Titles Used by Rulers in Pre-Islamic Turkic States

Among the titles used by rulers in pre-Islamic Turkic states, the best known are tanhu, kagan, khan and yabgu. The rulers of the Asian Huns were called tanhu, while the Göktürks and the Uyghurs used the title kagan. Each of these titles helps us understand the structure of the state and the power of the ruler. In this article we examine the titles of pre-Islamic Turkic states one by one, together with their sources.

Quick Summary

• The rulers of the Asian Huns were known by the title tanhu.
• Göktürk, Uyghur, Avar and Khazar rulers used the title kagan.
• Yabgu was the high title of the official who governed the western, or right, wing of the state.
• Tegin referred to the princes of the dynasty, while şad referred to princes given administrative duties.
• Royal authority was believed to rest on kut, granted by the Sky God.

Contents

• Titles by state
• The idea of kut
• Tanhu
• Kagan and hakan
• Khan
• Yabgu
• Tegin, şad and other titles
• The dual organization
• The legacy reaching the Ottomans
• Frequently asked questions

Ruler Titles in Pre-Islamic Turkic States: Table

The table below summarizes the pairs of states and titles most often asked about in exams. In some states, more than one title was used at the same time.

State	Ruler’s title	Other important titles
Asian Huns	Tanhu	Wise kings of the left and right
European Huns	Ruler (as in the case of Attila)	Officials attached to the wings
Göktürks	Kagan	Yabgu, şad, tegin, hatun
Uyghurs	Kagan, later İdikut	Yabgu, tegin
Avars	Kagan	Tudun
Khazars	Kagan	Bek (the official in charge of executive power)
Bulgars	Khan	Clan chiefs

The Basis of Rulership: The Idea of Kut

Among the early Turks, royal authority was based on a “kut” granted by the Sky God. Kut meant both the power to rule and good fortune. According to this belief, someone without kut could not rule, and a ruler who lost his kut could also lose the throne.

The idea of kut also included the ruler’s responsibility toward his people. This is why, in the Orkhon Inscriptions, the kagans describe how they worked to feed, clothe and multiply their people. The idea continued after the adoption of Islam. The Kutadgu Bilig, written in the Karakhanid period, takes its name from this concept and sets out the principles of good government.

Because kut was considered to belong to all members of the dynasty, it had an important consequence. The throne was seen not as passing in a fixed order but as a right that could be shared among the dynasty’s male members. This was one of the main causes of succession struggles and divisions in pre-Islamic Turkic states.

Tanhu: The Ruler Title of the Asian Huns

The Asian Huns were the first known great steppe state in Turkic history. Their rulers used the title that appears in Chinese sources as “tanhu”. The best-known tanhu is Mete, who organized and strengthened the state.

The tanhu was the commander-in-chief of the army and the unifier of the clans. The state was governed in an order in which the tanhu stood at the center and his deputies on the right and left wings. This structure also served as a model for the organization of later Turkic states.

Kagan and Hakan

Kagan is the highest ruler title of the steppe states. Sources name the Avars among the first to use it. The Göktürks, however, made kagan the best-known title in Turkic history. Bumın, the founder of the Göktürk state, was known by the title kagan.

Hakan is the form of the word kagan that became widespread in later periods. The kagan held the position of a “khan of khans”, standing above the khans and beys subject to him. The kagan’s wife was called “hatun”, and the hatun could have a say in affairs of state.

The Uyghurs also used the title kagan. According to the TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, in 745 the Uyghur yabgu defeated the Basmıl kagan and proclaimed himself kagan, and the Great Uyghur Kaganate was founded. The kaganate came to an end with the Kyrgyz attack of 840. One branch of the migrating Uyghurs settled in the Turfan region, and the rulers there used the title İdikut.

The Title Khan

Khan is another common title used in the sense of ruler. In some states it denoted the supreme ruler, in others officials subject to the kagan. Rulers such as Asparukh, founder of the Danube Bulgars, and Kubrat are known by the title khan.

This title lived on after the adoption of Islam. The Karakhanids used titles such as Arslan Khan and Bughra Khan. “Khan” was also among the official titles of the Ottoman sultans.

Yabgu: Governor of the Western Wing

The TDV Encyclopedia of Islam defines yabgu as an administrative title found in Turkic states from the Asian Huns to the Great Seljuks. Among the Göktürks, the yabgu governed the western wing of the state. İstemi, brother of the founder Bumın Kagan, ruled the Western Göktürk people with the title “yabgu kagan”. In the sources this people is called “the Turks of the Yabgu”. The title, which appears as hiep-ho in old Chinese sources, had been used among the Asian Huns since the second century BC.

