This timeline is a supplement of the main article Uyghur. Dealing with the centuries between 400 and 900 AD, it refers to a critical period in the cultural formation of the Uyghur nation, as they transitioned from a minor Turkic tribe to the Uyghur Khaganate.
| Date | People | Event | Geopolitical Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| 546 | Bumin | Pre-emptively strikes a planned Töle revolt | Attempt of the vassal Turks to gain ascendancy over the vassal Gaoqu people |
| 560 | Muqan | Annexes Töle tribes under a federal system | Muqan demonstrates his qut by the submission of the Töle (i.e. the right of taxation over their livestock); resolves internal power struggle |
| 565 | Wu Chen-Di | Civil war divides the Wei Kingdom | Muqan demonstrates his qut by the submission of the Töle (i.e. the right of taxation over their livestock); resolves internal power struggle |
| 572 | Istämi | Divides Muqan's realm between his rival successors: Taspar-Qağan rules in the central region, Istämi-Yabgu in the far-west, Shetu in the east and Jotan in the west | Traditional power transfer from elder to younger brother, subsequently from youngest uncle to eldest nephew |
| 575 | Tardu | Takes power in far-west region | His father dies in Taraz |
| 575 | You-Zhou | Qi dynasty collapses | Qi = Eastern Wei, Rouran allies; Zhou = Western Wei, Turk allies |
| 578 | Taspar | Repeatedly raids the Zhou Kingdom | Under the influence of the Qi exiles |
| 578 | Wu-Di | Gives Taspar 100,000 bales of silk and the Princess Zhou Tsienkien | Marriage alliance prevents raids |
| 578 | Wu-Di | Kidnaps Prince Kaozhou as he is hunting | To eliminate rival to power |
| 578 | Taspar | Takes no action against the Zhou Kingdom's violation of his power. Instead, he places 10,000 Turks as 'guests' in Zhou | He has a secret agreement to trade the Prince Kaozhou for Princess Tsienkien. The lack of honor to a guest outrages the common people. This period shows the beginning of class separation and the movement of Turkic nobility into the Chinese cultural sphere. |
| 580 | Shang Sun | Arrives with Zhou Tsienkien and befriends Shetu | To collect information about the Turks for Zhou |
| 581 | Wen-Di | At the death of Emperor Jing-Di, he seizes power as regent for the new Emperor who is still a child | His dynastic claim is based on his daughter, the Emperor's Mother |
| 581 | Taspar | ???Muqan | Maybe as part of an agreement between Muqan and Taspar |
| 581 | Ishbara Qaghan | Swearing he will attack Talopien to uphold tradition, he is the voice of conservative factions | If tradition is followed, he will be the next Qağan |
| 581 | Änlo | Taspar dies and the toy appoints Änlo | To avoid conflict between the three conflicting claims of Tardu, Shetu and Talopien |
| 581 | Talopien | Threatens Änlo | He views himself as the legal Qağan because he has been given the title by the previous one |
| 581 | Änlo | Cedes title to Shetu at Ötükän and takes title of second Qağan | In exchange for protection, the empty title and to control the Tola Valley (Uyğur tribes) |
| 582 | Wen-Di | Deposes Zhou Emperor and expels the 10,000 Turks from Changan | To show his independence and to end the drain on the treasury |
| 582 | Shetu | Forms a coalition force with Tardu, Jotan and Talopien | To reinforce his position as Qağan and to avenge his wife's family |
| 582 | Wen-Di | Sends ambassador Yuan Huei to recognize him as Qağan by presenting him with the symbolic wolf flag at Hami | Tardu is upset that he was not made Qağan by the toy, so Wen-Di gives him diplomatic recognition which legitimizes his claim. He thereby acquires qut |
