the turkic tribes 459The Uighur missions served a number of purposes, such as dis-
cussing military strategy, announcing a victory, presenting prisoners,
arranging a marriage, welcoming a bride, or announcing a death or
enthronment. But by far the most important reason was trade. In 773
alone, Uighur envoys returned to Karabalghasun with their profit
laden on 1000 carts.
According to Hsin T’ang shu 217A:3a, the Ko-le Qaghan annually
sent envoys to the T’ang court. Missions are recorded for 747 (2), 749,
751, 752, 757 (2), 758 (3), and 759. According to T’ang hui-yao 98:9b,
the Uighurs frequently sent envoys to the T’ang court from 825 to 827.
Three missions are recorded for 826. According to Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao
347:30, the Uighurs of Kan chou frequently offered gifts to the Later
Chin court from 936 to 942. Missions are recorded for 938 (2), 939,
940, and 942. According to Sung shih 490:16b, the Uighurs offered gifts
to the Sung court from 1119 to 1125. No missions are recorded. The
statistics are therefore fairly but not entirely complete.
The Uighurs preferred the winter and spring for their missions,
with well over half of all recorded for these seasons. This was prob-
ably because it was easier to move horses during the colder part of
the year than in the hot summer and autumn. Also, by the winter the
foaling season was over.
This is the distribution by 20-year periods of the 182 missions from
the Uighurs to the T’ang, Later Liang, Later T’ang, Later Chin, Later
Han, Later Chou, and Sung, the 46 missions to the Khitan/Liao, and
the 10 mission to the Chin, 238 in all:
627- 646: 4
647- 666: 4
667- 686: 0
687- 706: 0
707- 726: 1
727- 746: 4
747- 766: 20
767- 786: 17
787- 806: 19
807- 826: 20
827- 846: 9
847- 866: 0
867- 886: 1
887- 906: 1