Who ruled
- 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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Environment · Lake Telmen stands 4.8 metres above its present level, a humid phase before the drying that follows (600–700)
China
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Yang Su leads Qimin north against the tribes that raided him and recovers six thousand people and two hundred thousand animals
