Sui and Tang · Khan of the Western Turkic Khaganate

Tardu Khan 達頭可汗

Attested AD 581 - AD 603

Passages
25
Chapters
4
Histories
1

Overview

Tardu Khan was a Khan of the Western Turkic Khaganate.

IdentityHistorical · Male
Found inBook of Sui

Other names

TypeEnglishChinesePinyin
Personal name Datou 達頭 Dátóu
Alternate name Dianjue 玷厥 Diànjué

Life and dates

Attested activity

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Family

Key source chapters

  1. Book of Sui, Chapter 51 Volume 51 Biographies 16: Zhang Sunlan 18 passages
  2. Book of Sui, Chapter 54 Volume 54 Biographies 19: Wang Zhangshu, Li Yan, Yi Louqian, Tian Rengong, Yuan Heng, Du Zheng, Li Che, Cui Peng 4 passages
  3. Book of Sui, Chapter 53 Volume 53 Biographies 18: Daxi Zhangru, Helou Zigan, Shi Wansui, Liu Fang 2 passages
  4. Book of Sui, Chapter 52 Volume 52 Biographies 17: Han Qinhu, He Ruobi 1 passage

Career and standing

Places and affiliations

Works and attributed material

Events and relationships

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Assessments and attributes

Source notes

References in the histories

25 passages

Book of Sui, Chapter 51Volume 51 Biographies 16: Zhang Sunlan · 18 passages
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晟先知攝圖、玷厥、阿波、突利等叔侄兄弟各統強兵，俱號可汗，分居四面，內懷猜忌，外示和同，難以力征，易可離間，因上書曰：「臣聞喪亂之極，必致升平，是故上天啟其機，聖人成其務。 Sheng had long known that Shetu, Dianjue, Abo, Tuli, and other kinsmen each commanded powerful forces, all called themselves qaghan, and held separate domains on four sides; inwardly suspicious yet outwardly cordial, they could not easily be crushed by force but could readily be divided; he therefore memorialized, "I have heard that the depth of disorder must give way to great peace, and that Heaven opens the moment for the sage to complete the work.
Book of Sui, Chapter 52Volume 52 Biographies 17: Han Qinhu, He Ruobi · 1 passage
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Book of Sui, Chapter 53Volume 53 Biographies 18: Daxi Zhangru, Helou Zigan, Shi Wansui, Liu Fang · 2 passages
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開皇末，突厥達頭可汗犯塞，上令晉王廣及楊素出靈武道，漢王諒與萬歲出馬邑道．[一]萬歲率柱國張定和、大將軍李藥王、楊義臣等出塞，至大斤山，與虜相遇．達頭遣使問曰：「隋將為誰？」 At the end of Kaihuang the Turk khan Tatou raided the frontier. The emperor sent Prince Jin Guang and Yang Su by the Lingwu route, and Prince Han Liang and Wansui by the Mayi route. [1] Wansui led the pillars of state Zhang Dinghe and the grand generals Li Yaowang, Yang Yichen, and others beyond the border. At Mount Dajin they met the enemy. Tatou sent a messenger to ask, “Who is the Sui general?”
候騎曰：「是也．」達頭聞之，懼而引去．萬歲馳追百餘里乃及，擊大破之，斬數千級，逐北入磧數百里，虜遁逃而還．楊素害其功，因譖萬歲云：「突厥本降，初不為寇，來於塞上畜牧耳．」遂寢其功．萬歲數抗表陳狀，上未之悟．會上從仁壽宮初還京師，廢皇太子，窮東宮黨與．上問萬歲所在，萬歲實在朝堂，楊素見上方怒，因曰：「萬歲謁東宮矣．」以激怒上．上謂為信然，令召萬歲．時所將士卒在朝稱冤者數百人，萬歲謂之曰：「吾今日為汝極言於上，事當決矣．」既見上，言將士有功，為朝廷所抑，詞氣憤厲，忤於上．上大怒，令左右摧殺之．既而悔，追之不及，因下詔罪萬歲曰：「柱國、太平公萬歲，拔擢委任，每總戎機．往以南寧逆亂，令其出討．而昆州刺史爨翫包藏逆心，為民興患．朕備有成敕，令將入朝．萬歲乃多受金銀，違敕令住，致爨翫尋為反逆，更勞師旅，方始平定．所司檢校，罪合極刑，捨過念功，恕其性命，年月未久，即復本官．近復總戎，進討蕃裔．突厥達頭可汗領其兇眾，欲相拒抗，既見軍威，便即奔退，兵不血刃，賊徒瓦解．如此稱捷，國家盛事，朕欲成其勳庸，復加褒賞．而萬歲、定和通簿之日，乃懷姦詐，妄稱逆面交兵，不以實陳，懷反覆之方，弄國家之法．若竭誠立節，心無虛罔者，乃為良將，至如萬歲，懷詐要功，便是國賊，朝憲難虧，不可再捨．」死之日，天下士庶聞者，識與不識，莫不冤惜． The scouts said, “It is he.” When Tatou heard this he withdrew in fear. Wansui galloped after them for more than a hundred li, overtook them, and broke them utterly, taking several thousand heads. He drove the fugitives north into the desert for hundreds of li before they escaped and he returned. Yang Su, jealous of his glory, slandered him: “The Turks had already surrendered and were only pasturing livestock at the border—they were not raiding.” His merit was buried. Wansui memorialized again and again; the emperor would not see it. When the emperor returned from Renshou Palace to the capital, deposed the crown prince, and hunted the eastern palace faction, he asked where Wansui was. Wansui was in fact at court, but Yang Su, seeing his anger, said, “Wansui has gone to the eastern palace,” to inflame him further. The emperor believed it and summoned Wansui. Several hundred soldiers he had commanded were at court petitioning that they had been wronged. Wansui told them, “Today I will speak out for you before the emperor—the matter will be settled.” Before the emperor he spoke of his men’s merit and how the court had suppressed them; his tone was fierce and he gave offense. The emperor raged and ordered his attendants to kill him on the spot. He soon regretted it but could not undo the deed, and issued an edict condemning Wansui: “The pillar of state and duke of Taiping, Wansui, was raised and entrusted with every campaign. When the south rebelled he was sent to punish them. Cuan Wan of Kunzhou harbored treachery and harmed the people. We had made full plans to bring him to court. Wansui took much gold and silver, disobeyed Our plan by leaving him, and Cuan Wan soon rebelled again, costing fresh armies before order returned. The crime merited death; remembering his merit We spared him and soon restored his rank. Recently he commanded the advance against the frontier tribes. Tatou led his fierce horde to resist; at sight of our might they fled—blades unstained, the enemy dissolved. Such a victory is the state’s glory; We meant to crown his merit with new rewards. Yet on the day the registers were filed he and Dinghe lied, claiming they had met the enemy in battle when they had not, mocking the laws of the state. Only one who serves with full loyalty and no deceit is a true general; Wansui, who sought merit by fraud, is a traitor. The statutes cannot bend—we will not spare him again.” On the day he died, all who heard, whether they knew him or not, mourned him.
Book of Sui, Chapter 54Volume 54 Biographies 19: Wang Zhangshu, Li Yan, Yi Louqian, Tian Rengong, Yuan Heng, Du Zheng, Li Che, Cui Peng · 4 passages
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