生平

永昌年間（689年），默啜領軍侵犯武周邊境，武則天派遣薛懷義為清平道大總管，率軍擊之，至單于台，刻石紀功而還。回師後，薛懷義被封為鄂國公，賜帛二千段。691年，骨咄祿死後，其子年幼，默啜自立為為可汗。

長壽二年（692年），默啜率眾入寇靈州，燒殺擄掠。薛懷義再次任代北道行軍大總管，率領李多祚、蘇宏暉、契苾明、曹仁師、沙吒忠義等十大將軍征討，但尋找不到敵軍，無功而返。不久默啜派遣使者來朝，武則天大悅，冊授左衛大將軍，封歸國公，賜物五千段。明年，複遣使請和，又加授遷善可汗（古突厥語：，拉丁轉寫：Qapaγan qaγan）。

萬歲通天元年（696），契丹首領李盡忠、孫萬榮反叛，攻陷營州。默啜遣使上言：「請還河西降戶，即率部落兵馬為國家討擊契丹。」武則天答應。默啜于是領兵幫助武周攻擊契丹，將其部眾擊潰，擄獲人口牲畜，默啜由此逐漸強盛。武則天又派遣使者左豹韜衛將軍閻知微（閻立德之孫）冊立默啜為特進、頡跌利施大單于、立功報國可汗。

聖曆元年（698年），默啜上表請求與武則天結拜為母子，並稱將女兒與唐朝進行和親，隨後提出要求，將高宗咸亨年間降附唐朝、被安置在豐、勝、靈、夏、朔、代等六州的突厥諸部落降戶歸還給突厥，以及割讓單于都護府之地，兼請賞賜農器、種子。武則天拒絕，默啜大為怨怒，言辭無禮，扣留了武周使者司賓卿田歸道，想將他殺害。武周朝廷懼怕其兵勢，納言姚璹、鸞台侍郎楊再思建議答應其和親，于是六州的數千帳突厥降戶被趕走，但並沒有割讓單于都護府之地，並賞賜種子三萬石、雜彩五萬段、農器三千事，答應和親要求，田歸道得以倖免，被放回。默啜由此更加強盛。

同年秋七月，武則天令右豹韜衛大將軍閻知微、右武威衛郎將楊鸞莊、監軍裴懷古護送魏王武承嗣之子淮陽王武延秀前往突厥進行和親，到達黑沙南庭後，默啜卻以其女要嫁的是李家天子兒，非武家兒，並聲稱要幫助李氏重新立國為藉口，扣留了武延秀等人，隨後脅迫閻知微為南面可汗，率眾十餘萬，入侵武周靜難及平狄、清夷等軍。靜難軍使、左正鋒衛將軍慕容玄皦以兵五千人投降突厥。隨即突厥進寇媯州、檀州等州，武則天令司屬卿高平王武重規為天兵中道大總管，右武威衛將軍沙吒忠義為天兵西道前軍總管，幽州都督張仁亶為天兵東道總管，率兵二十萬迎擊，右羽林衛大將軍閻敬容為天兵西道後軍總管，統兵十五萬為後援。默啜又分兵從恆岳道入寇蔚州，攻陷飛狐縣。

八月初一，默啜率兵攻陷河北定州，殺死刺史孫彥高，焚燒百姓房屋，虜掠男女，殺死老弱數千人。武則天大怒，下令懸賞有斬殺默啜者，封王，改默啜名為斬啜。九月，突厥圍攻趙州，長史唐波若跳城投降，刺史高睿據城頑抗，城破遇害。九月十八日，武則天以納言狄仁傑為河北道行軍元帥，征討突厥。二十五日，默啜帶著趙、定等州所擄掠的男女八九萬人從五回道撤退，並在沿途進行屠殺，而沙吒忠義及後軍總管李多祚等皆持重兵，與敵軍相望，卻不敢戰。狄仁傑總兵十萬追擊，卻未能趕上。突厥退至幽州時，檢校幽州都督張仁願出城邀擊，手臂中箭。十月閻知微從突厥逃回，被武則天下令百官將其分尸，然後斬首，並夷其三族。

