Bayanchur Khan

Who was Bayanchur Khan?

Bayanchur Khan, was an Uyghur khagan from 747 to 759 AD. His official titles were "Ay Tengrida Qut Bolmish" and "El Etmish Bilge Qaghan". His Tang Dynasty-invested title was Yingwuweiyuanpiqiejuo Khan or Yingwu Khan in short. He was succeeded in the Uyghur Khaganate by his son Bogu Tekin

Bayanchur succeeded his father, Guli Peilo, who had headed the rebellion against the Göktürks, annihilated them and had established in 744 the Uyghur Khaganate.

Bayanchur Khan belonged to the ruling Yaghmalar tribe of the on-uyghur confederation of ten tribes and toquz-oghuz confederation of nine tribes. At that time both allied confederations adopted a name, Uyghur, which composed of two elements: Uy or Uymak and Ghur, i.e. " United people " or " free confederation of people, voluntarily bound into an alliance ".

In 751, Bayanchur established the new capital in the Orkhon Valley and named it Ordu- Balik. It was built with help of the invited Chinese and Sogdian builders at the foot of the sacred Otukan. The city had city walls made of brown bricks and was probably ringed with a rectangular moat. There was a detached citadel fortified by walls with two gates and watch towers, where the Khagan and his nobles lived with their families.