The Restoration of zpγw in the Legends on the Western Turkic Coins

Also on Magha Shad’s Pedigree

Bibliographic Data

ID22186804
AuthorsKen Chen (0000-0002-9118-7469, Peking University, corresponding author)
Year2024
Volume8
Issue1
Pages24-56
Publication date2024-02-23
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Old Turkic Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2564-6400 • E-ISSN: 2564-6400
PublisherJournal of Old Turkic Studies (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.35236/jots.1382795
OpenAlexW4392022226
LanguageEN
References cited5

The Sogdian word zpγw in the legends on the Western Turkic coins is not the variant spelling form of cpγw (Jabghu), and its reading should be revised to zwγw/ žwγw, the Chinese transcription of which may be Shegui 射匱, and the etymology of which is related to Sogdian žwγ-/žγw/jwγ-/jγw/δrγw, which means “hard, cruel, harsh, severe”. There are two kinds of žwγw coin, each casted by Shegui, grandson of Tardu, son of Dulu, and by Yipi Shegui, grandson of Dielishi. They had different tamgas deriving from different branches within the Tardu line. The tamga of the second kind of žwγw coin i.e. Yipi Shegui coin belonged to the Magha Shad line, and the other tamga that appeared along with it came from the Hephthalite, indicating that the line was closely related to Hephthalite-Tokharistan. From the perspective of the relationship between basic tamga and derived tamga, the possibility that Magha Shad came from the Dulu line can be ruled out, and Magha Shad might be the grandson of Tardu and son of Ton Shad instead. The joint appearance of the two tamgas on the Yipi Shegui coin suggest a marriage relationship between the Magha Shad line and the Hephthalite, which might be a continuation of the earlier tradition of marriage relationship between Tardu and Hephthalite

Ancient history · Art · Geography · Cultural and Sociopolitical Studies · History · Linguistics and Cultural Studies · Turkish Literature and Culture

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