聖歷二年（699年），默啜立其弟阿史那咄悉匐為左廂察，骨咄祿子阿史那默矩為右廂察，各自統領兵馬二萬餘人。又立其子匐俱為小可汗，號為拓西可汗，位在兩察之上，統領處木昆等十姓兵馬四萬餘人。經過連番掠奪契丹、武周的突厥領地東到渤海，西到天山，東西萬餘里，控弦四十萬，成為頡利可汗之後最為強盛的大突厥帝國。此後突厥連年入寇武周邊境。久視元年（700年），掠奪隴右諸監馬萬餘匹。武則天以右肅政御史大夫魏元忠為靈武道行軍大總管，以防突厥，又命安北大都督相王李旦為天兵道元帥，統領諸軍征討，但未及出兵而敵軍就已退兵。

長安三年（703年），默啜派遣使者莫賀達幹，請求以女兒嫁給皇太子李顯之子為妻。武則天令太子之子平恩王李重俊、義興王李重明出來給突厥使者選擇。默啜又派出大酋長移力貪汗入朝，獻馬千匹，及方物以答謝許親之意。武則天在宿羽亭設宴招待，太子、相王及朝集使三品以上參與宴會，重賞之後送回突厥。

705年，唐中宗即位，默啜又入寇靈州鳴沙縣。靈武軍大總管沙吒忠義領兵禦敵，唐中軍被突厥擊破，主將沙吒忠義先逃，官軍大敗，戰死者六千餘人。突厥進軍至原、會等州，掠奪隴右群牧馬萬餘匹後退走。沙吒忠義被免除官職，左屯衛大將軍張仁願接替他統領靈武軍，暗中尾隨突厥軍之後，在夜襲戰中大破突厥。中宗下制斷絕其和親，再次懸賞購募能斬獲默啜者封國王，授諸衛大將軍，賞物二千段。又命內外官員外進獻破突厥的計策。默啜聞訊後，殺死唐朝的行人假鴻臚卿臧思言。

709年，西突厥突騎施部落首領娑葛之弟遮弩叛逃突厥，默啜以他為嚮導，派兵二萬人與娑葛大戰，將其擊敗俘虜，隨後又將娑葛和遮弩兄弟殺死。唐朝的靈武軍大總管張仁願想默啜在西方大戰無暇東顧時乘虛奪取漠南之地，于河北修築三受降城，首尾相應，以斷絕突厥南寇之路。在張仁願的嚴厲軍法下，兩個月就修好三城，以黃河北岸的拂雲祠為中城，與東、西兩城相去各四百餘里，三城都臨近河流，又在牛頭朝那山北置烽候一千八百所，從此突厥被隔斷在山外，不能度山放牧。

710年，唐睿宗即位，默啜又遣使請求和親。睿宗之子宋王李成器的女兒被封為金山公主，成為和親公主，默啜之子楊我支特勤來到唐朝迎親，不久睿宗退位，親事廢除。

默啜年老，被其征服的契丹和奚族等部落不堪忍受其征役，逐漸逃散。

開元二年（714年），默啜遣其子移涅可汗、同俄特勤和妹夫火拔頡利發石阿失畢（火拔部落頡利發，歸唐改名歸仁，封燕山郡王）率精銳騎兵包圍北庭都護府，都護郭虔瓘據城固守，同俄特勒單騎逼進城下，郭虔瓘在路邊伏下壯士，突起斬之，突厥退兵。

715年，西突厥十姓部落左廂五咄陸五啜、右廂五弩失畢五俟斤（碎葉川以東稱左廂咄陸部，以西稱右廂弩失畢部。東西兩廂各轄五姓：左廂五姓酋首稱啜，右廂五姓酋首稱俟斤。每姓各授令箭，合稱兩廂、十姓，也稱十箭、十設。于是十姓、十箭也成為西突厥的代名詞。）及女婿高麗莫離支高文簡、𨁂跌都督𨁂跌思泰等各自率領其部眾，相繼降唐，前後有萬餘帳。不久默啜女婿阿史德胡祿也歸降唐朝。同年，默啜與九姓（以回紇為首的「九姓」部落聯盟有回紇、僕固、渾、拔曳固、同羅、思結、契苾、阿布思、葛邏祿。）首領阿布思在磧北大戰，九姓被擊潰，阿布思逃到唐朝請求歸附。

