the turkic tribes 413In the 11th month (Nov./Dec.) of 637, a son of the Hsüeh-yen-t’o
qaghan was received at the T’ang court (Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei p.5024).
By 638, P’i-chia had become the most powerful qaghan north of
the Gobi and the T’ang court was becaming apprehensive.T’ai-tsung
nevertheless recognized two of his sons on Oct.30 as Junior Qaghans
and presented them drums and banners (Chiu T’ang shu 199B:2a; Tzu-
chih t’ung-chien p.6140).
After Turfan and the Western Turks had attacked Karashahr in
638, the qaghan of the Hsüeh-yen-t’o, [P’i-chia], proposed in the
3rd month (Apr./May) of 639 a joint attack on Turfan. T’ai-tsung
sent a Master of Writing of the Ministry of Common People and the
General-in-chief Who Commands the Army of the Right to present
silk to the Hsüeh-yen-t’o and discuss the campaign. In the 7th month
(Aug.Sep.), he furthermore sent the Minister of Agriculture with a letter
stamped with the imperial seal (Chiu T’ang shu 198:4b; Tzu-chih t’ung-
chien pp.6146-6147, 6148; Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 343:8b).
In the 9th month (October) of 639, Hsüeh-yen-t’o offered gifts
(Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei p.5024).
On July 17, 640, envoys from P’i-chia proposed a marriage (Chiu
T’ang shu 3:6b).
In the 12th month (Jan./Feb., 642) of the Chinese year 641, a son
of P’i-chia was defeated by a Chinese army (T’ang hui-yao 94:13a).
On Jan.18, 642, envoys from Yi-nan (P’i-chia) informed the T’ang
court that he had been defeated by the Turks and intended to form a
marriage alliance with them. The envoys remained in Ch’ang-an until
Jan.25,^43 T’ai-tsung advised them to live in peace with the Eastern
Turks and that the Gobi should be the dividing line between them
(Chiu T’ang shu 199B:2b; Tzu-chih t’ung-chien pp.6171, 6172).
In 642, Yi-nan (P’i-chia) sent a paternal uncle as envoy to the T’ang
court and requested a marriage. He offered 3000 horses, 38,000 sable
furs, and baroos camphor (Chiu T’ang shu 199B:3a; Tzu-chih t’ung-chien
p.6177).
T’ai-tsung’s attacks on Koguryo from 644, was enfeoffed as an earl, and married to
an imperial younger sister, the Senior princess of Nan-yang (according to Hu San-
hsing’s commentary to the Tzu-chih t’ung-chien the Senior Princess of Heng-yang). In
657, he was made a General-in-chief of the Martial Guards of the Left. Subsequently,
Kao-tsung made him a nominal qaghan of one half of the no longer existing Western
Turkish empire (Chiu T’ang shu 194B:6a; 195:2b; T’ung-tien 199:46a; Tzu-chih t’ung-chien
p.6118;Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 344:13a).
(^43) Correcting ping-tzu to ping-wu.