456 the turkic tribes
objects. These were not accepted, but the envoys received ample
presents (Liao shih 25:4a).
On Jan.14, 1114, Uighur envoys to the Liao court offered gifts
(Liao shih 27:7b).
On Mar.11, 1127, envoys from the Uighur qaghan Ho-li to the
Chin court of the Jurchen offered gifts (Chin shih 3:9b).
On Nov.20, 1127, envoys from the Huo-la-san Qaghan of the
Uighurs to the Chin court offered gifts (Chin shih 3:10b).
On Sep.10, 1131, Uighur envoys to the Chin court offered gifts
(Chin shih 3:15b).
On Sep. 15, 1138, Uighur envoys to the Chin court offered gifts
(Chin shih 4:3b).
On July 27, 1142, Uighur envoys to the Chin court offered gifts
(Chin shih 4:8b).
On Mar.21, 1144, Uighur envoys to the Chin court congratulated
(Chin shih 4:9b).
On Jan.27, 1153, the emperor of Chin did not personally hold court.
He ordered the high officials to receive the envoys from the Uighurs
and others and accept their gifts (Chin shih 5:9a).
On Nov.29, 1156, a Uighur envoy to the Chin court offered gifts
(Chin shih 5:15a).
In the 3rd (Mar./Apr.) and 4th month (Apr./May) of 1172, Uighur
envoys to the Chin court offered gifts (Chin shih 7:2a).
The relation of the Uighurs to the Chinese was unique. They had
been their allies against the Eastern and Western Turks and then
saved the T’ang dynasty from An Lu-shan’s rebellion in 755. But
they exacted a price for it. While the alliance lasted until the collapse
of the Uighur empire in 840, the Uighurs were the stronger partner.
The Uighur qaghans considered themselves rightly the equals of the
Chinese emperors, if not more so, and this self-confidence was shared
by the Uighurs in general. Their envoys rioted in Ch’ang-an in 763,
771, 772, 774, and twice in 775. Minor Chinese officials tried to face
up to them but Emperor Tai-tsung did not. From 757, the T’ang paid
an annual tribute to the Uighurs of 20,000 bolts of pongee. That was
not a large amount, compared to what the Sung later had to pay the
Liao and Chin states. More importantly, the Uighurs foisted their horses
on the T’ang at the average price of 40 bolts of silk. This trade was
on the government level, conducted by Uighur envoys. The Chinese
had their own pastures for breeding horses in the northwest and had
no great need to import them as well. Not only did the Chinese have