286 ch’ing-hai
- Ten are recorded from 619 to 626. According to Hsin Wu-tai
shih 74:3a, T’u-hun missions arrived frequently from 936 to 942. Five
are recorded. The statistics may therefore be better for the T’ang and
Five Dynasties than for the Sui.
T’u-yü-hun missions arrived at the Chinese courts throughout the
year, but they had a preference for the 12th and 1st months in order
to attend the New Year ceremonies.
This is the distribution by 20-year periods of the 62 recorded T’u-
yü-hun missions to Sui, T’ang, Later T’ang, Later Chin, Later Han,
and Later Chou:
587-606: 7
607-626: 12
627-646: 16
647-666: 8
667-686: 0
687-706: 0
707-726: 1
727-746: 0
747-766: 0
767-786: 0
787-806: 0
807-826: 0
827-846: 0
847-866: 0
867-886: 0
887-906: 0
907-926: 5
927-946: 11
947-966: 2The figure for 587 to 606 may be too low. During T’ang, relations
were close until the death of T’ai-tsung in 649. Only five missions
are recorded for the reign of Kao-tsung (650-683). He had no under-
standing of his father’s policy to maintain an alliance with the T’u-
yü-hun as a counterweight to the Tibetans. After the collapse of the
T’u-yü-hun state in 670, only the mission of 708 is recorded before
the end of T’ang. During Later T’ang and Later Chin, T’u-yü-hun
chiefs resumed relations with China. Since great diplomatic matters
no longer needed to be discussed, the single purpose was obviously