| 582 | Tardu | Declares the far-west region as sovereign and separate with himself as Qağan | The far-west region has de facto independence since the Istämi-Muqan era |
| 583 | Shetu | Blames Talopien for the failures of the campaign | Rivalry and the influence of Shang Sun |
| 583 | Talopien | Joins Jotan and Boru in the west region. | They are all opposed to Shetu's paranoia, assassination and tyranny
west |
| 583 | Shetu | Kills Talopien's family and burns his yurt in revenge | Altay mountains |
| 583 | Tardu and Wen-Di | Attack simultaneously with Khitan (Shetu's own vassals in the east) | To block Shetu's power. The attack by his nominal vassals and allies erodes the credibility of Shetu, meaning he has lost qut |
| 583 | Shetu | As he only controls the central region, it is hit by famine; he asks for Sui Imperial protection | This act officially marks the end of his sovereignty, he is now a Chinese vassal |
| 584 | Talopien | Takes control of east, central and west regions | Talopien proves himself as the true Qağan by his qut |
| 585 | Wen-Di | Renames Zhou Tsienkien as Sui Dai | To make Shetu his vassal (son-in-law) because he now fears the growing power of Tardu and Talopien |
| 585 | Shetu | Sends his son Kohoden as a hostage to Changan | To seal the peace agreement |
| 585 | Talopien | Defeats Tardu and takes over far-west region, now controlling all four regions | Tardu no longer enjoys Sui Imperial support and is a rival to power that has to be eliminated as a threat |
| 585 | Tardu | Flee to Sui protection | Tardu no longer enjoys Sui Imperial support and is a rival to power that has to be eliminated as a threat |
| 585 | Tiele tribes | Submit to Talopien | He is strong enough to threaten them, therefore he has consolidated power/qut. |
| 587 | Shetu | Dies while hunting | Possible accident or an assassination |
| 588 | Chulo | Captures Talopien | Family vendetta, his older brother Shetu had been humiliated by this man. The Sui Empire supports this move to balance the growing power of Talopien |
| 588 | Nili | Replaces Talopien as Qağan; Töle tribes revolt | Try to regain lost independence in the chaos of the dynastic struggle |
| 588 | Chulo | Dies fighting the Töle | To reassert control over the tribes that had been vassal to Talopien |
| 588 | Tülan | Takes power and returns to Mongolian Steppe | All the rivals to power in the struggle for succession have been neutralized, so power reverts to the House of Shetu |
| 589 | Wen-Di | Conquers Chen Kingdom, thus reunifying China | ??? |
| 590 | Tardu | Attacks Nili to regain the far-west region | He is supported by Tülan who wants to see his last rival Nili eliminated. In effect, he recognizes the sovereignty of the far-west region |
| 593 | Tülan | Stops paying taxes | ??? |
| 593 | Sui Dai | Plots with Nili to attack Sui Empire | Revenge against Sui dynasty for overthrowing her family, the Zhou dynasty |
| 593 | Shang Sun | Requests Tülan to kill Sui Dai, but he refuses | To demonstrate he no longer is a vassal to the Sui |
| 593 | Shang Sun | Offers Princess Anyi to Zhangar Khan if he will kill Sui Dai | To create a rival to Tülan's power and thus restore a balance of power by creating another civil war |
| 593 | Tülan | Suspects Zhangar of treason | Zhangar has received so many gifts and visits from Chinese, this is tantamount to diplomatic recognition |
