Life

Böri-Shad was a Göktürk prince and general who fought against Persians south of the Caucasus during the Third Perso-Turkic War. In this war the Western Turkic Khaganate was allied with Byzantium against Persia during the last great Byzantine-Persian war before the Muslim conquests. He was an appointed head, governor of a provincial principality in the far western North Caucasus periphery of the Western Turkic Khaganate. Böri Shad's uncle was Tong Yabgu Khagan, the khagan of the Western Turkic Khaganate. His father was Bagha-Shad. His was the first khagan of Khazar Khaganate as a Western Göktürk vassal. His son Irbish Khazar founded the Khazar Khaganate.

Third Turco-Persian War

Böri-Shad was commander of the Göktürk forces in the Northern Caucasus during the Third Perso-Turkic War in 627–629. Under Böri-Shad's command the Khazars sacked many cities in Caucasian Albania and attempted to establish a firm foothold in Transcaucasia. Following Tung Yabgu's instructions, Böri-Shad suggested to the Persian satrap of Aghvania and to Catholicos Viro that they should acknowledge the Khagan as their overlord. The governor refused to pay homage to the Turks and fled to Persia. The Catholicos was also hesitant. But Böri-Shad followed and defeated them. After the Turks started to plunder the cities, Viro escaped to the mountainous region of Artsakh, where the Turks managed to track him down. Viro personally brought the message of obedience and allegiance to Böri-Shad, whose army encamped in the vicinity of Partav. Böri-Shad reproached Viro for his delays: "Why did you procrastinate with your visit? If only you were more expeditious, your country would have been spared the calamities brought about by my troops". In April 630 Böri-Shad and Chorpan Tarkhan went to conquer Armenia from Sassanids. Although the campaign was successful, Böri-Shad had to flee to Central Asia after learning about the murder of his uncle Tong Yabgu later that year. He loved his uncle Tong Yabgu too much. He disappears from the historical record after hearing of his uncle's tragic death. His son Irbish Khazar Khagan succeeded him as the head of the Göktürk states and armies in the Western Caucasus. And after the Western Turkic Khaganate collapsed, Khazar Khagan founded the Khazar Khaganate, which was founded under his own name, and declared its independence.