang and other states.

After Kul Tigin's death, Bilge Qaghan commissioned a memorial stele in his honor, the Kul Tigin inscription. This Orkhon inscription, written in runic Turkic, eulogizes Kul Tigin's military achievements and provides historical details about the Turkic Khaganate.