| 594 | Tülan | Makes peace with Tardu | Tardu has eliminated his rival; this act formally recognizes the independence of the far-west region from the Khanate |
| 594 | Shang sun | Bribes an official of the toy and exposes Sui Dai plotting with Chinese (Chen government in exile) and Sogdians (with one of whom she is having an affair) | To make the Tülan lose face in front of the toy to weaken his power, also to provide a pretext for killing the troublesome Sui Dai |
| 594 | Tülan | Executes Sui Dai | Under Turkic custom, adultery is punished by the death penalty |
| 597 | Zhangar | Marries Sui Anyi and rebels against Tülan | By marrying the Princess, he has a claim to sovereignty |
| 597 | Tülan | Kills Zhangar's family and drives him to the Ordos Loop under Sui Imperial protection | Asserts his authority |
| 598 | Tardu | Defeats Nili, Chulo takes his place | Asserts his authority |
| 599 | Tülan | Killed in Töle revolt | Töle tribes take advantage of the chaos to gain independence |
| 600 | Tardu | Defeats Chulo and declares himself supreme Qağan | A vacuum of power has been created by the loss of Zhangar, Chulo and Tülan |
| 600 | Chulo | Takes Sui Imperial protection | The Sui Empire needs him to balance the power of Tardu |
| 600 | Erkin Tegin | Initiates diplomatic contacts with China | This is the first official account of the Uyghur tribe, which at this time lived in the Tola valley with 10,000 yurts |
| 601 | Chang Sunsheng | Creates an alliance with the Töle Beys including Erkin Tegin of the Uyghur tribe | This is the first official account of the Uyghur tribe, which at this time lived in the Tola valley with 10,000 yurts |
| 601 | Tardu | Attacks Changan | As a warning to the Sui Empire not to interfere in the Turk's internal power struggles |
| 601 | Shang sun | Poisons all the wells in the Gobi Desert | Tardu's army is superior and cannot be defeated by conventional warfare |
| 603 | Erkin Tegin | Töle tribes revolt against Tardu | The Chinese are afraid of Tardu and must eliminate his base of power |
| 603 | Tardu | Abdicates to Tibet | ??? |
| 603 | Erkin Tegin | Töle alliance dissolves in the aftermath of the revolt; three tribes come under Uyghur control (Bugut, Tongra and Bayirqu) | The Uyghurs gained enough qut to pull in other tribes to the alliance |
| 603 | Zhangar | Marries Sui Yicheng and assumes the title Qağan, but as a vassal to china | Zhangar is the last of the vassal khans to China. He is particularly devoted and loyal |
| 603 | Chulo | Assumes title Qağan in the far-west region, but as a vassal to China; rules from Tashkent and Kucha | Since Tardu has been eliminated, power reverts to the House of Muqan |
| 605 | Sui Yang-Di | Ascends the Dragon Throne | ??? |
| 609 | Shipi | Takes power after Zhangar | ??? |
| 609 | Chang Sunsheng | Replaced by Peichu | ??? |
| 609 | Peichu | Offers to support Shipi's brother Qağan and a Chinese Princess, but he refuses | The traditional tactic of dividing power counter Shipi's growing strength |
| 611 | Chulo | Attempts to extend his authority over the Töle | By taxing their livestock |
| 611 | Töle | Töle tribes revolt under Syr-Tardush drives out Chulo | Uyghurs occupy second position in the alliance |
| 611 | Shekuei | Takes power and restores House of Tardu | ??? |
| 615 | Shipi | Subjugates the Töle | ??? |
| 615 | Shipi | Stops paying taxes to the Sui Empire | Asserts sovereignty |
| 615 | Peichu | Lures Sogdian vizers to the city of Mai and kills them in a trap | To keep them from exposing the Chinese plots to the Qağan |
