418 the turkic tribes
In the 6th month (July/Aug.) of 646, the Uighur chief T’u-mi-tu,
allied with the Chinese, defeated the Hsüeh-yen-to and in the fol-
lowing years annexed their territory (Chiu T’ang shu 195:1a; Tzu-chih
t’ung-chien p.6237).
In the 8th month (Sep./Oct.) of 646, Uighurs offered gifts. On
Sep.26, Emperor T’ai-tsung gave a banquet, appointed the envoys to
offices, and gave them letters stamped with the imperial seal to their
chiefs. He also sent the General of the Gentlemen-of-the-Household
Who Commands the Army of the Right as his envoy in response (Chiu
T’ang shu 195:1b; Tzu-chih t’ung-chien p.6239).
On Jan.31, 647, Uighur envoys were received at the T’ang court,
and on Feb.2, T’ai-tsung gave them a banquet (Tzu-chih t’ung-chien
p.6242).
On Feb.18, 647, envoys from the Uighurs and other T’ieh-le tribes
had an audience with T’ai-tsung and were presented with gold, silver,
silken materials, and brocade robes. They proposed that a road be
opened from the land of the Uighurs to China, called the Road of
the Heavenly Qaghan, with 68 postal stations, each providing horses,
wine, and meat for passing envoys. They promised annually to offer
sable furs (T’ang hui-yao 196:13b; Tzu-chih t’ung-chien p.6245).^48
In 648, T’u-mi-tu was murdered by his nephew Wu-ku who then
informed T’ai-tsung. Wu-ku and his ally Chü-lo-po were both sons-
in-law of the Eastern Turkish qaghan Chü-pi and clearly wished to
bring about a raprochement between the Uighurs and the Eastern
Turks. In the 10th month (Oct./Nov) of 648, Chü-lo-po at Chü-pi’s
behest went to the T’ang court, where he was detained. T’ai-tsung sent
a Master of Writing of the Ministry of Arms to the Uighurs, confered
on T’u-mi-tu the posthumous title of General-in -chief of the Guards
of the Left, and contributed to the funeral expenses. T’u-mi-tu’s son
and successor P’o-jun, who previously had been made General-in-chief
of the Guards of the Garrison of the Left, was appointed General-in-
chief of the Resolute Guards of the Left (Chiu T’ang shu 195:2a, 3a;
Tzu-chih t’ung-chien p.6263).
In 649, the Uighurs and other tribes allied with the Chinese defeated
the Eastern Turkish qaghan Chü-pi, who fled and was captured in
650 (Chiu T’ang shu 194A:9a; T’ung-tien 198:41b-42a; Tzu-chih t’ung-chien
(^48) According to Tzu-chih t’ung-chien, the Uighur chiefs referred to themselves as
“subjects and people of the T’ang” which is a sino-centric misstatement.