Bars Bek
{{Infobox royalty
| name = Bars Bek
{{nobold|𐰉𐰺𐰽:𐰋𐰏}}
| image = KG-2014-1som-Barsbek-a.png
| caption = The commemorative coin issued by the National Bank of Kyrgyzstan in 2010 in honor of Barsbek
| succession = Khagan of Yenisei Kyrgyz Khaganate
| moretext =
| reign = 693–710 or 711
| coronation = 693
| predecessor = State established
| successor = Bilge Tong Erkin
| birth_date = 637
| birth_place =
| death_date = 711
| death_place = Son River (modern-day Khakassia){{Cite web|url=http://bitig.org/?lang=e&mod=1&tid=1&oid=16&m=1|title=The Bilge khagan's Memorial Complex|website=bitig.org|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150203230249/http://www.bitig.org/?lang=e|archive-date=2015-02-03|access-date=2018-08-25|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web|url=http://bitig.org/?lang=e&mod=1&tid=1&oid=15&m=0|title=The Kultegin's Memorial Complex|website=bitig.org|access-date=2018-08-25}}{{Cite web |title=Новая литература Кыргызстана |url=http://www.literatura.kg/articles/?aid=119 |access-date=2022-10-11 |website=www.literatura.kg}}
| burial_place =
| spouse = Sister of Bilge Khagan
| issue =
| issue-link =
| issue-pipe =
| house = Aje
| father =
| mother =
| religion = Tengriism
| signature =
}}
Bars Bek (Old Turkic: 𐰉𐰺𐰽:𐰋𐰏; {{Langx|ky|Барсбек каган}}; {{zh|t=巴爾斯別克}}; 637–710 or 711), also known as Inanch Alp Bilge ({{zh|t=亦難赤阿爾普毗伽}}),{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/54950584|title=Kırgız devlet geleneği ve Manas|last=Akaevich|first=Askar|date=2003|publisher=Da Yayıncılık|others=İbrahimova, Salih., Rahmanov, Ergeşbay., Şimşek, Tuğba.|isbn=9756571446|location=İstanbul|oclc=54950584|author-link=Askar Akayev}} was the first khagan of the Yenisei Kyrgyz Khaganate.
Reign
Nothing is known about Bars Bek's early reign, except minor information fragments contained within Orkhon and Yenisei inscriptions. The royal Aje clan, which Bars Bek was a member of, claimed descent from the Han dynasty general Li Ling.{{cite book|access-date=8 February 2012|title=The role of women in the Altaic world: Permanent International Altaistic Conference, 44th meeting, Walberberg, 26–31 August 2001|editor=Veronika Veit|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OBEIq8kTQBcC&pg=PA61|edition=illustrated|volume=152 of Asiatische Forschungen|year=2007|publisher=Otto Harrassowitz Verlag|isbn=978-3447055376|page=61|archive-date=11 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230311103846/https://books.google.com/books?id=OBEIq8kTQBcC&pg=PA61|url-status=live}}{{cite book|access-date=8 February 2012|title=Tang China and the collapse of the Uighur Empire: a documentary history|author=Michael Robert Drompp|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NB6DEdAxLOsC&pg=PA126|edition=illustrated|volume=13 of Brill's Inner Asian library|year=2005|publisher=BRILL|isbn=9004141294|page=126|archive-date=11 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230311103847/https://books.google.com/books?id=NB6DEdAxLOsC&pg=PA126|url-status=live}}{{cite book |last=Kyzlasov |first=Leonid R. |date=2010 |title=The Urban Civilization of Northern and Innermost Asia Historical and Archaeological Research |url=http://nbdrx.ru/pdf/bx00000168.pdf |volume=The Urban Civilization of Northern and Innermost Asia Historical and Archaeological Research |id=Florilegium magistrorum historiae archaeologiaeque Antiqutatis et Medii Aevi |series=Curatores seriei VICTOR SPINEI et IONEL CANDEÂ VII |publisher=ROMANIAN ACADEMY INSTITUTE OF ARCHAEOLOGY OF IAȘI Editura Academiei Romane – Editura Istros |page=245 |isbn=978-973-27-1962-6 |access-date=2020-04-30 |archive-date=2021-10-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026182016/https://nbdrx.ru/pdf/bx00000168.pdf |url-status=live }}
