Dingling

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Dingling and Tiele
Total population
300,000－approx. 2-3 million (Rough conversion based upon the ratio 1:5 [soldier or yurt/people] provided by Jia Yi and imitation of Li Chengqian from the number of yurt [落户 luohu] and portion of soldier [兵 bing])[1]
Regions with significant populations
Siberian taiga (pre-1st century), Mongolian Orkhon-Selenge forest steppe (majority to the north of Tuul River loops), northern Chinese provinces, Altay Mountains, Xinjiang (Dzungaria) and Pontic-Caspian steppe (by 6th century)[2]
Languages
Turkic languages
Religions
Shaman cults (pre-7th century), Buddhism, Manichaeism and Islam (post-10th century)[3][4]
Related ethnic groups
Xiongnu, Toba and later Turkic peoples

The Dingling (丁零) or Gaoche (高車), Chile (敕勒), Tiele (铁勒) were an ancient Siberian people. They originally lived on the bank of the Lena River in the area west of Lake Baikal and began to expand westward in the 3rd century. They were still around during the time of the Xiongnu Empire.^[5][6] They appear under alternate names in historic records. It is not certain whether an earlier name for them existed, but they might have been correlated with the Guifang (鬼方), a northern tribe that appears in the oracle bone inscriptions from Yinxu during the 1st millennium BC.^[7]

Contents 1 History 1.1 Origin and migration 1.2 Absorption 2 Political relationship 2.1 Early period 2.1.1 Dingling 2.1.2 Gaoche and Chile 2.1.2.1 Fufuluo 2.2 Late period 2.2.1 Emergence of the Tiele 2.2.2 Role of the Xueyantuo 2.2.3 Chinese subjugation 2.2.4 Rise of the Uyghur Qaghanate 3 On oq connection 4 Religious beliefs and culture 5 Dingling and Tiele language 5.1 Naming and etymology 5.2 Notion 6 Rulers of Gaoche 7 See also 8 Notes 9 References 9.1 Primary sources 9.2 Secondary sources

[edit] History

[edit] Origin and migration

Very little is known about the origin of the Dingling. They were a warlike group of hunters, fishers, and gatherers of the southern Siberian mountain taiga region from Lake Baikal to northern Mongolia. During the 2nd century BC, they became subjects to Modu Shanyu along with 26 other tribes, including Yuezhi and Wusun, of whom very little of the names of these tribes is known.^[8] To the north of the Xiongnu were the Gekun (鬲昆), known as the Yenisei Kyrgyz (黠戛斯) in later historic records, who lived at the headwaters of the Yenisei around Tannu Uriankhai. Further to the west lived the Hujie (呼揭) around the Irtysh. Other neighboring tribes lived north of Xiongnu such as the Hunyu (浑庾), Qushe (屈射), and Xinli (薪犁) only appear once in Chinese records, and their exact location is unknown.^[9][10] The origin of the Dingling, according to the biography of the Gaoche from a 6th century book known as Weishu, can be traced to the vague and fabled Chidi (赤狄), who lived around northern China proper during the Spring and Autumn period. Another account from the book called Mozi mentioned a total of eight Di groups related to Chidi, however only two of the other and Chidi were known.^[11][12] Extant Chinese documentation does not mention the physical appearance or anthropology of the Dingling, and their name appears rarely.^[13][14][15]

Some groups of Dingling also moved to China and settled there as early as during Wang Mang's reign. This group of Dingling formed part of the southern Xiongnu tribes known as Chile (赤勒) during the 3rd century, from which the later name Chile (敕勒) originated. They adopted the last name Zhai (翟) and founded a dynasty known as Wei during the Sixteen Kingdoms period.^[16] The name "Dingling" was replaced by "Gaoche" and "Tiele" in historic records between the 4th century and 7th century. Since the word "Dingling" was interchangeable with "Gaoche", "Chile" and "Tiele" and gradually replaced through times, its very hard to reconstruct the early history of the tribes.^[17] The Gaoche spoke a language very similar to the language of the earlier Xiongnu.^[18] According to the Weilue, a group of Dingling escaped to the western steppe in Kazakhstan. By the time of the Rouran, the Gaoche comprised six tribes^[19] tribes, and the twelve^[20] clans, who in turn belonged to the bigger Tiele tribal grouping by the times of Göktürks.^[21][22] The Gaoche were ruled over by the Rouran. One group known as Fufuluo, led by their chieftain A-Fuzhiluo (阿伏至罗), escaped and founded a state at Turpan between 487－541.^[23]

[edit] Absorption

Prior to the presence of Gaoche, there was a sufficient amount of times without a tribal league on the steppe, in particular after the dissolved of short-lived Xianbei confederacy in 181 to the founding date of Rouran Qaghanate in 402. During this period, the Dingling began absorbed into the rest of the northern Xiongnu by establishing permanence settlement further to the south between 85－87.^[24] After the defeat of northern Shanyu, an estimated figure which reduce from the casualties and immigrants is give to 200,000 for the Xiongnu that were still activate on the northern steppe. One group which documented about 450,000 of them moved south east and incorporated into the Xianbei. Some remnant of Xiongnu managed to keep their identity until the early 5th century, they presence on the Orkhon River (頞根河), under the tribal name known as the Bayeqi (拔也稽) before eliminated by the Rouran.^[25] Due to the paucity of the written material, little was known for the period, though accounts concerning about the Xiongnu and Gaoche was given on the later historic records, which might had due to the result of absorption, as one account said:^[26]