| 615 | Shipi | Attacks Sui Yang-Di | Revenge for his treachery at Mai |
| 615 | Sui Yiching | Lies to her husband that the Töle tribes are in revolt | So he will leave, saving Sui Yang-Di from capture |
| 615 | Yang-Di | Sui Empire begins civil war | The humiliation of his defeat damages his prestige |
| 616 | Tang Taizong | Captures Changan with support of Turks; he gains 20,000 horses and 5,000 cavalry in return for giving the rights to plunder all the gold and women in Changan | ??? |
| 618 | Tang Taizong | Places his father as Emperor of the Tang dynasty | ??? |
| 626 | Tang Taizong | Kills his brothers and becomes Emperor | The Wu-men Gate incident |
| 627 | Khile Qagan | Tries to tax the Töle to replace his horses that were killed during a summer snow | ??? |
| 627 | Aynan Khan | Initiates a Syr-Tardush lead revolt of Töle tribes against Khile-Qağan | The Uyghurs again occupy second position under Pusa Ilteber |
| 627 | Aynan Khan | Declares a Khanate at Otuken | ??? |
| 630 | Taizong | Attacks in coordination with Khitan and Töle, utterly defeating the Turks and taking Khile-Qaghan prisoner | Tang-Töle alliance replaces Sui-Töle against the Turks |
| 632 | Tang Taizong | Annexes all Tokharian city states as vassals | Indirect Chinese rule of Tarim city states |
| 640 | Tang Taizong | Kucha (Kutsi) rebels in alliance with Onoq | ??? |
| 640 | Songtsen Gampo | Unifies Tibet with Buddhism as the state religion | ??? |
| 645 | Jubi Qağan | Unifies Onoq | ??? |
| 646 | Pusa (菩萨), son of Tejian (特健) | Allies with Syr-Tardush to defeat Eastern Qaġanate | He is granted with a Chinese title of prefect creating a legal precedent for leadership |
| 646 | Tumitu Ilteber (吐迷度) | Assassinates Pusa and defeats the Syr-Tardush; declares a state at Otuken | First Uyghur state; this becomes the precedent for all later claims for the right to rule. Moreover, he is a Chinese vassal paying a tax of furs |
| 648 | Tang Taizong | Replaces all vassal Tokharian kings with Chinese officials under the governor-general in Kaochang; the Tarim Basin is now the western protectorate | The Chinese are now directly rule the Tarim city states |
| 648 | Tumitu Ilteber | Assassinated by nephew Wuhe, who is in turn assassinated by Chinese spies | Wuhe is a Gokturk sympathizer and therefore an enemy of Chinese interests |
| 648 | Pojuan Ilteber (婆闰) | Installed as new Khan; he becomes a loyal vassal of China | Uyghurs now carry Chinese titles and work as mercenaries in the 'pacifed west' |
| 650 | ??? | China captures Kashgar and Khotan | ??? |
| 650 | Tang Taizong | Dies, his son Kaozong creating a scandal by marrying Taizong's former concubine Zhou Wu-Mei | By custom, Wu-Mei should have retired to a convent after her husband's death. This unusual marriage indicates she had an extramarital affair with Kaozong prior to Taizong's death |
| 651 | Holu Khan | Unifies the Onoq and threatens China | ??? |
| 651 | Pojuan Ilteber | Defeats Korean rebellion | The Uyghurs view the Chinese as both allies and kingmakers |
| 651 | ??? | Arabs advance to Herat | ??? |
| 652 | ??? | Arabs sack Balkh, then return to Khorosan | ??? |
| 657 | Pojuan Khan | Leads Uyğur army and defeats Holu in the name of the Tang Empire | Onoq power is broken, the Uyghurs ally with China to defeat the last remnants of their ancestral enemy, the Turks Chu valley |
| 657 | Pojuan Khan | Killed during the battle of Goguryeo (高句丽) | The Chinese break off diplomatic ties with Uyghur |