開元四年（716年），默啜又向北征討九姓拔野古部落，大戰于獨樂河，拔曳固大敗。默啜得勝回師時，大意不設防備，六月廿九，拔曳固部落潰兵頡質略在柳樹林中將默啜伏擊斬殺，帶著首級與唐朝入蕃使郝靈荃到京師長安領賞。默啜的兒子拓西小可汗繼立大可汗，前可汗骨咄祿的兒子闕特勤聯合舊部，將小可汗及其諸弟並親信擊殺，闕特勒之兄左賢王默棘連被立為毗伽可汗。

注釋

Name

His personal name Mochuo is Chinese transcription of his Turkic name Bögü-Çor, with 𐰋𐰇𐰏|Bögü meaning "wise". The same name occurs in the Sogdian version of the Karabalsagun inscription (821 AD). He used the name Bögü Chor Shad during Ilterish's reign. His regnal name Qapaghan comes from the Old Turkic verb "kap-" meaning "to conquer", which the derivative Qapaghan means "the Conqueror".

Early years

He was born around 664. In 681, he assisted his brother, Ilterish Qaghan, in a revolt against Tang dominion, and succeeded in reviving the Eastern Turkic Khaganate.

In 689, he led a raid to frontier areas. In reaction, Empress Wu sent Huaiyi to fortify. He advanced to Zi River (紫河, a tributary of the Yellow River) but did not encounter Tujue forces. He erected a monument at Chanyu Tower (單于臺, in modern Hohhot, Inner Mongolia) before withdrawing.

Reign

In 692, he succeeded his brother as khagan. His succession was seen as usurpation in China.

In 694, Qapaghan attacked Ling Prefecture (roughly modern Yinchuan, Ningxia), and Wu Zetian commissioned Huaiyi, assisted by the chancellors Li Zhaode and Su Weidao, to defend against Qapaghan attack, but before the army could set out, Qapaghan withdrew, and therefore Huaiyi's army never launched.

In summer 696, The Khitan chieftains Li Jinzhong and Sun Wanrong, brothers-in-law, angry over the mistreatment of the Khitan people by the Zhou official Zhao Wenhui (趙文翽), the prefect of Ying Prefecture (營州, roughly Zhaoyang County, Liaoning), rebelled, with Li assuming the title of Wushang Khan. Armies that Wu Zetian sent to suppress Li and Sun's rebellion were defeated by Khitan forces, which in turn attacked Zhou proper. Khagan encouraged the Khitan's Li-Sun Rebellion (696–697) to eventually attack and plunder successful Khitan on their rear, to his full benefit.

Meanwhile, Qapaghan Qaghan offered help and yet was also launching attacks against Zhou and Khitan—including an attack against Khitan base of operations during the winter of 696, shortly after Li's death, that captured Li's and Sun's families and temporarily halted Khitan operations against Zhou. Sun, after taking over as khan and reorganizing Khitan forces, again attacked Zhou territory and had many victories over Zhou forces, including a battle during which Wang Shijie was killed. Wu Zetian tried to allay the situation by making peace with khagan at fairly costly terms—the return of Turkic people who had previously submitted to Zhou and providing Turks with seeds, silk, tools, and iron. In summer 697, Qapaghan launched another attack on Khitan's base of operations, and this time, after his attack, Khitan forces collapsed and Sun was killed in flight, ending the Khitan threat. Empress Wu gave him the title Ilterish Da Chanyu (頡跌利施大單于), Ligong Baoguo (立功報國), Generalissimo of the Left Guards (左衛大將軍) as well as Duke of Guiguo (歸國) and Qianshan Khagan (迁善可汗), literally meaning "Good moving khagan" in 695.

After securing Chinese border, in winter, he turned his attention to further expansion to north, notably subjugating Yenisei Kyrgyz and killing their khagan. While preparing an attack on Turgesh forces, his khatun died, so invasion had to be called off.