According to their folklore, the Xiongnu Shanyu once had two beautiful daughters, who were regarded as divine in the state, the Shanyu then decided that they were worthy only to be married to the heaven. He brought them to an uninhabited place to the north of the state and placed them on a pedestal that he built, announcing to the heaven to come and claim them. After three years, the daughter's mother wished to fetch them back. But the Shanyu stopped her, saying the time was not yet up. A year later, an old wolf came to howl at the pedestal day and night, and dig a den below the pedestal. The younger daughter felt that the wolf might be a divine creature and decided to mate with him. Her elder sister pleaded with her not to disgrace her parents by having relations with an animal, but she refused and went with the wolf. From there, it grew and sprung into the state [of Gaoche]. Thus, their people are good at lengthened chant, which sound similar to the howling of wolves.

—Weishu, 103

At the same time, the Dingling were also being absorpted by the Xianbei, and about a quarter of the Toba clans shown some similarity by name that retain within the Gaoche and Tiele tribes through analysis. Among them, the Hegu (紇骨) and Yizhan (乙旃), whom consisted in their high status clans were forbidden by marriage with the rest. While the early Dingling whom lived in China had began to adopt a several family name such as Zhai, Xianyu (鲜于), Luo (洛) and Yan (严) around the 3rd century.^[27]

[edit] Political relationship

[edit] Early period

[edit] Dingling

The Dingling were subjugated first by the Xiongnu, whom later gradually weakened. During the numerous conflicts between the Chinese and the Xiongnu, the Dingling took the opportunity to revolt with help from neighboring tribes in 71 BCE. Together with the Wusun (supported by the Chinese) from the west and Wuhuan from the south east, the Dingling attacked the Xiongnu in 60 BCE and lasted for three years. This occurred during a split within the Xiongnu ruling clan of Luanti (挛鞮).^[28] In 51 BCE, they were together with the Hujie and Gekun defeated by Zhizhi Shanyu of the Xiongnu on his way to Kangju. Over the next century, the Dingling probably made several more uprisings. However these additional revolts were only mentioned in year 85, when they made their last attack on the Xiongnu together with the Xianbei.^[29] Thereafter, the Dingling became absorbed into the rest of the remaining northern Xiongnu and the Toba under the confederacy of Xianbei chief Tanshihuai (檀石槐). After his death in 181, the Xianbei moved southward and the Dingling took over the steppe from them. Over the next few centuries, the Dingling established themselves firmly on the steppe as the indigenous groups when they became known as the Gaoche, and later, the Tiele.^[30]

[edit] Gaoche and Chile

The name "Chile" and "Gaoche" first appeared in Chinese literature during the campaigns of Former Yan and Dai in 357 and 363 respectively. However, the protagonists would be equally addressed as "Dingling" in the literary record of the Southern Dynasties.^[31] The name gao (high) che (cart) was a byname given by the Chinese, and were explained by the sources below:^[32]

[The Gaoche] shifted along with the water and grass, clothed with animal skins and ate meat. Their quantity of cattle and sheep are almost the same with the Rouran, only that they had an abundance of carts with high wheels.

—Weishu, 103

The progenitors of Huihe were Xiongnu because of their custom of riding the high-wheeled carts. They were also called Gaoche during the Yuan Wei [Northern Wei 386－534] times, or Chile, which is an alternate name to Tiele.

—Xin Tangshu, 232

No records of the exact distribution for the Gaoche tribes survived. One related group known as the Eastern Gaoche (东部高车) probably dwelled in the areas from the Onon River to the south east of the Lake Baikal (巳尼陂). However, their relationship with the rest of Gaoche and its tribal components are ambiguous.^[33] The relationship of Gaoche with the Rouran began in 394 when Heduohan (曷多汗), the chief of the Rouran, was killed by the Toba. His son, Shelun, raided several of the Toba tribal dependencies before escaping from their armies. After eight years, Shelun was reported to have suffered a fatal defeat from the Toba and escaped to the north. Here he first confronted the Hulu (斛律) tribe and defeated them. Under the guide of the Hulu tribesmen Chiluohou (叱洛侯), Shelun managed to subjugate most of the Gaoche at the northern steppe and founded his Qaghanate on March 11, 402. Many tribesmen of the Gaoche, such as Chiluohou, were promoted to establish firmer control.^[34][35] During the reign of Shelun, and in particular his inheritor Datan, the Rouran went as far as the Issyk Kul and pushed the Wusun to the south. In the east, they made annual raids at the border of the Toba before they were further weakened by them in a campaign on June 16, 429.^[36][37] By the end of the battle and subsequently, as many as 1.5 million Gaoche were seized and settled to adjacent areas of the capital Pingcheng in the south. After the settlement, they were named based on their geographical distribution as the Western Chile (西部敕勒), including a portion at the Ordos Desert to the south of the Yellow River known as the Hexi [river to the west of modern Shanxi] Chile [河西敕勒]) and Eastern Chile (东部敕勒) in the line between Wuzhou (武周, the capital suburb), and the Northern Chile (北部敕勒) to the north and around periphery. The greater part of latter two assumably escaped back to the steppe and had not been heard since 524 and 445 respectively. While the Western Chile, mainly the Hulu and Chili (叱利, related to Fufuluo's Qifuli [泣伏利] clan) tribes took initiative and participate in the uprising between 524－526 before moved further south and got assimilated.^[38] With the lost of numerous subjects, in matter of their vital resource, the Rouran gone into a temporary decline. However, in 460, they began to undertake offensives to the west by destroying the remanet of Northern Liang. During a campaign of Khotan, the king wrote his supplicatory letter to the Toba emperor in 470, stated about the statelets in west that had all came under the Rouran submission. In 472, Yucheng made his onslaught over the western border of Toba, and by the time of his dead in 485, the Qaghanate had recovered to a status that was even stronger than the times of Datan. During the confusion, one Gaoche tribal group known as the Fufuluo united the twelve clans and made their revolt at the south west, they escaped from the Rouran army and founded a state to the north west of Gaochang in 487. From then on, little was known about the rest of the Gaoche on the steppe prior to the Göktürks. The Fufuluo made alliance with the Toba in 490 and competed with the Rouran at the west until 541 when they were dispersed by them.^[39]

