This episode shines a light on the formidable Uyghur Khaganate. Emerging from the Tiele confederation in the mid-6th century, the Uyghurs rose to power by first aligning with the Tang dynasty against the Western Turkic Khaganate in 657. Later, they led a rebellion against the Second Turkic Khaganate, eventually killing its last Khagan in 744 AD.

Far from being fleeting nomads, the Uyghurs established a powerful Turkic empire (744-840 AD) that defied stereotypes with its sophisticated organization and enduring governance. They built permanent urban centers like Ordu-Baliq in Mongolia's Orkhon Valley, their capital, demonstrating a settled imperial model. Their territory covered the ancient Xiongnu lands, stretching from Shiwei in the east to the Altai Mountains in the west, and south to the Gobi Desert.

The Uyghur Khaganate embraced Manichaeism as its official state religion after Bögü Qaghan's conversion in 762, while notably maintaining religious tolerance for Buddhism, Christianity, and Tengrism. They developed extensive trade relations, particularly with China and Sogdian merchants, and produced significant literature using their Old Uyghur alphabet.

Discover how this powerful Turkic state, known for its distinct Sogdian and even Chinese influences in government, eventually faced its downfall in 840 AD when the Yenisei Kyrgyz, invited by an internal rival, sacked Ordu-Baliq and beheaded their Khagan. Despite their collapse, the Uyghurs migrated south, establishing successor kingdoms and leaving a profound cultural and political legacy across Central Asia.

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