Skip to content

Years · 8th century

721

Year of the hen takıgu yıl

4 entries in Eastern steppe, Western steppe and China.

Map of Asia in 721: Tonyukuk takes Beiting and raids Liangzhou, the revolt of the six counties in the Ordos — 721: Tonyukuk takes Beiting before the Basmïl and strips Liangzhou of its herds. The six counties of the Ordos revolt. Modern map; the roads are drawn, not recorded.

Who ruled

Second Göktürk Khaganate Bilge Khan 716–734
Türgesh Khaganate Sulu Khan 717–738

And beyond the steppe

China Tang Xuanzong 712–756
Iran Umayyad Yazid II 720–724
Korea Silla Seongdeok 702–737
Byzantium Isaurian Leo III 717–741

Eastern steppe

Environment · Central Mongolia turns drier, by the lake record, and stays so to 1300; the droughts of the Medieval Climate Anomaly (700–1300)

Climate and the steppe empires · Orkhon valley

Western steppe

Only the Basmïl arrive for the Tang's three-sided attack on the royal camp; Tonyukuk follows them home, takes Beiting before them, captures them whole and strips Liangzhou of its herds

Tonyukuk · Basmïl · Bilge Khan · Second Göktürk Khaganate · Tang

China

The six hu counties of the Ordos revolt under leaders with Sogdian names; other Sogdians in Tang service put them down

Sogdians · Ordos
Bilge Khan asks the Tang for peace and is accepted as the emperor's son; the bride he asks for is refused, and refused again in 725

Bilge Khan · Second Göktürk Khaganate · Tang