[edit] Fufuluo

The Fufuluo (副伏罗) was a tribe of Gaoche, whom consisted in the twelve clans. They dwelled closest to the Gaochang kingdom, most likely around the Tuin River of the Govi-Altai range. At the beginning, the Yizhan, one of Fufuluo clan inhabited here since the mid 2nd century before a portion of them joined the Toba.^[40] In 481, the Fufuluo began their interference over the statehood of Gaochang by deposited one of their king. After the dead of Yucheng, his belligerent son Dulun engaged even more wars with the Toba. In a dissension, A-Fuzhiluo betrayed him, and in 487, together with his younger cousin Qiongqi (穷奇), they managed to bring the follow clans of over 100,000 yurts to escape from the two pursuiting armies, lent by Dulun and his uncle Nagai through defeating them. After the settlement, he founded a statelet (also know as the A-Fuzhiluo kingdom) under the title of Ulu Beglik (候娄匐勒, based on an interpretation of Shiratori Kurakichi). Like the later Qibi and Xueyantuo in 605, the Fufuluo divided their rule between the north and south at the Dzungaria.^[41] Shortly after the dead of Dulun in 492, several important cities on the eastern route were taken by them and the Rouran were disjuncted from the west. With the erase of Rouran influences, the Hephthalites, a kindred steppe nomads, extended their domain for the first time as far as Karashahr, where Qiongqi was killed and his son Mietu (弥俄突) being taken as hostage. Though there was no firm date for the Hephthalites expansion to the east. However, they sent eighteen embassies with gifts (朝献/朝贡) to the Chinese courts uninterruptedly after 507 (twelve to Northern Wei, three to Liang Dynasty, two to Western Wei and one to Northern Zhou) as opposed to one in 456.^[42] Like Firuz and his son Kubasd earlier in the west, the Hephthalites helped Mietu. He returned to his realm and Biliyan (跋利延), the inheritor of A-Fuzhiluo, was overthrown by his tribesmen, while shortly, he paid tribute to the Toba. In 508, Futu attacked the Fufuluo and won over a victory, but was killed by Mietu on his course back. Later in 516, Chounu, son of Futu, defeated Mietu, and in reprisal had him towed to death by a horse. The Fufuluo gone into exile for several years under the refuge of Hephthalites. In 520, his younger brother Yifu (伊匐), repulsed Chounu and restored the realm. After the defeat, Chounu returned to the east, where he was killed in a coup, in which the ruling clan of Yujiulu (郁久闾) was spilt into two factions. In 521, the Fufuluo penetrated into the Rouran territory, and through struggles they were finally repulsed by 524. Thereafter, the Fufuluo suffered a series of defeat from Anagui before annihilated in 541. During the last decade, they helped the Eastern Wei to combat with the Western Wei in the civil war, after being destroyed, the notability surreneded to them.^[43]

[edit] Late period

[edit] Emergence of the Tiele

In 546, during an uprising, the remaining of the Fufuluo now operated the name Tiele were defeated by Tumen at the Dzungaria, around 250,000 of them were incorporated into his army. In 552, Tumen sent his army and defeated Anagui just north of the Chinese border, he eliminated the remanet of Rouran to the north and subjected the Tiele on the second year before his death around March 12.^[44][45] Suribadalaha give details on the tribes extract from the Suishu based on semantic evidences under Mongolic and Turkic languages and Chinese naming, they were divided into seven locations and over 40 tribes:^[46]

The forebear of the Tiele belonged to those of Xiongnu descendants, and had the largest divisions of tribes. They occupied along the valleys, scattering in the vast region west to the Western Sea [Black Sea]:

