Shatuo

The Shatuo were a union of Western Göktürk origin. They were drawn from the old Wusun lands, that is, from Ferghana.^[1] The union consisted of three clans or tribes. The first was the ruling Chuyue (Chinese Ch’u-yüeh, perhaps Cigil). The second was the Suoge (So-ko), who had earlier been affiliated with the Türgesh. The name of the third group is not given.^[1] The Chuyue are counted among the sub-confederations of the Qarluq union.^[2] The Shatuo were enemies of the Uyghurs. In the 790s they were among the peoples who resented Uyghur rule and wore down the Uyghur Khaganate.^[3] In 839 the rebel minister Kürebir brought them in against the Uyghur khan, who killed himself.^[4] The Shatuo then replaced the Uyghurs as the military prop of the Tang. They formed a series of dynasties of their own: the Later Tang, the Later Jin and the Later Han.^[1]