Book contents
- Frontmatter
- 1 Introduction: the concept of Inner Asia
- 2 The geographic setting
- 3 Inner Asia at the dawn of history
- 4 The Scythians and Sarmatians
- 5 The Hsiung-nu
- 6 Indo-Europeans in Inner Asia
- 7 The Hun period
- 8 The Avars
- 9 The peoples of the Russian forest belt
- 10 The peoples of the south Russian steppes
- 11 The establishment and dissolution of the Türk empire
- 12 The Uighurs
- 13 The Karakhanids and early Islam
- 14 Early and medieval Tibet
- 15 The forest peoples of Manchuria: Kitans and Jurchens
- Bibliography
- Index
- References
12 - The Uighurs
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 March 2008
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Book contents
- Frontmatter
- 1 Introduction: the concept of Inner Asia
- 2 The geographic setting
- 3 Inner Asia at the dawn of history
- 4 The Scythians and Sarmatians
- 5 The Hsiung-nu
- 6 Indo-Europeans in Inner Asia
- 7 The Hun period
- 8 The Avars
- 9 The peoples of the Russian forest belt
- 10 The peoples of the south Russian steppes
- 11 The establishment and dissolution of the Türk empire
- 12 The Uighurs
- 13 The Karakhanids and early Islam
- 14 Early and medieval Tibet
- 15 The forest peoples of Manchuria: Kitans and Jurchens
- Bibliography
- Index
- References
Summary
The second of the great nomad empires of Mongolia lasted from 744 to 840, and its capital was Karabalghasun on the High Orkhon River. For some years before its foundation, the Uighur leader, known to the Chinese as Ku-li p'ei-lo, had been consolidating the power of his own clan, the Yaghlakar, among the various Uighur tribes; and in 742, he led a coalition of Uighur, Karluk and Basmil forces in a successful attempt to drive the last important ruler of the Eastern Türks from the Mongolian steppes. This set the scene for further expansion of Ku-li p'ei-lo's power, and the Chinese historian tersely remarks that in 744 “he attacked and defeated the Basmil and took upon himself the title of Kutlugh bilgä Kö1 kaghan.” Shortly after this, the Karluk also became victims of the Uighur kaghan, and an easterly group of them was brought under subjection.
The empire's founder died in 747 and leadership devolved upon his son, Bilgä köl kaghan, called Mo-yen-ch'o in the Chinese sources. He was a brutal and ambitious man who carried forward his father's achievements by strengthening the monarchy and extending his people's domination over the Karluk and Basmil. He also added a further dimension to the historical importance of the Uighurs by ordering his eldest son to render to the great neighbouring T'ang empire in China invaluable military service against the An Lu-shan rebellion (755–63) which, despite its failure to overthrow the T'ang, dealt the dynasty a blow so heavy that it never fully recovered.
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- The Cambridge History of Early Inner Asia , pp. 317 - 342Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1990
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