1. At the area north of the Duluo River [Tuul River], are the Pugu, Tongluo, Weihe [Uyghur],^[47] Bayegu, Fuluo [Fufuluo], which all called Sijin [Irkin], other tribes such as Mengchen, Turuhe, Sijie, Hun [Hunyu], Hu, Xue [or Huxue] and so forth, also dwelled in this area. They have a 20,000 invincible army.
2. In the regions west of Yiwu [Kumul], the north of Yanqi [Karashahr], close to the White Mountains [Tian Shan], come to the abodes of Qibi, Boluozhi, Yidie, Supo, Nahe, Wuhuan [or Wuhu], Hegu [Kyrgyz],^[48] Yedie, Yunihuan [or Yunihu] and so forth. They have a 20,000 invincible army.
3. After passing over the Gold Mountains [Altay Mountains] to the south west, are the Xueyantuo [Syr-Tardush], Dieleer, Shipan [Yueban], Daqi and so forth. They have over 10,000 army.
4. Leaving these, we come to the regions north of Kang [Samarkand], close to the river of A-De [Volga], here, dwell the Hedie [A-Die], Hejie, Bohu, Bigan, Juhai, Hebixi, Hecuo, Suba, Yemo, Keda and so forth. They have 30,000 army.
5. At the western portion, to the east and west of the De Yi Sea [Caspian Sea], are the Sulu, Hesan [Hazar], Suoye, Miecu, Longhu [or Sahu] and so forth. They have over 8,000 army.
6. Until we reach to the east of Fulin [the Byzantine Empire], are the Enqu, A-Lan [Alans], Beiru, Jiuli, Fuwahun and so forth. They have near 20,000 army.
7. And lastly, in the regions south of the Northern Sea [Lake Baikal], dwell the Dubo [Tuva] and also some other tribes.

The names of these tribes are different, but all of them can be classified as Tiele. The Tiele don't have a master, they are subjected to the both Eastern and Western Tujue separately. They don't have a permanent residence, and moved with the changes of grass and water. Their main characteristics are: [1] they possessed great ferocity, and yet showed tolerance, [2] they were good riders and archers, and [3] they showed greed without restraint, for they often made their living by looting. These tribes toward the west were more cultivated, for they bred cattle and sheep, but fewer horses. Since the Tujue had established a state, they were recruited as the auxiliary of empire and conquered both east and westard, thus annexing all of the northern regional lands. The customs of the Tiele and Tujue are not much different. However a man of the Tiele lives in his wife's home after marriage and will not return to his own home with his wife until the birth of a child. In addition, the Tiele also bury their dead under the ground.

—Suishu, 84

The Tiele were a large tribal group, however its unlikely they would be under a certain league. Most references on the tribes in the remote area to the west of the Pamir Mountains was sparse as they happened to be mentioned in passing (few like A-lan were recklessly added likely by misinform), and by the end of 6th century nothing was known about them. These tribes among the Orkhon Tiele such as Guligan (骨利干), Duolange (多览葛) Xijie (奚结) and Baixi (白霫) were being awared afterward, albeit a few like Fuluo (覆罗), Mengchen (蒙陈) and Turuhe (吐如纥) disappeared.^[49] Like the Göktürks, the Tiele were probably one of the many nomadic Turkic peoples on the steppe, as a few of the scholars had already noted the name "Tiele" and "Tujue" shared more or less in semantic connection. It was first suggested to be interpreted as "Tölis" by Chavannes and Thomsen, but was pointed out to be inaccurated in 1937 by Cen Zhongmian, as Tölis applied to the Turkic title of official (突利失 Tulishi) in the east that also came to be attached to the qaghan. This view was later supported by Onogawa Hidemi in 1940, who had also speculated on a Tiele's origin for the Ashina clan.^[50] The Tiele were ruled by the Göktürks during the mid 6th century and early 7th century, many of their tribal chiefs were expelled and some had been killed during this period.^[51] They allied themseleves to rebel against the Göktürks during the turmoil between 599－603. But might had began as early as in 582, when rumor was spread about a resist from the north during a raiding campaign led by Ishbara away from the capital. Among the rivals of Ishbara in the west was Tardu, son of Istämi, who had ailled with Apa, a qaghan at the northern Dzungaria and Khovd River, and declared independent. In 587, Bagha, inheritor of Ishbara, captured Apa with the help of Chinese, but died second year on a campaign in the west around December 28. Later on, Tülan took over his reign and together with Tardu in 599, he launched a cvil war against his son Qimin, who sided with the Chinese. However, he was unsuccessful and got assassinated along the battle with the Chinese. His partner Tardu, took over his realm and created a turmoil over the Qaghanate. Eventually in 603, he was revolted by the Tiele tribes in a huge uprising provoked by the Chinese and escaped to the Tuyuhun.^[52][53] Earlier when Apa was captured, Nili took over him, but died subsequently after the failure of Tardu in the east. His son Chuluo succeed him in the Western Qaghanate, and levied heavy taxes from the Tiele, to avoid being revolted, he gathered several hundreds of chiefs and murdered them. Soon, an alliance among the Tiele was formed under the Qibi (契苾) and Xueyantuo (薛延陀) tribes in 605 to overthrown him. They occupied most of the Dzungaria and defeated his suppressing army, taking several important cities, including Kumul, Karashahr and Gaochang, and pushed him further west to the Ili River by 607. After succeed, the Qibi chief Geleng (哥楞) was proclimed as the qaghan by the tribesmen and likewise the Xueyantuo chief Yishibo (乙失钵) as the subordinate qaghan. At the same year, the alliance qaghan Geleng, then allied with the Chinese to defeat the Tuyuhun for a resolve after a conflict at Dunhuang with them. In 610, Shekuei, a qaghan from Taskent and grandson of Tardu, attacked Chulo and forced him to escape into China. The return of Shekuei marked the end of rebellion, however, exactly when the rebels were put down is unclear. As one Chinese account indicated that the Gaochang kingdom still remained under their vassal until the year 612. While they were most likely being subjected after this year as Shekuei restored the order of the Western Qaghanate.^[54] Failure to put down these uprisings led to a fatal division within the Turk's ruling Ashina clan. Under the leadership of Yinan (夷男) in 628, grandson of Yishibo, the Xueyantuo made their crossing over the Altai, and quickly founded a confederation with rest of the Tiele at the east.^[55]

