When the Tang Dynasty was just established, the Turks were the first enemy it faced. The Turkic army even returned troops to the vicinity of Chang'an, and threatened the Tang Dynasty with the "two khan's one million soldiers, even now".
According to the "New Tang Book", the Ashina clan of Turkic covers the northern part of the ancient Huns. Living in the sun of the Jinshan Mountain, subject to creeping (Rou Ran), and the races multiply. At the Tumen, it was powerful, and the name of Khan was changed. It was as simple as Yuye, and his wife said that he could Dun. Its land falls three thin seas and reaches the desert in the south.
Tumen, namely Ashina Tumen. In 552, his troops defeated Rouran, the Turkic Khanate has since risen and quickly unified Mobei.
During the Northern Qi and Northern Zhou Dynasties, Turkic military forces have been able to influence the Central Plains. After the establishment of the Sui Dynasty, the Turks were divided into two parts, but both of them possessed strong military strength. Only the East Turks could exert pressure on the Sui Dynasty. Until the establishment of the Tang Dynasty, the East Turks remained a huge threat.
Tang Taizong Zhenguan Zhenguan three years (629), Zhaobing Prefecture Li Shiji out of Tongmo Road, Li Jing out of Dingxiang Road, Zuo Wuwei General Chai Shao out of Jinhe Road, Lingzhou University The governor Rencheng Wang Datong came out of Datongdao, Youzhou governor Weijie went out of Heng'an Dao, Yingzhou governor Xue Wanshu went out of Changwu Dao, Fan Liu was in charge of more than one hundred thousand teachers, and they were all awarded Jingjie Du to discuss it.
In this great war, the East Turks were destroyed in the First World War. Since then, the huge military threat to the northern border of the Tang Dynasty has been eliminated. But with the beginning of the Tang Dynasty's administration of the Western Regions, the Western Turks became a formidable opponent that the Tang Dynasty faced directly.
1: Distant communication and close attack
The territorial scope of the West Turks is the Turks (East Turks) in the east, Xilehuhai, Nanshule, Beihanhai, and the Zhijingshi is seven thousand miles north of the capital, which is obtained from the northwest of Yanqi on the 7th. In the southern court, travel in the north on the eighth day to get to the northern court, which is mixed with Dulu, Nu Shibi, Goluolu, Chuyue, Chumi, Yiwu.
Its approximate distribution area is a little norther in present-day Central Asia, and its military strength at that time can radiate to the countries of the Western Regions and the countries in the river basins of the Amu Darya and Syr Darya.
When the Tang Dynasty was established, the Western Turks were ruled by Yehu Khan. They were “brave and strategic, winning battles, because they merged with Tie Le, went to Persia and Jinbin, controlled hundreds of thousands of strings, and moved to court stone. Thousands of springs in the north of the country dominated the Western countries.
Because the East Turks and the West Turks were not harmonious at that time, they attacked and fought endlessly. Therefore, in line with the principle that the enemy’s enemy is a friend, the Tang Dynasty and the Western Turks established a relationship. Khan even proposed to the Tang Dynasty to establish a marriage relationship.
Tang Gaozu solicits the opinions of his ministers: I am far away from the Western Turks, so I can’t wait for a while, can I feel dizzy? The minister Feng Deyi said: It's easy to think about it now, if you don't have a close relationship with you, please listen to Beidi, wait for me to decide, and then figure it out.
It can be seen that at this time, the Tang Dynasty had a further intention to take the Western Turks, but with the current situation of the East Turks as a major enemy, it adopted the means of distant and close attacks against the Western Turks.
But since the marriage is ready, some action is required, so Li Daoli, the king of Gaoping, went to the Western Turks to discuss it. With great joy, Tong Yehu Khan offered a ten thousand nail treasure tin gold belt and five thousand horses as a loan.
However, the East Turks subsequently violated the side and controlled the communication between Tang and the West Turks. In addition, the coup d'etat occurred in China after Tong Yehu Khan fell ill. He died at the hands of Mohe Duo. Therefore, this marriage was talented. No results have been achieved.
After Tang Taizong succeeded to the throne, it took less than four years to conquer the East Turks. With the disappearance of the enemy on the northern border, the Tang Dynasty had a lot of spare energy to travel around the empire.
In 640, the Tang army attacked Gaochang State and set up Xizhou Duhu Mansion in its place. In September of the same year, Anxi Duhu Mansion was set up in Jiaohe City. Since then, the Tang Dynasty shifted its strategic focus to the Western Regions, which was originally the sphere of influence of the Western Turks, and the confrontation between the Tang Dynasty and the Western Turks was inevitable.
2: Take the Western Regions lightly
The establishment of the Anxi Duhu Mansion in 640 was the beginning of the Tang Dynasty’s official administration of the Western Regions, but the River City where it was governed by it was in the Turpan area today, which did not have the purpose of remotely controlling the Western Regions. , Is just a bridgehead.
At that time, the Western Regions consisted of slightly larger countries such as Yanqi, Qiuci, Shule, and Khotan, as well as really small countries, such as Jingjue Kingdom, which were mostly attached to the Western Turks. ooAlthough Turks do not station troops in the Western Regions, they can affect the local military and political ecology.
After the establishment of Anxi Duhufu, Yanqi and the Western Turks had a close relationship, so Duhu Guo Xiaoke asked to send troops. After obtaining permission, Guo Xiaoke marched on Xizhou Road and rode three thousand out of Yinshan Road, attacking his (Yanqi) Wanglong at night, and captive him.
