Western Turkic Khaganate

Quick Facts: Who was Western Turkic Khaganate?

Subject:

Western Turkic Khaganate

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A powerful Turkic confederation in Eurasia, existing from the 6th to the mid-7th century CE.

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The Western Turkic Khaganate (Chinese: 西突厥; pinyin: Xī Tūjué) or Onoq Khaganate (Old Turkic: 𐰆𐰣:𐰸:𐰉𐰆𐰑𐰣, romanized: On oq budun, lit. 'Ten arrow people') was a Turkic khaganate in Eurasia, which formed as a result of the wars during the beginning of the 7th century (593–603) after the First Turkic Khaganate, which was founded in the 6th century on the Mongolian Plateau by the Ashina clan, split into a western and eastern khaganate. The confederation as a whole was called Onoq, meaning "ten arrows". According to a Chinese source, the Western Turks were organised into ten divisions. The khaganate's capitals were Navekat, the summer capital and Suyab, which was the principal capital, both situated in the Chui River valley in Kyrgyzstan, to the east of Bishkek.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Tong Yabgu's summer capital was near Tashkent and his winter capital Suyab. The Western Turkic Khaganate was subjugated by the Tang dynasty in 657 and the Western Turkic tribes were split up under two puppet rulers, Ashina Buzhen and Ashina Mishe. Mishe was killed by Buzhen in 662 and Buzhen was killed in 666. The Tang tried to install their sons, Ashina Huseluo and Ashina Yuanqing as successors in 685, but they failed to maintain control over their territory and fled back to the Tang by 690. In the west, the breakup of the Western Turkic Khaganate led to the rise of the Turkic Khazar Khaganate (c. 650–969).

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The First Turkic Khaganate was founded by Bumin in 552 on the Mongolian Plateau and quickly spread west toward the Caspian Sea. Within 35 years the Western Turkic Khaganate and the Eastern Turkic Khaganate were independent polities. The Western Khaganate reached its peak under Tong Yabghu Qaghan (618–630). After Tong's murder, there were conflicts between the Dulu and Nushibi factions and many short-lived Khagans, and some territory was lost. From 642 onward, the expanding Tang dynasty began to interfere.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Western Turkic Khaganate

True or False: “The Western Turkic Khaganate maintained continuous independent rule until the Tang Dynasty's final withdrawal in 719 CE.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While the Tang exerted control over the region until 756 CE following An Lushan's rebellion, the direct political structure of the Western Turkic Khaganate was subjugated by the Tang dynasty as early as 657 CE.

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