[edit] Role of the Xueyantuo

At the beginning of what is known about the Xueyantuo, both Xue and Yantuo were two separated tribes. Later they founded a short-lived Qaghanate over the steppe under Yinan, his son Bazhuo (拔灼) and nephew Duomozhi (咄摩支), the last of which eventually delivered himself to the Chinese and surrendered. On March 27, 630, the Xueyantuo ailled with the Chinese crushed the Eastern Qaghanate at a mount of the Yinshan completely, Illig Qaghan escaped, but was handed over into the hands of Chinese by his subordinate qaghan on May 2.^[56][57] Thereafter, the Xueyantuo dominated most of the northern steppe. In 632, they repulsed an army of Siyehu from the Western Qaghanate, and subsequently subjugated the Qarluq at the Ulungur and Irtysh River and the Yenisei Kyrgyz tribes. In 634, one of their rival Dubu Qaghan (Ashina Shier), son of Ilteber, who dominated much of the eastern half of the Western Qaghanate was eliminated before escaped into China.^[58] Followed after, they maintained a friendly relationship with the Chinese until 639, when a sneaking foray was planned among the Turks at the captial by Ashina Jiedushuai (阿史那结社率), who had been despised by the Chinese emperor. He ailled with his nephew Ashina Heluohu (阿史那贺逻鹘) and selected him as the leader of the group on May 19. They were unsuccessful, and by the end of pursuiting, over 40 rebels were executed, while Heluohu was spared and expelled to the deep south.^[59][60] After the insignificant incident, a consent was made on August 13, and as an excuse, a deportation of all Turks to the north of Ordos was carried out in an attempt to restore the puppet Eastern Qaghanate as a barrier, a previously enemy state of the Xueyanto, which could disperse their attention over the territorial competition in the west. Among the Turk nobles, Ashina Simo (阿史那思摩) was selected as the Göktürks qaghan with a capital at the border. The plot, however, was failed, as the prince was unable tied his people, many of his tribesmen had escaped to the south by 644 after a series of unsuccessful threatening intrude made by the Xueyantuo defended by the Chinese. Those defeats frought with the Chinese under an offensive stance had made their tribal ailles began to lost confidence on them. The crisis situation went deepen on the second year as a coup d'etat had taken place within the clan. On August 1, 646, they were destroyed by the Huihe (回纥) and the Chinese, while the remnant of them would be eliminated two years later on September 15.^[61][62]

[edit] Chinese subjugation

Shortly after 646, the Huihe and the rest of the twelve Tiele chiefs (and subsequently the furthest Guligan and Dubo) arrived to the Chinese court. They were bestowed either with the title of commander-in-chief (都督 dudu) or prefect (刺史 cishi) under the loose control (羁縻 jimi) of the northern protectorate or the "pacificed north" (安北府), whose seat and name changed under certain time.^[63] The Huihe was prominent among the Tiele tribes next to the Xueyantuo, the name was first appeared in 390 as Yuanhe (袁纥). Under the leadership of Pusa (菩萨), son of chief Tejian (特健), the Huihe co-cooperated with the Xueyantuo and made stand against the Eastern Qaghanate. Soon upon his death, his successor Tumidu (吐迷度) formed a new alliance with the Chinese and turned against their previously partner. Thereafter, Tumidu was granted with the Chinese title like the rest of the Tiele chiefs, but carried the title of qaghan among the coequal tribes, of whom now pay annual furs to the Chinese to fulfills their tax (租赋).^[64] In 648, he was murdered by his nephew Wuhe (乌纥) and another tribesman named Juluobo (俱罗勃). Both were related to the Chebi Qaghan as son-in-law, the last house of the Eastern Qaghanate at the north of Altai, who now held hegemony over the surrounding tribes, including the Qarluq. The incident alerted the Chinese, and Wuhe was soon killed under a trick upon receiving his uncle position from the Chinese deputy in the north, while later Juluobo was detained on a summon. On November 17, a replacement was made for Porun (婆闰) to carry his father title.^[65] Since the submission, the Tiele (mainly the Huihe) had participate in several campaigns under the Chinese call. Starting earlier on January 26 to 661, under the column of Ashina Sheer (阿史那社尔), Yuan Lichen (元礼臣), Gao Kan (高侃), Liang Jianfang (梁建方), Cheng Zhijie (程知节), Su Dingfang and Xiao Siya (萧嗣业). Wherein had resulted in success with the capture of Chebi in 650 and end of the Western Qaghanate in 657, except for the last campaign at Goguryeo which probably killed Porun.^[66][67] During those calls, a few regularity visit would paid to restrain the tribes. After 658, such visit was halted, and the first revolt was broke out as early as in 660 starting with the Sijie (思结), Bayegu (拔野古), Pugu (仆骨) and Tongluo (同罗). The reason for this revolting is unclear, but might had due to the Chinese impressment over the surrounding tribes for the campaigns.^[68] They were suppressed two years later by the Chinese in 662 on the upstream of the Selenga River around Khangay, the fight did not went on for long, and a mass killing was supposed to be committed by two leading commanders. According to one exaggerated account from Tanghuiyao, around 900,000 surrendered tribesmen were slaughtered, it is certainly sure that a large number of them were captured and paid to the soldiers.^[69] After the event, a message was sent to the north to appease the restlessly Tiele, and the situation became stabilize. In 669, analogous unsuccessful revolt had also been made by the Xueyantuo, however the details of this occurrence are vagueness.^[70] The last of revolt was mentioned in 686, leading by the Pugu and Tongluo to correspond with the Ashina clan, whom had succeed to form the Second Turkic Eastern Qaghanate under Ilteris Sad in 682. They were suppressed immediately by an army dispatched from around Juyan, and a portion of them were moved to this region along with the seat of protectorate under the jurisdiction of Ganzhou. Earlier since the rebellion, contacts between the northern protectorate to the capital was cutted off, and the only way to pass through it was through the area of Suzhou.^[71]

