Kara Issik Qaghan

Issik Qaghan was the second ruler of the Turkic Khaganate.

Name His personal name recorded in Chinese sources was Ashina Kolo which is reconstructible in Middle Chinese as *kʰuâ-lâ according to Peter Golden. According to him, this was a transliteration of the . His regnal name Yixiji was reconstructed by Ahmet Taşağıl as Ilji. He is also referred to as Ayi Qaghan in Cefu Yuangui.

Zhu Zhenghong, who analyzed his great-grandson Shi Shanying's epitaph, argued that in Turkic cosmology, colors correspond to cardinal directions, with "black" representing north. He proposed that "Kolo" was not his personal name, but a political title he held before becoming qaghan. As Bumin's eldest son, he was stationed in the north to govern the Tiele tribes, hence the title "Black" (Qara). Epitaph referred to Issik as Xiejiesuona Qaghan . Zhenghong believes this was a regnal title that could be reconstructed as . All Eastern Turkic Qaghanate rulers were descended from him through his sons Ishbara Qaghan and Bagha Qaghan.