Who ruled
- First Göktürk Khaganate Tulan Khan 588–599
- Western Göktürk Khaganate Tardush 576–603 · Niri Khan 587–603
And beyond the steppe
- China Sui Emperor Wen 581–604
- Iran Sasanian Khosrow II 591–628
- Korea Goguryeo Yeongyang 590–618
- Byzantium Justinian Maurice 582–602
Eastern steppe
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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
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Tulan is killed by his own followers before the Sui army reaches the frontier; Tardush proclaims himself Bujia Khan
Tulan Khan · Tardush · Yami Khan · Hegemony Wars in Northern China · Death of Tulan Khan
Western steppe
China
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Tulan and Tardush destroy Yami's kin; Yami flees to the Sui with five horsemen and the envoy Zhangsun Sheng
Yami Khan · Tulan Khan · Tardush · Sui · The Attack on Yami Khan (599)
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Yami is made Qimin Khan, 'wise and strong', and given the walled town of Dali and the Yicheng princess
Yami Khan · Sui · The Sui Campaign of 599 · The Archery Match at the Wu'an Hall (599)