[edit] Rise of the Uyghur Qaghanate

After the disintegration of the Eastern Qaghanate in 630, many Turk nobles were resettled either at the Chinese border or in the capital by June 28. Some went on participating in campaigns on the frontier for the Chinese.^[72][73] In 679, a serious rebellion was led by three Turkic nobles. Among them, Ashina Nishufu (阿史那泥熟匐), direct descendant of Illig, was chosen as their qaghan. They were suppressed by the Chinese quickly and their leader, Nishufu, was betrayed and killed by his own troops in a conflict. The rest of the Turks managed to escape from the armies and allied with Ashina Funian (阿史那伏念) to make another rebellion. Funian declared himself as qaghan in 681, but he and his supporters did not succeed. They were again suppressed and by the end of both uprisings, over 50 participants were executed on November 16 at the capital.^[74][75] The remaining rebellious Turks succeeded to form the Second Turkic Eastern Qaghanate under Ilteris Sad and his 5,000 supporters. They were mostly activate in the southern region bordering China at the Čoγay (总材山) mount from the beginning. As most occurrences merely deal with their countlessly raids within the Chinese border over the decade.^[76] Exactly when or how the Tiele came under their subjection is slurr. However, during this period, some portions of pro-Chinese Tiele groups, such as Huihe, Qibi, Jiesi and Hun (浑) had started to escape into the Hexi corridor (and evenutally resettled to Liangzhou) as the result of their conquest prior to 704 and dread, for they had earlier co-corporated with the Chinese against them. Little is known about the Tiele at this point of time, according to the Tonyukuk and Kültigin Orkhon script, the Turk made five out of forty-seven attacks on the Oguz (Tiele) which led by Ilteris. Among them, four seem to be a mere raids while the last attack could be estimated as their re-subjection on the northern steppe. Based on the accumulated evidence and the given Chinese dates, circa date for Tiele submission to the Göktürks would be around 687, and probably received without much resistance.^[77] The establishment of a second Göktürk capital over the foot of the scared mountain Ötüken (都斤山) brought unrest to the Tiele tribes. After the Huihe chief was killed, they were recruited for their annual raiding campaigns over the Chinese border after 694.^[78] These raids were halted in 708, as fortification was carried out over the Ordos loops by the Chinese. A sequel to these raids continued elsewhere as Qapagan turned his attention to the west over the Turgesh and Qarluq tribes between 708－715. By this time, some portions of the Tiele had escaped into China and were settled by the Chinese in Lingzhou and elsewhere, while others made their revolting as early as in 707 starting with the Bayegu. These revolts had extented to 716 and Qapagan, who was on his way back from suppressing the revolting Huihe, Tongluo, Baixi, Bayegu and Pugu, was accidentally killed by a Bayegu tribesman named Xiezhilue (颉质略) on July 22. In conclusion, not all tribes were involved in the revolts, two of the northernmost tribal allies, the Guligan and Dubo (都播) did not participate in any of the revolts.^[79][80] Soon, Bilge took over the reign and together with Tonyukuk, began to appease the subjected Tiele. Tonyukuk was born in China and was considered a sort of brainy statesman in both Turkic and Chinese accounts. Meanwhile, a friendly relationship was built with the Chinese, and till the end of the Second Eastern Qaghanate only one raid in 720 was made on the Chinese border. He started to call for a return of the former members of the Tiele tribes who had settled in China and risen in status for the tribal chiefs, especially the Huihe within the Qaghanate.^[81] During this period, many Tiele had betrayed the local Chinese authorities and escaped to the north, in particular the five communities around Liang, Ling, Xia, Feng, and Bingzhou, while minor resists had also occurred through the process.^[82] Among the returning members of the Tiele tribes was the Huihu, specifically the Yaoluoge, whose had escaped into China until 727. The Yaoluoge consisted one of nine^[83] clans of Huihu, and had dominated probably for six^[84] generations since the fall of Xueyantuo. After Bilge was poisoned, there were factional struggles within the ruling clan which several of the inheritors were unable to overcome. Within a few years, an alliance was established between the Basmil (拔悉蜜), Uyghur or Huihu and Qarluq. They overthrew the Göktürks and killed the qaghan. Most of the heirs were eliminated subsequently. At the same time the Basmil chief, who was approved as qaghan, was overthrown by both allies. In 745, the exiled qaghan of the Göktürks was killed by the Uyghur chief named Qutlugh Boyla, son of Hushu (护输). He founded the new Qaghanate under the title of Qutlugh Bilge Köl Qaghan. The name "Tiele", and the "nine ailles [of Tiele]" (九姓) or Toquz Oguz (based on the interpretation of scholar Cen Zhongmian in the late 1950s) had not been heard since, as it was probably replaced by the name Huihu in the historic records, from then on the Huihu consisted of two^[85] additional tribes, and seven^[86] former Orkhon Tiele tribes including itself, while the eight^[87] of the former Tiele tribal names had now been either disappeared or fallen apart.^[88]

