Özmiş Khagan

Who is Özmiş Khagan?

Özmiş Khagan was the last khagan of the Turkic Empire. His father Pan Kültiğin was a shad of the empire during the reign of Bilge Kutluk Khagan. Although Pan Kültiğin had staged a successful coup against Kutluk Bilge, he was killed during a battle against Basmyls, a Turkic people. Following a short and turbulent term where Kutlug Yabgu Kagan tried to restore the authority without success, Özmiş was elected as the new khagan in 742.

The policiy of Tang China was to vassalize all people to the north of Chinese border line and Özmiş was also expected to pay respect. Initially, Özmiş agreed to visit emperor Xuanzong’s court and pay respect to the emperor, but then he changed his mind and tried to keep his independence. His reluctance annoyed the emperor and the emperor tasked his general Wang-Chung-ssu to arrest Özmiş. Wang-Chung-ssu organized a coalition of three Turkic people Basmyl, Uighur and Karluk, who had previously accepted the suzerainty of Chinese emperor, instead of Özmiş. The coalition defeated Özmiş. Although Özmiş escaped he was soon defeated for the second time and was killed in 744. Although the Turkic people elected Özmiş’s son Kulun Beg as their new khagan, his empire is usually considered to be collapsed by the death of Özmiş.