| 659 | Kaozong | Creates 10 tribal states in Onoq territory of which each one is governed by a vassal khan | The far-western region of the Turks is now subdued by China |
| 659 | Xuanzong | China annexes Suyab and Tashkent, marking the maximum extent of Chinese power | ??? |
| 660 | Gaozong | Suffers stroke and delegates power to his wife Wu Zetian | ??? |
| 661 | ??? | Onoq and Tibet drive the Tang out of Tarim | ??? |
| 660 | Tiele | Revolt against China | Tribute has not been paid |
| 661 | Pilatu | Succeeds her brother as Ilteber | ??? |
| 621 | Wu Zetian | Suppresses revolt at Khangai | ??? |
| 663 | Pilatu | Uyghur power declines | ??? |
| 663 | ??? | Arabs invade Bactria | ??? |
| 663 | ??? | Tibet takes Vakhan, Gilit and Kashgar | ??? |
| 665 | ??? | Onoq enters revolt | ??? |
| 670 | ??? | Tibet seizes four garrisons with the Chinese army retreating to Turpan | The Chinese divert their trade route north from Turpan to Beshbaliq, Suyab and Tashkent |
| 679 | ??? | Tibet controls four garrisons | ??? |
| 680 | Kutlug | Declares Orkhon Khanate | End of Tang Imperial control of Mongolian Steppe |
| 681 | Pro-China Tiele | Escapes to Liangzhou | They have lost qut and must flee to the steppe |
| 682 | Kutlug | Reunites the 16 tribes | Rise of Turk power |
| 682 | Tuchiachi | Is defeated by Kutluk; the Uyghurs move to the Selenga valley | The Uyghur lose sovereignty but not autonomy |
| 683 | Wu Zetian | Takes the Dragon Throne | This is a coup d'état |
| 688 | Kutlug | Defeats Uyğurs | ??? |
| 690 | Wu Zetian | Seizes absolute power by appealing to Buddhist millennialism | ??? |
| 691 | Kutlug | Defeats Toquz-Oghuz | ??? |
| 692 | Wu Zetian | Recovers Karashahr and Kucha | ??? |
| 692 | Kapğan | Succeeds his brother as the new Qağan | Traditional succession from older to younger brother |
| 692 | ??? | Tang Imperial army retakes the four garrisons | ??? |
| 693 | Kapğan | Defeats Tang Imperial army | ??? |
| 694 | Wu Zetian | Recovers Khotan and Kashgar | ??? |
| 698 | Kapğan | Defeats Türğish at the battle of Bolchu near Lake Urungu | This rendered the western steppe region vassal to the Orkhon Khanate |
| 700 | Bilgä shad | Attacks Tangut Kingdom | ??? |
| 701 | Tonyukuk-Ayguchy | Captures Sogdiana | This was a vassal of the Onoq to achieve total victory over his enemies |
| 702 | Kapğan | Attacks Xia Kingdom | ??? |
| 703 | ??? | Turko-Tibetan alliance is formed, but fails to defeat Tang army | ??? |
| 703 | ??? | Onoq retakes Suyab | ??? |
| 705 | Wu Zetian | Abdicates to Zhongzong | ??? |
| 705 | ??? | Tibetan-Gandharan alliance is formed and drives the Arabs from Bactria | ??? |
| 705 | Qutayba | Appointed governor of Khorosan | ??? |
| 706 | Qutayba | Captures Bukhara | ??? |
| 707 | Bukharan leader | Asks Khapgan for military support against the Arabs | ??? |
| 708 | Xuanzong | Offers reward to three vassal tribes for the head of Kapğan | ??? |
| 710 | Zhongzong | Poisoned by his wife Empress Wei who has an affair with Wu Sansi | ??? |
| 710 | Xuanzong | Takes power with his aunt Princess Taiping (daughter of Empress Wu) | ??? |
| 710 | Kyrgyz tribes | Revolt and are defeated | ??? |
| 710 | Qutayba | Places Tugshada on the throne of Bukhara and Ghurek on the throne of Samarkand | ??? |
| 711 | Turgish Khan | Revolt begins | ??? |
| 711 | Qarluk | Revolt and are defeated in 714 | ??? |
| 712 | Xuanzong | Begins reign and kills Princess Taiping | ??? |
| 712 | Qutayba | Invades Bactria | ??? |
| 712 | Samarkand leader | Asks Khapgan for military support against the Arabs | ??? |