In 698, Qapaghan demanded a Tang dynasty prince for marriage to his daughter, part of a plot to join his family with the Tang, displace the Zhou, and restore Tang rule over China under his influence. When Wu Zetian sent a member of her own family, grandnephew Wu Yanxiu (武延秀), to marry Qapaghan's daughter instead. Zhang Jianzhi opposed, stating, "In ancient times, no Chinese imperial prince had ever married a barbarian woman as his wife." This opposition drew displeasure from Wu Zetian, as she wanted peace with Turks, and she demoted Zhang to be the prefect of He Prefecture (合州, modern northern Chongqing). Khagan nevertheless rejected the prince. He had no intention to cement the peace treaty with a marriage; instead, when Wu Yanxiu arrived, he detained Wu Yanxiu and then launched a major attack on Zhou, advancing as far south as Zhao Prefecture (趙州, in modern Shijiazhuang, Hebei). He created Chinese general Yan Zhiwei (阎知微) as Southern Khagan (南面可汗) persuaded Yan to help invade cities of Zhaozhou and Dingzhou. Zhou general Murong Xuanjiao (慕容玄皦) also submitted to Qapaghan with 5000 soldiers.

In August 698, Qapaghan attacked Dingzhou, captured and killed its governor Sun Yangao (孙彦高), burning the city alongside. Wu Zetian angered to the point that she issued a proclamation that if anyone killed the khagan would be granted title Prince. She subsequently renamed him Zhanchuo (斩啜, meaning "chopped head") as a play on his name Mochuo.

In September, Zhaozhou was also attacked, deputy governor Tang Boruo (唐波若) handed over the keys and governor Gao Rui (高睿) was immediately executed.

In October, khagan let Yan Zhiwei (阎知微) to go back to China, who was captured and executed on charges of treason.

Reforms

In 699, he appointed his younger brother Ashina Duoxifu as Tölös shad, meaning governor eastern wing, his nephew Ashina Mojilian as governor of western wing with each of them commanding 20000 men, also putting his son Bögü as their overseer, creating him as lesser khagan. He was also given command of Onoq with 40000 men.

Later reign

In 703, he sent Tonyukuk for another marriage proposal. Wu Zetian accepted the proposal; in exchange, Wu Yanxiu was released on khagan's order. However, Emperor Zhongzhong's accession changed political climate.

In 705, Tujue forces commanded by Mojilian entered Lingwu, defeating Shazha Chongyi (沙吒忠义), he was dismissed from service. Angered Zhongzhong declined marriage proposal and proclaimed prize for anyone willing to kill khagan.

In 711, khagan sent a marriage proposal to Ruizong, this time intending to marry a Tang Princess. Emperor Ruizong accepted and created a daughter of Li Chengqi, the Princess Jinshan (金山公主). Excited khagan sent his son Ashina Yangwozhi (阿史那楊我支) to Changan. However, the decision was soon reversed by newly enthroned Xuanzong.

Later that year Turgesh forces were crushed by Tonyukuk in Battle of Bolchu. Certain Bars Beg (or probably Suluk) was appointed chief of Turgesh and married Mojilian's daughter. In 713, Karluks were defeated by combined forces of Kapaghan, Mojilian and Kul Tegin.

In 714, February Inel, Tonga Tegin and khagan's brother-in-law Huoba Elteber Ashibi attacked Beiting, during the siege Tonga Tegin was killed, while Ashibi fled to Tang in fear, where who would be renamed Huoba Guiren (火拔歸仁) and created a general.

In 715, due to his cruelty, some his men and a number of tribes, including his Korean son-in-law Gao Wenjian (高文簡) and Ashide son-in-law Ashide Hulu (阿史德胡禄) submitted to Tang. Rebellions of tribes followed later.

Death

Khagan was on his way back from suppressing the revolting Tiele tribes of Huihe, Tongluo, Baixi, Bayegu and Pugu, was ambushed killed by a Bayegu tribesman named Xiezhilue (颉质略) on July 22, 716 while passing through a forest. His severed head was sent to Changan.

Family

According to Cuisenier, he married El Bilga Khatun, a widow of his brother. He had a number of issues:

• Inel Khagan

• Tonga Tegin (d. 713, Beiting)

• Mo Tegin (Left Wise Prince)

• Bilge Tegin (Right Wise Prince)

• Ashina Yangwozhi (阿史那楊我支) (d. 715)

• Kuchluk Bilge Khatun (698-723) was married to Ashide Hulu (阿史德胡禄)

• Unnamed daughter was married to Gao Wenjian (高文簡)

In popular culture

• Portrayed by Kang Jae-ik in the 2006-2007 KBS TV series Dae Jo Yeong.