400 the turkic tribes
gifts, and in the 6th month (June/July) of the same year once more
gifts (Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei p.5023).
In the 12th month (Dec./Jan., 624) of the Chinese year 623, Turk-
ish envoys offered gifts (Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei p.5023).
In 625, Emperor Kao-tsu had sent a representative to T’ung-yeh-hu,
presumably to negotiate the details of the coming marriage. In the 1st
month (Jan./Feb.) of 627, this man returned to the court together with
Turkish envoys who presented genuine pearls, 10,000 nails, a precious
belt of fine gold, and 5000 horses as bridal presents for the princess.
They stated that the Hsieh-li Qaghan of the Eastern Turks was attack-
ing the Western Turks and blocking the roads in order to prevent the
marriage (Chiu T’ang shu 194B:2b; T’ung-tien 199:44a; Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei
p.5023;Tzu-chih t’ung-chien p.6046; Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 344:11b).
In the 10th month (Nov./Dec.) of 627 and in the 4th month
(May/June) of 628, the Western Turks offered regional objects (Ts’e-
fu yüan-kuei p.5023).
In the 12th month (January 629) of the Chinese year 628, T’ung-
yeh-hu was killed by a paternal uncle, who enthroned himself as the
Mo-ho-to-hou-ch’ü-li-ssu-pi Qaghan or Mo-ho-to for short. He did not
win general acceptance among the Western Turks, and the tribes in
West Turkestan enthroned a son of T’ung-yeh-hu as a rival qaghan.
This was the Yi-p’i-po-lo-ssu-yeh-hu Qaghan or Ssu-yeh-hu for short
(Chiu T’ang shu 194B:2b; Tzu-chih t’ung-chien pp.6061, 6084; Wen-hsien
t’ung-k’ao 344:11b-12a).
In 629, both qaghans sent envoys to the T’ang court, each request-
ing a marriage. T’ai-tsung rejected this for the time being, since the
outcome of the civil war between the Western Turks was as yet
unknown. He also advised both sides to avoid armed conflict, which
was an empty demand (Chiu T’ang shu 194B:2b; Tzu-chih t’ung-chien
p.6061;Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 344:12a).
In 630, Mo-ho-to was defeated by Ssu-yeh-hu. He fled to the Altai
Mountains and was killed. Ssu-yeh-hu was recognized by the Western
Turks as Great Qaghan (Tzu-chih t’ung-chien p.6084; Wen-hsien t’ung-
k’ao 344:12a).
In the 4th month (May/June) of 631, T’ai-tsung sent envoys to
ransom for gold and silk Chinese who had been lost among the Turks
since Sui times (Tzu-chih t’ung-chien p.6087).
In 632, Ssu-yeh-hu attacked the Hsüeh-yen-t’o. He was defeated
by them, fled to Samarkand, and subsequently died. His successor,