Six Garrisons

Rouran epoch Göktürk epoch Uyghur epoch Kirghiz epoch

Rouran First Göktürk Tang rule Second Göktürk Uyghur Kirghiz Huns Western Göktürk Türgesh Karluk Khazar

Rouran 400–554
First Göktürk 552–630
Tang rule 630–682
Second Göktürk 682–744
Uyghur 744–840
Kirghiz 840–924
Huns 370–469
Western Göktürk 552–659
Türgesh 699–766
Karluk 766–800
Khazar 650–969

The Six Garrisons were the frontier posts of the Northern Wei along the Hetao plain, on the northern edge of the Ordos loop. They were manned against the Rouran. Woye was the westernmost garrison, and Huaihuang was one of the others.^[1]

The dynasty founded the garrisons to defend itself, and their revolt ruined it. Service on the frontier had once carried high standing. Then the court moved south to Luoyang and adopted Chinese ways. The garrison households stayed on the frontier, and their status sank. The revolt broke out at Woye in 524 under Poliuhan Baling, and the other garrisons rose with him.^[1] In 525 Anagui came west with a hundred thousand men and put the revolt down for the Wei, winning battle after battle.^[1]

The dynasty did not recover. The war that began with the revolt left the Tuoba house with two courts, at Ye and at Chang’an. From these courts came the Qi and the Zhou. These two states would later bid against each other for the favour of a Göktürk khan.