Overview
Huaixin Qaghan, personal name Guduolu, ruled as Ay Tengride Ulugh Bolmish Alp Qutluq Külüg Bilge Qaghan and is often called Qutluq II. He was a general of the Ädiz clan who took the throne when the founding Yaghlakar line died out in 795, and he founded the dynasty that ruled the khaganate until its fall. His thirteen-year reign gave the Uyghurs a period of stability after a run of short reigns, and he passed the throne peacefully to his son.
Rise to Power
When Qutluq Bilge Qaghan died in 795 without a Yaghlakar successor, Guduolu, a senior commander, declared himself qaghan. He later took the Yaghlakar name, a move to borrow the legitimacy of the founding house for his own Ädiz line.
Rule and Achievements
- Founded the Ädiz dynasty, which ruled the khaganate from 795 until 840
- Secured his position by adopting the prestige of the Yaghlakar name rather than breaking with it
- Captured Gaochang in 803, strengthening Uyghur control of the eastern Tarim and its trade
- Passed the throne to his son Baoyi on his death in 808, the khaganate's first peaceful succession in years
Legacy
Huaixin Qaghan's reign is a model of how a new leader secures a change of dynasty: he kept the old house's name and institutions, delivered stability and a clear succession, and let results build his legitimacy. The khaganate he handed on reached the peak of its commercial power under his son.