Western Turkic Khaganate
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, formed as a result of the wars in the beginning of the 7th century (593–603 CE) after the split of the First Turkic Khaganate (founded in the 6th century on the Mongolian Plateau by the Ashina clan), into a western and an eastern Khaganate.
Western Turkic Khaganate 𐰆𐰣:𐰸:𐰉𐰆𐰑𐰣 On oq budun (Ten-Arrow People) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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Greatest extent of the Western Turkic Khaganate c. 625, after the Battle of Bukhara (light brown), and their southern expansion as the Tokhara Yabghus and Turk Shahis (lighter brown) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Status | Khaganate (Nomadic empire) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Capital | Navekat (summer capital) Suyab (principal capital) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Common languages | Sogdian (coinage, official) Old Turkic | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Religion | Tengrism Buddhism Zurvanism | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Khagan of the Western Khaganate | |||||||||||||||||||||||
• 587–604 | Niri Qaghan | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Yabgu of the Western Khaganate | |||||||||||||||||||||||
• 553–576 | Istämi | ||||||||||||||||||||||
• 576–603 | Tardu | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Historical era | Early Middle Ages | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Area | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 630 | 3,500,000 km2 (1,400,000 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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The whole confederation was called Onoq, meaning "ten arrows". According to a Chinese source, the Western Turks were organized into ten divisions.
The khaganate's capitals were Navekat (summer capital) and Suyab (principal capital), both situated in the Chui River valley of Kyrgyzstan, to the east of Bishkek. 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 continued as its vassal, until it finally collapsed in 742. To the west, the breakup of the Western Turkic Khaganate led to the rise of the Turkic Khazar Khaganate ( c. 650–969).