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Years · 6th century

585

Year of the snake yılan yıl

3 entries in Eastern steppe and Western steppe.

Map of the Göktürk civil war in 585: Tardush in the west from the Black Sea to Suyab, Töremen Apa between the Tian Shan and Ötüken, Ishbara in the east, the advance on Ötüken in September 585, Ishbara's withdrawal to Baidao under Sui protection and his counterattack against Apa, with the Tarim oasis states as tributaries and the Sui to the south — 585: In September the army of the west advances on Ötüken. Ishbara withdraws to Baidao under the protection of the Sui and strikes back against Apa from there. Modern map; the roads are drawn, and the divisions within the khaganate are approximate.

Who ruled

First Göktürk Khaganate Ishbara Khan 582–587
Sasanian Persia Hormizd IV 579–590
Western Göktürk Khaganate Tardush 576–603

And beyond the steppe

China Sui Emperor Wen 581–604
Iran Sasanian Hormizd IV 579–590
Korea Goguryeo Pyeongwon 559–590
Byzantium Justinian Maurice 582–602

Eastern steppe

Environment · Late Antique Little Ice Age: the cold phase the Altai tree rings define from 536 to about 660 (536–660)

Climate and the steppe empires · First Göktürk Khaganate · Avars

The coldest decade in the Altai is the 540s
September · The western army marches on Ötüken; Ishbara has fled to China and submitted to the Sui

Ötüken · Ishbara Khan · Tardush · First Göktürk Khaganate · Göktürk Succession Crisis (581) · The Göktürk Civil War · Submission of Ishbara (585)

Western steppe

Culture · Sogdian colonists found the first towns of Semirech'e, Suyab and Navaket among them, as estates of nobles (450–600)

Suyab · Sogdians