Ashina Xian

Ashina Xian 阿史那獻
Xingxiwang Khagan
Reign	708 - 717
Predecessor	Ashina Huaidao
Successor	Ashina Zhen
Died	717? Changan
Issue	Ashina Zhen
House	Ashina
Father	Ashina Yuanqing

Ashina Xian was a Western Turk khagan, also a general of Protectorate General to Pacify the West from 708 to 717, appointed by the Tang dynasty.

Life

When his father was executed by Lai Junchen in 692, he was exiled to Yazhou. However, he was recalled to court in 703.

In 708, he was appointed Xingxiwang Khagan (Chinese: 興昔亡可汗; lit. 'The khagan who makes fallen to rise again') by Zhongzhong. However, Suoge was appointed as his subordinate,^[1] who was going to appointed Shisixing Khagan (Chinese: 十四姓可汗; lit. 'Khagan of Fourteen Tribes') later.^[2]

In 714, after the death of Suoge in the Battle of Bolchu, Xian was created Qixi (碛西) Military Commissioner and sent to Suyab to fill in the power vacuum.

Nevertheless, when Suluk rose to prominence, the Tang appointed Ashina Xian as the Shixing Qaghan in 716 and appointed Suluk as his deputy, to appease Suluk. Suluk's growing ambition over Xian's overlordship resulted in war and defeat of Xian in June and July in 717.^[3]

After defeat he left for Changan and died sometime during the Kaiyuan era. His successor was his son Ashina Zhen.^[4]

References

1. Moriyasu, Takao (1984). "Toban no Chūō Ajia shinshutsu" [The Entry and Withdrawal of the Tibetans from Central Asia]. Kanazawa Daigaku Bungakubu Ronshū, Shigakuka hen (in Japanese). 4: 24–25. ISSN 0285-6522.
2. Naito, Midori (1988). Nishi-Tokketsushi no kenkyū [History of the Western Turks] (in Japanese). Tokyo: Waseda Daigaku Shuppanbu. pp. 352–354. ISBN 4-657-88215-5.
3. Saito, T. 1991 Rise of the Türgish and Tang’s Abandonment of Suiye. Shiteki 12: 34–53 (in Japanese). pp 40-43
4. Theobald, Ulrich. "Tujue 突厥, Gök Türks (www.chinaknowledge.de)". www.chinaknowledge.de. Retrieved 2018-08-21.