During his reign, he was believed to be hostile to the Göktürks until he married with one of the daughters of Ilterish Qaghan and was appointed as a lesser khagan ruling over Az and Kyrgyz tribes.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7Du2CAAAQBAJ&dq=Bars%20bek%20coin&pg=PA65|title=Khazaria in the Ninth and Tenth Centuries|last=Zhivkov|first=Boris|date=2015-05-07|publisher=BRILL|isbn=9789004294486|pages=65|language=en}}
In the late 7th century, according to Takeshi Osawa, Bars Bek mediated talks between Suoge and the Emperor Zhongzong of Tang.{{Cite journal|last=Takeshi|first=Osawa|date=1996|title=Jenissei-Kirghiz in the Early Eighth Century.|journal=Shihō|language=ja|publisher=The Toyoshi-Danwa-kai Hokkaido University|volume=28|pages=1–24}} According to Klyashtorny, he sent an ambassador named Eren Ulug to the Tibetan Empire in an attempt to form an alliance but was unsuccessful.{{Cite web|url=http://bitig.org/index.php?lang=e&mod=1&tid=2&oid=116&m=1|title=Altyn-Kol (E-29)|website=bitig.org|access-date=2018-08-25}}
Title
According to Sergei Klyashtorny, Bars Bek's anointed name was Inanch Alp Bilge and was mentioned as such in Yenisei inscriptions.{{Cite journal|last=Кляшторный.|first=С. Г.|date=1976|title=Стелы Золотого озера (к датировке енисейских рунических памятников)|url=http://www.orientalstudies.ru/rus/images/pdf/journals/turcologica_1976_35_klyashtornyj.pdf|journal=Turcologica|pages=258}} Turkish historian Saadeddin Gömeç argued against this.{{Cite book|title=Eski Türk Yazıtları|last=Orkun|first=Hüseyin Namık|year=1936|volume=1|location=Istanbul|pages=35–39}}
Death
After news of the triple alliance reached Tonyukuk, he decided to eliminate the Kyrgyz first. Roads to Kyrgyz lands were blocked by heavy snow, forcing them to find a guide. They first crossed Ak Termel (modern Ona - a tributary of Abakan). However, after ten nights of searching for a way out, their guide became lost and was executed on the orders of Qapaghan. After a few days, they arrived at Kyrgyz headquarters and launched a night attack on Bars Bek, killing him.{{Cite web|url=http://bitig.org/?lang=e&mod=1&tid=1&oid=17&m=1|title=The Tonyukuk's Memorial Complex|website=bitig.org|access-date=2018-08-25|quote=𐰾𐰇𐰭𐰏𐰤: 𐰲𐰑𐰢𐰕: 𐰴𐰣𐰃: 𐰾𐰇𐰾𐰃: 𐱅𐰼𐰠𐰢𐰾: 𐰾𐰇𐰭𐰾𐰓𐰢𐰕: 𐰽𐰨𐰑𐰢𐰕: 𐰴𐰣𐰃𐰤: 𐰇𐰠𐰼𐱅𐰢𐰕: 𐰴𐰍𐰣𐰴𐰀: (in Old Turkic script) / Their Khagan gathered the army. We fought them, killed their khagan. Kyrgyz people surrendered our Khagan. (English translation)}} A memorial stele was erected after his death, on the left side of the Abakan river.{{Cite web|url=http://bitig.org/?lang=e&mod=1&tid=2&oid=39&m=0|title=Altyn-Kol (E-28)|website=bitig.org|access-date=2018-08-25}}
He was succeeded by his son and Bilge Khagan's nephew.{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/47206450|title=Istorii︠a︡ eniseĭskikh kyrgyzov|last1=Butanaev|first1= V.|last2=Khudyakov|first2=Y. S.|date=2000|publisher=Izd-vo Khakasskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta im. N.F. Katanova|isbn=5781001190|location=Abakan|pages=69|oclc=47206450}}
Legacy
File:Barsbek center - panoramio.jpg]]
A commemorative coin honouring Bars Bek was issued by the National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic in 2010.{{Cite web|url=http://www.nbkr.kg/contout.jsp?item=2545&lang=ENG&material=53906|title=National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic|website=www.nbkr.kg|access-date=2018-08-25}} In 2017, a monument to Bars Bek was erected in Osh.{{Cite news|url=http://kabarlar.org/news/92530-v-gorode-osh-pamyatnik-barsbek-baatyra-perenesut-v-drugoe-mesto.html|title=В городе Ош предлагают перенести монументальную композицию Барсбек Каган|date=27 July 2017|work=КАБАРЛАР - Всегда первый!|access-date=2018-08-25|archive-date=2018-08-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180825180022/http://kabarlar.org/news/92530-v-gorode-osh-pamyatnik-barsbek-baatyra-perenesut-v-drugoe-mesto.html|url-status=dead}}