[edit] On oq connection

The origin of on oq were given in two contradicting accounts:^[89][90]

In the beginning [after 552], Shidianmi [Istämi] followed the Shanyu [Qaghan] and commanded the ten great chiefs. Together with their 100,000 soldiers, he marched to the Western Regions and subdue the barbarian statelets. There he declared himself as qaghan, under the title of ten tribes, and ruled them [the western barbarians] for generations.

—Tongdian, 193 and Jiu Tangshu, 194

Soon [after 635], Dielishi Qaghan [of Western Göktürks] divided his state into ten parts, and each was headed by one man, together they made up the ten she [shad]. Every she is given an arrow by him, thus they were known as the ten arrows. He also divided the ten arrows into two factions, each consisted of five arrows. The left [east] faction consisted of five Duoliu [Duolu] tribes, headed by five chuo [qur] separately. The right [west] faction consisted of five Nushibi tribes, headed by five sijin [irkin] separately. Each took command on one arrow and called themselves as the ten arrows. Thereafter, each arrow was also known as one tribe, and the great arrow head as the great chief. The five Duoliu tribes inhabited to east of Suiye [water] (Chu River), and the five Nushibi tribes to the west of it. Since then, they called themselves as the ten tribes.

—Tongdian, 193 and Jiu Tangshu, 194

The first statement dated their origin back to the begnning of the First Turkic Qaghanate with Istämi, younger brother of Tumen, who had brought with him the ten tribes probably from the Eastern Qaghanate at Mongolia and left to the west to expand the Qaghanate. The exact date for the event was not recorded, and the shanyu here might had refered to Mugan. The second statement contributed to Dielishi, who took over the throne in 635 and began to strength the state by further affirmed the supposed initial ten tribes and the later two visualize factions in contrast with the secular struggles of Tumen (through Apa) and Istämi (through Tardu) lineal clique in the Western Qaghanate. Thereafter, the name "ten tribes" (十姓) literary became as a shortened address for the Western Turks in Chinese records on occasions, however it should be noted that, those division did not comprised the five^[91] major tribes, whom activate further east to the ten tribes.^[92][93] The preceding tribes consisited an essential eight tribes and possessed by ten chief-in-commands afterward, called the on (ten) oq (arrows) (十箭) by preference. Those were adjuncted to the five^[94] Duolu (咄陆) tribes, and the three^[95] Nushipi (弩失毕) inherent tribes. While the more potential Nushipi tribes such as A-Xijie and Geshu were being sub-divided into two tribal group with a greater and lower title under a fixed tribal name during the reformation. The relationship between the ten tribes and the ruling elites were divided into two groups, the more familial Duolu tribes, whom held the title qur, and the more low-rated Nushipi in west, whom probably made up of Tiele conscripts initially.^[96][97]

[edit] Religious beliefs and culture

The culture aspects of Dingling can be seen from the Noin-Ula excavation from northern Mongolia, there were a total of 212 tumulis, the mountains Noin-Ula called by local population Tzun-Mode, are chiefly grown with pine, their higher zones with larch and cedar.^[98] The inventory of burial finds were divided into three groups by Trever as shown below:^[99]

• Imported objects ––– Chinese silk embroidery.
• Objects coming from the West, certainly not from Greece and her Near East colonies, but belonging to the culture of Bactrian upper classes and of Parthian Iran, both impregnated with Hellenistic culture.
• Object of local workmanship.

The objects of Chinese origin are being more or less well known, as W.P. Yetts has mentioned them in his article. Some of the objects also contains Taoist elements and ideographs, from the silk with cloud-scrolls and horsemen and the lacquered bowl with birds. In the damask design, the horseman is holding something, from which ascends a cloud of vapour. Reading from right to left, the Chinese ideographs are "hsin shen ling kuang ch'eng shou wan nien" (新神灵广成寿万年). Thus the meaning may be "renews spirituality and extends longevity to a myriad years". A accompanying inscriptions dispel all doubt as to their identity, for they are called "hsien jen" (仙境), a Taoist illuminates or fairies. Yetts conducted that, the philosopher "Guang Cheng" is prominent figure in Taoist myth, and had been regarded as an early incarnation of Laozi.^[100] As for the lacquered cup, there is an incised inscription too, and was deciphered by prof. Otto Kummel and Umehara Sueji during their sojourn in Leningrad, and running thus: "September of the 5th year of the Chein-p'ing (2 BCE)". The manufacturer–––"Wang-t'an-ching". Painter of the decoration–––"Huo", another manufacturer I', superintended by "Pien wu" (建平五年九月工王潭经画工获壶大武省). As to two other sign on the bottom of the cup, they are according to Yetts to be read as follows "Shang lin" (上林), which is the name of a park to the west of Chang'an, capital of Western Han, the identity of the tomb is not known.^[101]

