Iron of the Bayegu

The Bayirku, whom the Chinese call Bayegu, lived north of the desert and east of the Pugu, next to the Mohe.^[1] The Xin Tang Shu says that their land had pasture and produced good horses and fine iron.^[1] The Tongdian says the same in other words. In its text the country had many good horses and also produced iron.^[2]

Both texts count the Bayegu among the Tiele and say that their customs were those of the Tiele.^[3] The Xin Tang Shu says that they liked hunting and shooting and farmed little.^[1] The Tongdian names farming and hunting as their occupations. It adds that the land was rich in grass and the people prosperous.^[2]

The texts name no mine, no smith and no price.^[3] They do not say whether the iron was worked at home or sold.^[3] Iron of the same kind is credited to the Kirghiz in the same chapters, as the article on Kirghiz iron and gold tells.^[1]