Li Shimin assassinated his two brothers and put his father out to pasture in order to snag the top job as Emperor Taizong. But a mere three weeks into his reign, this “rock star” monarch will face an existential challenge to his reign and the future of the Tang Dynasty as a whole: the wrath of the Göktürk Khaganate. It will prove to be a wild ride to determine whether Tang China will be doomed to remain a vassal of the Turks, or whether Taizong’s “true vision” will prove enough to rise to the challenge.

Time Period Covered:
626-630 CE

Major Historical Figures:

Tang:
Prince Li Shimin [Emperor Taizong]
Retired Emperor Gaozu

Göktürk Khaganate:
Illig Khagan
Tölis Khan

Liang Dynasty (Turkic Vassal):
Emperor Liang Shidu (d. 628)

Xueyantuo Tribe (alt. Se-Yento, Syr-Tardush)
Uyghur Tribe (alt. Huige, Hui-ho)
Khitan Tribe

Works Cited:
Drompp, Michael. Tang China And The Collapse Of The Uighur Empire: A Documentary History
Grousset, René. The Rise and Splendor of the Chinese Empire.
Weschler, Howard. The Cambridge History of China, vol. 3

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