The "western" objects reached the Xiongnu besides through commercial relations with the West, being the result of the commercial capital of the ancient world having penetrated into the remotest regions of the East, as mentioned above. From countries producing articles of luxury, such as Bactria, impregnated as it was with Hellenistic culture, the merchants imported goods into the land of the Xiongnu; this is probably what called into life the most remarkable local art of wool embroidery destined for the use of the princes; we have in Chinese technic and with the use of local dyes made of plants Hellenistic plant motives and realistic images of the chiefs, with all the detials of clothing, way of hair dressing and horsegear. From literary sources we have some knowlegde of the upper classes daily life: The dead princes are buried in 2 coffins, an outer and inner one; their clothes are of gold and silver brocade and of fur. About the burial customs of the people we know nothing.^[102]

[edit] Dingling and Tiele language

[edit] Naming and etymology

Although the words dingling, gaoche, chile and tiele (as in modern Mandarin pronunciation of pinyin romanisation) are often used interchangeably, this usage is erroneous as pointed out by modern academia. Dingling refers to an extinct ethnic group. The Gaoche was an ethnic-tribe that expelled by Juan Juan from Mongolia and founded a state (487-541) at Turpan, which was descended in part from the Dingling. The Tiele was a collection of tribes of different Altaic ethnic-origins which largely descended from the Chile. All four groups somewhat happened to occupy quite a similar geographical area in succession of each other with an exception for the first one.

[edit] Notion

According to Russian linguist experts on Slavic languages, the Proto-Dinglings likely spoke a polysynthetic or synthetic language with an active typology and exhibited a linguistically and culturally unified community. In Zur jenissejisch-indianischen Urverwandtschaft (Concerning Yeniseian-Indian Word Origins), German scholar, Heinrich Werner developed a new genealogical language family which he terms Baikal-Siberic. By extension, he groups together the Yeniseian peoples (Arin, Assan, Yugh, Ket, Kott, and Pumpokol), the Na-Dene Indians, and the Ding-ling folk of the ancient Chinese chronicles to Proto-Dingling. The linguistic comparison of Na-Dene and Yeniseian shows that the quantity and character of the correspondences point unequivocally to common origin (Urverwandtschaft).

Ding-ling can be seen to resemble both (1), the Yeniseian word *dzheng people > Ket de?ng, Yug dyeng, Kott cheang; and (2), the Na-Dene word *ling or *hling people, ie. as manifested in the name of the Tlingit (properly hling-git son of man, child of the people).

[edit] Rulers of Gaoche

Family names and given name	Durations of reigns
Family name and given name
阿伏至羅 Āfúzhìluó	487-503
跋利延 Bálìyán	503-505
彌俄突 Mí'étú	505-516
伊匐 Yīfú	516-524
越居 Yuèjū	524-536
比造 Bǐzào	536-540
去賓 Qùbīn	540-541

[edit] See also

• Wei (Dingling)
• List of indigenous peoples of Russia

[edit] Notes

[edit] References

[edit] Primary sources

[edit] Secondary sources

• Bibo, Zhang and Guoyao, Dong (2001). "Cultural History of Ancient Northern Ethnic Groups in China". Harbin: Heilongjiang People's Press. ISBN 7-207-03325-7.
• Gumilev, L.N. "The Huns. Central Asia in Ancient Times". (Russian: Khunnu),1960
• Lianqin, Duan (1988). "Dingling, Gaoju and Tiele". Shanghai: Shanghai People's Press. ISBN 7-208-00110-3.
• Jihe, Li (2003). "A Research on Migration of Northwestern Minorities Between pre-Qin to Sui and Tang". Beijing: Nationalities Press. ISBN 7-105-05908-7.
• Simian, Lu [1934] (1996). "A History of Ethnic Groups in China". Beijing: Oriental Press. ISBN 7-5060-0735-5.
• Suribadalaha (1986). "New Studies of the Origins of the Mongols". Beijing: Nationalities Press. OCLC 19390448.
• Trever, Camilla (1932). "Excavations in Northern Mongolia (1924-1925)". Leningrad: J. Fedorov Printing House. OCLC 2566311.
• Xiaofu, Wang (1992). "Political Relationship Between the Chinese, Tibetan and Arab". Beijing: Peking University Press. ISBN 7-301-01962-9.
• Youliang, Shen (1998). "A Research on Northern Ethnic Groups and Regimes". Beijing: Central Nationalities University Press. ISBN 7-81056-131-6.
• Zongzheng, Xue (1992). "A History of Turks". Beijing: Chinese Social Sciences Press. ISBN 7-5004-0432-8.
• The Peoples of the West, from the Weilue, by Yu Huan