Person

Yusuf Balasaguni

11th century · 11th century · Also known as Yusuf Khass Hajib

Yusuf Balasaguni was a Turkic poet and statesman from Balasagun, in modern Kyrgyzstan, under the Kara-Khanid Khanate. Around 1069 he completed the Kutadgu Bilig, a verse mirror for princes, and presented it to the ruler at Kashgar, who rewarded him with the title Khass Hajib, or chamberlain. He is honoured as a founding figure of Turkic literature.

Yusuf Balasaguni
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Mentioned in 2 profiles

Kara-Khanid KhanateImpactOld TurkicLiterature, Legacy, Summary

Mentioned in 2 state histories

Kara-Khanid KhanateEastern Kara-Khanid Khanate

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Yusuf Balasaguni. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/yusuf-balasaguni
MLA
“Yusuf Balasaguni.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/yusuf-balasaguni. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Yusuf Balasaguni.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/yusuf-balasaguni.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Yusuf Balasaguni’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/yusuf-balasaguni (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