| 712 | ??? | Turks control Sogd | ??? |
| 712 | King of Fargana | Flees to Kucha under Chinese protection | ??? |
| 714 | Izgil tribe | Revolt and are defeated in 715 | ??? |
| 715 | Toquz-Oguz tribe | Revolt and are defeated in 716 (this revolt includes the Uyghur tribe) | ??? |
| 715 | Qutayba | Assassinated by his troops in the Fargana valley | because he wishes to continue the campaign against the orders of the Caliph |
| 715 | King of Faragana | Returns as a Chinese vassal | ??? |
| 715 | King of Faragana | Returns as a Chinese vassal | ??? |
| 716 | Bayirqu tribe | Revolt and are defeated, but a rouge warrior ambushes Kapğan and kills him and sends his head to Changan with envoy Ho Lingchüan (July 22, Tola river) | ??? |
| 716 | Uyğur tribe | Revolt with Qarluk and Toquz-oguz | Although defeated they become autonomous vassals in the Selenga valley |
| 716 | Bilgä | Kills Inel, Kapğan's whole family and all his officials | Inel is not fit to rule, moreover, by Turk law the throne should pass to Bilgä |
| 718 | Bilgä | Restores peace and ends all revolts | ??? |
| 720 | Xuanzong | Tries to attack Bilgä in coordination with Basmyl and Khitans, but fails, therefore accepting the terms of Bilgä's peace | ??? |
| 721 | Xuanzong | China controls Suyab, Kucha, Kashgar, Tashkent and Fargana | ??? |
| 721 | Xuanzong | Arabo-Turgish-Tibetan alliance defeats Chinese army; the Arabs take Faragana and the Turgish take Suyab | ??? |
| 721 | ??? | Tashkent becomes independent | ??? |
| 721 | ??? | Sogdo-Turgish alliance attacks Arabs | ??? |
| 725 | Tonyukuk | Dies | ??? |
| 727 | Bilgä | Refuses an anti-Tang alliance with the Tibetans | ??? |
| 728 | ??? | Sogdo-Turgish alliance liberates Sogd | ??? |
| 729 | ??? | Arabs control Bactria and Samarkand | Turgish control of Sogd, Fargana and Suyab; China control of North Tarim and Tibet control South Tarim |
| 731 | Köl Tegin | Dies | ??? |
| 734 | Bilgä | Poisoned by Buyruk Chor as part of a Chinese conspiracy | ??? |
| 736 | ??? | Sino-Arabian alliance is formed and defeats the Turgish at Suyab | China annexes Suyab, while Arabs occupy Sogd |
| 739 | ??? | Tibet allies with Gandhara | China annexes Suyab, while Arabs occupy Sogd |
| 739 | Ghurek | Reign ends | ??? |
| 742 | Xuanzong | Begins affair with Yang Gueifei and leaves power in the hands of An Rokhan | ??? |
| 744 | Ozmish Khan | Killed by Uyghur, Basmyl, Qarluk rebellion | ??? |
| 745 | ??? | Qarluk and Uyghur overthrow Basmyl Khan | ??? |
| 745 | ??? | Uyghur defeat Qarluk and declare a new Khanate at Otuken; the Qarluk move to the far-west region | ??? |
| 745 | Abu Muslim | Begins a Jihad in Sogd | ??? |
| 747 | Bayan Chor | Begins reign | ??? |
| 748 | ??? | Abbasid Caliphate begins | ??? |
| 750 | Chabish of Tashkent and Ilkhshid of Fargana | Begin a dispute; Chinese ally Ilkhshid and Turkish ally the Chabish send for help | ??? |
| 750 | General Kao Hsienchih | Sacks Tashkent after it surrenders, taking the Chabish and the Khan to be executed in Changan | ??? |
| 750 | Son of Chabish | Petitions governor Ziyad ibn Salih in Samarkand for revenge | ??? |
| 751 | Abu Muslim | Sends army at the request of Governor Salih, meeting the Kao Hsienchih at Talas | ??? |
| 755 | Abu Muslim | Assassinated | ??? |
| 755 | An Rokhan | Rebels against Xuanzong | ??? |
| 755 | An Rokhan | Captures Changan | ??? |
| 756 | Xuanzong | Abdicates and Yang Guifei is killed | ??? |
| 759 | Bogu Khan | Begins reign | ??? |
| 763 | Bogu Khan | Ends Ungluk Suyluk Topilingi (An Lushan) rebellion | ??? |