The policy of the Muqan and Taspar (Tuobo) Qaghans in the Turkish Empire (553-581 AD)

Based on the materials of the Chinese dynastic chronicles (zhengshi) Zhoushu, Beishi, Beiqishu, Suishu, Tangshu, the author observes the internal and external policies of the Muqan and Taspar Qaghans, as well as the Turkish-Chinese relations during the period under study. In 553 AD, when Muqan was the head of the Turkish Empire, the ancient Turks (tujue) controlled most of the territory of the present-day Mongolia, having subordinated the Tiele and Rouran tribes. Over the next 20 years, due to the active policy of conquest and trade of the Muqan Qaghan, the borders of the Quaganate extended to the Caspian Sea in the west and to the Gulf of Liaodong in the east. The Chinese dynasties Northern Zhou and Northern Qi competed with each other to establish allied relations with the Turks. A big pressure point for the Turks was the question of the marriage union between the Turks and the Chinese. For a long time Muqan Qaghan postponed his consent, choosing between Northern Zhou and Northern Qi, maintaining relations with both dynasties. At long last, Muqan chose the Northern Zhou dynasty, with whom he had trade interests and common trade routes along the ridge of the Nanshan, that was also under the threat of attack from other nomads. Muqan's successor was his younger brother, Taspar; he was appointed Qaghan instead of his son Dalobyan. Initially Taspar continued the policy of containment of the Chinese dynasties. Soon, however, he supported the Northern Qi dynasty, but later, nevertheless, was forced to renew the contract and enter into a marriage alliance with the Northern Zhou dynasty, which caused the final defeat of Northern Qi. In 580 AD, Central Asia was left with two strong states - the Turkish Empire and the Northern Zhou dynasty; and in 581 AD China had a new Sui Dynasty (581-618 AD). During the reign of Taspar the Turkish Empire had important territorial and administrative changes, as recorded in the sources. The Turkic territory was divided into eastern and western lands although there are no records of time, nor geographical boundaries of this in the sources. Most likely, Taspar executed this reform in the Eastern Turkish Empire with one purpose - to more effectively manage the vast territories conquered by the Turks at that time. Subsequently, it became a common practice among nomads later on, including the Mongols. Of course, initially the reform did not intend to divide the state of the Turks, which was created earlier by Taspar and his predecessors for almost forty years. However, the process initiated by Taspar led to the final separation of the once unified Turkish Empire into the East Turkish and West Turkish Empires after his death. This became an issue for both succession and the struggle for trade routes of the Silk Road between the East and the West with the active interference in the internal affairs of the Turks by the Sui Dynasty.

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