According to the encyclopedia, the title yabgu is also common among the Karluks. In the tenth century, among the Oghuz tribes, yabgu was used directly as a ruler’s title. This shows that the titles of pre-Islamic Turkic states could change meaning over time.

Tegin, Şad and Other Titles

According to the TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, tegin was the title given to the male members of the ruling family, that is, the princes. Kültigin, named in the Orkhon Inscriptions, is the best-known example of this title. Şad, by contrast, referred to princes of the dynasty who took charge of a region or an army.

According to the encyclopedia, Mahmud of Kashgar says that the word tegin meant “servant, slave”. The kagan’s sons referred to themselves as servants out of respect in their father’s presence, and over time the word became identified with them. Tegins placed at the head of an army or the administration of a region received the title şad. Epithets such as alp tegin, arslan tegin and tuğrul tegin were also added to the title.

• Hatun: The ruler’s wife; she took part in ceremonies and in some affairs of state.
• İlteber: The title given to the heads of clans subject to the kagan.
• Tudun: An official who handled taxes and supervision in subject regions.
• Ayguçı: The ruler’s adviser and vizier; Tonyukuk is the best-known example of this office.
• Buyruk: Senior officials who carried out the ruler’s orders.

According to the TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, the Kültigin inscription was erected in 732, the Bilge Kagan inscription in 735, and the Tonyukuk inscription between 716 and 734. These inscriptions are the most valuable sources showing how the titles of pre-Islamic Turkic states were actually used.

The Dual Organization: Right and Left Wings

Most early Turkic states divided the country into two wings, east and west. The eastern wing was called the left and the western wing the right. The ruler usually sat in the east, while a yabgu or a member of the dynasty governed the west.

The TDV Encyclopedia of Islam records that when the Uyghur Kaganate was founded, the Uyghurs formed the left (eastern) and the Karluks the right (western) yabgu-ship. This order made it easier to govern vast territories. However, as the governors of the wings grew stronger, it sometimes also led to the division of the state. The split of the Göktürks into eastern and western halves around 582 is a well-known example. Over time the yabgus of the western wing began to act on their own, which made this separation permanent.

For the continuation of the Turkic state tradition after Islam, see our article on the wars of the Great Seljuks. For another topic from early Turkic history, read our article on the Göktürk flag.

The Legacy of the Old Titles Reaching the Ottomans

These titles did not disappear with the adoption of Islam. While the Great Seljuks adopted the title “sultan”, they also kept the old Turkic titles alive. Among the ancestors of the Seljuk family were men who bore the title yabgu.

The Ottoman sultans also continued to use the titles “khan” and “hakan”. In the tughras that served as the sultans’ signatures, the word “khan” appeared next to the ruler’s name. This detail shows how the old steppe tradition merged with the Islamic idea of sovereignty. For the parts and meaning of the tughra, see our article on the meaning of the Ottoman tughra.

The long life of these titles is a sign of continuity in the Turkic state tradition. Ideas inherited from pre-Islamic Turkic states, that the ruler bore kut, was obliged to protect his people and had to govern with justice, survived even when they were expressed in different words in different periods.

Frequently Asked Questions

What titles did rulers use in pre-Islamic Turkic states?

The main ones were tanhu, kagan, hakan and khan. Titles such as yabgu, şad, tegin and hatun expressed duties and positions within the dynasty.

Did the ruler titles of pre-Islamic Turkic states survive among the Ottomans?

Yes. The Ottoman sultans continued to use the titles khan and hakan; in the tughras, the word khan appeared next to the sultan’s name.

What title did the rulers of the Asian Huns use?

The rulers of the Asian Huns used the title tanhu. Mete is the best-known ruler to bear this title.

What is the difference between kagan and khan?

The kagan was the supreme ruler who governed several clans and khans. Khan was used sometimes for a ruler and sometimes for an official subject to the kagan.

What does the title yabgu mean?

Yabgu referred to the senior official who usually governed the western wing of the state. Among some peoples it gradually turned into a ruler’s title.

Conclusion

The titles used by rulers in pre-Islamic Turkic states reflect how these states understood government. Titles such as tanhu, kagan and khan show supreme power, while yabgu, şad and tegin show the division of duties within the dynasty. The idea of kut and the dual organization complete the meaning of these titles.

Sources

• TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, entry “Yabgu”
• TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, entry “Tegin”
• TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, entry “Uygurlar” (Uyghurs)
• TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, entry “Orhon Yazıtları” (Orkhon Inscriptions)
• TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, entry “Kutadgu Bilig”
• Bahaeddin Ögel, Türklerde Devlet Anlayışı [The Concept of the State among the Turks].