Monument to Kagan Mogilyan (Bilge. 716—734 AD)
The monument to this kagan of the Eastern Turkic Kaganate was found in 1889 by N. M. Yadrintsev in the Koshoy-Tsai Dam valley on the banks of the Orkhon River. Its content is similar to that of the monument of Kültegin, the brother of Mogilyan, discovered in the same place.
Text: When I was twenty-six years old, the Chik people(1) became my enemies along with the Kyrgyz. Crossing the Kem(2), I moved with my army against the Chiks, fought at Orpen, and defeated their army. I captured the Azov people... and... brought them under my control. In the twenty-seventh (year), I moved against the Kyrgyz, paving a road through snow as high as a spear, I ascended into the Kögmen wilderness and struck the Kyrgyz people while they were asleep. I fought their khan in the Sunga wilderness; I killed the khan and took possession of his people (or state). That same year, I marched with my army against the Türgesh, crossing the Altun wilderness and fording the Irtysh River.
Monument to Moyun-chur.
This monument was found by G. I. Ramstedt in 1909 in Mongolia. It is dedicated to the famous Uyghur kagan Moyun-chur (745—759 AD).
Text: He sent people to the Kyrgyz (with the words): “You will exit (the alliance, i.e., rise up). Force the Chiks to rise up as well!” Thus he spoke. I said: “I want to exit (the alliance).” “Look, remain independent. In the forest, we will unite with you,” he said. Through... Tutuk-Bashy, I sent a thousand-strong detachment against the Chiks, and I sent a few people into the land of their allies. “Look,” I said, “the Kyrgyz khan lives on the edge of the Kögmen mountains in his dwelling, (they say) he sent his flying detachments towards his allies, and my men have already attacked his flying detachments, (they say), and his scouts were detained; (they reported that) people came to their khan and to his allies, but that the Karluks did not come to the allies,”(4) — thus they said.
Comments and Notes
1 The Chiks lived in northwestern Mongolia.
2 Kem — a river in Tuva.
3 This refers to the appeal of the Karluk kagan to the Kyrgyz and Chiks to rise against the Uyghur kaganate.
4 This event occurred in 751 AD. The Uyghur kagan Moyun-chur, quickly gathering his forces, attacked the Chiks, pushed back the flying detachments of the Kyrgyz that came to help them, and then defeated the Karluks on the banks of the Bolchu River, south of the Black Irtysh.