Kang Shaoli

Kang Shaoli was a tegin in the service of Shibi Khan. The khan sent him in 617 to Li Yuan, the future founder of the Tang.^[1] He brought the Göktürk horses Li Yuan had asked for. The histories name him as the khan’s envoy in the Göktürk aid to Li Yuan.^[2]

Li Yuan had risen against the Sui at Taiyuan. He sent his officer Liu Wenjing to Shibi to win his support.^[1] The Jiu Tang Shu says that Shibi sent the tegin Kang Shaoli and others with a thousand horses. They met Li Yuan in the Jiang commandery.^[1] The khan also sent two thousand riders. They helped to take the capital.^[1] The Tongdian gives the same numbers.^[3] The Xin Tang Shu has Kang Shaoli bring two thousand horses and five hundred soldiers.^[4]

The Zizhi tongjian writes his name Kang Qiaoli. It calls him the Göktürks’ zhuguo, “pillar of state”.^[5] In the sixth month of 617 he came with a thousand horses for trade. He also brought the promise that the khan would send as many troops as Li Yuan wished to escort him into the passes.^[5] Li Yuan received him with great courtesy and accepted the khan’s letter. He bought only half of the best horses.^[5] In the eighth month Kang Shaoli came back with Liu Wenjing. He brought Li Yuan, then at Longmen, five hundred Göktürk soldiers and two thousand horses.^[5] The aid may have been two thousand horses and five hundred riders. It is called decisive for Li Yuan’s first successes, above all at Huoyi in 617.^[6]

Name

康稍利ChineseJiu Tangshu 194
康鞘利ChineseZizhi tongjian 184

His surname, Kang, is one of the family names that the Chinese texts give to people from Sogdiana.^[7] The Chinese histories explain tegin as the title of the khan’s sons and younger brothers.^[1] No text says where Kang Shaoli came from.