Tibetan invasion of Tuyuhun
| Tibetan Invasion of Tuyuhun | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||||
| Tibetan Empire |
Tuyuhun Tang Dynasty | ||||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||||
| Mangsong Mangtsen |
Murong Nuohebo Cheng Jen-t'ai | ||||||||
The Tibetan invasion of Tuyuhun was a military campaign conducted by the Tibetan Empire in the 660s, leading to the destruction of the Tuyuhun Kingdom and Tibetan expansion into the Kokonor region. The invasion removed a vital buffer state between Tibet and the Tang Dynasty, and so resulted in direct conflict between the two Asian empires.
Background
By the mid 7th century, the Tibetan Empire had expanded significantly under the rule of Emperor Mangsong Mangtsen. Following the death of Songtsen Gampo in 650, power shifted to his chief minister, Mgar Sto rtsan, who strengthened Tibetan administration and legal structures.[2] During this time, the Tuyuhun Kingdom, which had served as a buffer state between Tibet and China, came under increasing pressure from Tibetan expansion.[2][3]
The Tuyuhun repeatedly sought help from the Tang court to resist Tibetan aggression. However, the Tang dynasty, busy fighting in Korea and with the Western Turks, could not lend much help.[2][4] The Tibetans then launched their full-scale invasion of Tuyuhun in 660.[2]
Tibetan conquest of Tuyuhun
The Tibetans first attacked Tuyuhun in 660, and King Murong Nuohebo escaped north. The Tang court, under Emperor Gaozong, initially rejected the king's requests for aid.[2]
In the summer of 663, the conflict between Tibet and the Tuyuhun Kingdom reached its climax. Both sides called for Chinese intervention and sent ambassadors to call on military action.[5] In response, the Tang court named Cheng Jen-t'ai, the Governor-General of Liangzhou, as Commander-in-Chief of the Qinghai Expeditionary Army to assist the Tuyuhun.[5] However, the defection of Tuyuhun minister Su Hegui to the Tibetans undermined Tuyuhun's defense.[5] Then the Tibetan army made the final assault and the Tuyuhun army was disastrously defeated.[1][5]
Aftermath
As a consequence of the catastrophic defeat, the Tuyuhun king, his Chinese wife, and some thousands of families mainly the nobles and their retainers escaped to Liangzhou under Chinese protection.[1][5] The Tang dynasty restructured its western defenses, redirecting military focus to the Gansu Corridor and the Tarim Basin.[6]
References
Citations
- ^ a b c Beckwith 2009, p. 130.
- ^ a b c d e van de Ven 2021, p. 120.
- ^ van Schaik & Galambos 2011, p. 61.
- ^ Graff 2003, p. 205.
- ^ a b c d e Beckwith 1993, p. 31.
- ^ van de Ven 2021, p. 121.
Works cited
- van de Ven, Hans, ed. (2021). Warfare in Chinese History. BRILL. ISBN 9789004482944.
- Beckwith, Christopher I. (1993). The Tibetan Empire in Central Asia: A History of the Struggle for Great Power Among Tibetans, Turks, Arabs, and Chinese During the Early Middle Ages. Princeton Paperbacks (Illustrated, reprint, revised ed.). Princeton University Press. ISBN 9780691024691.
- Graff, David (2003). Medieval Chinese Warfare 300-900. Routledge. ISBN 9781134553532.
- Beckwith, Christopher I. (2009). Empires of the Silk Road: A History of Central Eurasia from the Bronze Age to the Present. Princeton University Press. ISBN 9781400829941.
- van Schaik, Sam; Galambos, Imre (2011). Manuscripts and Travellers: The Sino-Tibetan Documents of a Tenth-Century Buddhist Pilgrim (Illustrated ed.). Walter de Gruyter. ISBN 9783110225655.