At the end of 647, General Zuo Xiaowei Qi He Li was the chief of the Kunqiu Road marching chief and led three chief officers to defeat Kucha. In the second year, the chief of the Kunqiu Road marching was replaced by Ashinasheer, and the deputy chief was Anxi guard Guo Xiaoke. The Tang army defeated the Qiuci army and occupied the city of Qiuci.
However, after the main force of the Tang army went out of the city and continued to march, Kucha’s state minister Nali launched the rest of the rebellion, and Guo Xiaoke only took more than a thousand people to fight together. In the end, he was killed. Also died. The general Cao Jishu entered the army and took control of the situation again.
After that, the Tang Dynasty changed the governing office of Anxi Duhufu to Qiuci City, and the Tang Dynasty began to rule the entire Western Regions.
So where did the Western Turks go in this process? In fact, in the past 20 years, the Western Turks have long turned into a pot of porridge.
Tongyehu Khan was killed in 627. After his death, Mohe Duo became Quli Supi Khan. The forces of the Tongyehu Khan also supported his son Zalitler to protect the Khan as Ubibhara. The Western Turks split, and the two groups showed their favor to the Tang Dynasty.
When the Tang Dynasty attacked the East Turks, the two great khans of the West Turks also had a civil war, and finally ended with the victory of the Siyehu Khan. After Si Yehu failed to fight with Xue Yantuo, conflicts with his subordinates intensified. After his death, the Western Turks supported the muddy Khan.
After the death of Duo Lu Khan, his brother succeeded to the throne as Shaboluo Khan. Due to internal instability, he also proposed to the Tang Dynasty to marry him, but Emperor Taizong was relieved.
The most important thing that Shaboluo Zhanli Khan did was to divide the Western Turks into the ten parts of the hatchback: the right five-dulu branch, the five big sips, and the broken Yedong; the right five crossbows, the complete branch, Set up five jins, staying in the broken Yexi. Hereinafter, it is called a tribe with an arrow, and a tribe with a surname of ten.
However, although the tribe was formed, the Western Turks revived civil strife, and eventually split into two parts. The Basilisk Khan can only control a part, and it is also known as the Nanting Khan, and the other is the Ubipur Khan. Rule, also known as Beiting Khan. The Khan was beaten and ran to Pahana in the middle of the river, where he died. His son succeeded to the throne as Equri Khan. This khan died immediately after he took the throne, and he supported the Ebisabara Yehu Khan, but the Sabara Yehu Khan was defeated and killed by the Beiting Khan.
When the civil strife in the Western Turks was endless, the Tang Dynasty had completed the basic layout in the Western Regions.
After defeating his opponent in Nanting, the Khan of Ubipuru used troops against Tocharo and other countries and sent troops to Yizhou, which was controlled by the Tang Dynasty.
Guo Xiaoke, the protector of Anxi, attacked from a black bone with a light horse of 2,000 and was defeated. Yipidulu Khan surrounded the Tianshan Mountain with Chuyue and Chumi soldiers, Xiaoke chased north, reached the city of the moon and jin, reached the Suoshan Mountain, cut more than a thousand levels, and returned from the Ministry of Honey.
This was the first large-scale battle between the Tang army and the main force of the West Turks and won a complete victory. After the defeat of the Western Turkic Yipiyalu Khan, the internal and external forces quickly rebelled.
The crossbow in the Western Turks were sent to the Tang dynasty, and the Tang Taizong sent a general manager Wen Wuyin. He held the edict and the minister of the country chose the descendants of the Turkic khan and the sages gave it to him. Pishekui Khan.
Since the West Turkic Khan was supported by the Tang Dynasty, the latter proposed to Tang. At this time, the Tang Dynasty had already controlled the Western Regions, so Emperor Taizong of Tang ordered the cessation of the five kingdoms of Kucha, Yutian, Shule, Zhu Jubo, and Congling as the betrothal and agreed to marriage.
However, at this time, Emperor Taizong of Tang died, and the rebellion of Ashinaholu brought the marriage to an end and also changed the relationship between the Tang Dynasty and the Western Turks.
Three: The start of the war
Ashina Helu, the fifth grandson of the Turkic Shidian Mikhan, was originally the general of the Western Turkic Evijalu Khan. After the defeat of Ubipur Khan, Ashinahru led thousands of men to surrender to the Tang Dynasty.
At the time of his surrender, the Tang Dynasty was besieging Qiuci, so he appointed Ashina Helu as the director to participate in the war.Later he was named the governor of Yaochi Dudu Mansion.
After the death of Emperor Taizong of Tang, Ashina Helu rebelled, calling himself Shabolu Khan, and losing his ten surnames. After controlling the Western Turks, it led troops to attack Tingzhou in the Tang Dynasty, defeated several counties, and killed thousands of people.
Tang Gaozong used Zuo Wuwei General Liang Jianfang and You Xiaowei General Qihe Heli as the marching commanders of the Yuyue Dao, and You Xiaowei General Gao Deyi and You Wuwei General Sagu Wu Ren served as deputy, and sent 30,000 soldiers. , Heqi 50,000 hits in a round.
Here we need to mention the Tang Dynasty’s strategy of garrisoning troops in the Western Regions at that time.
Note: The picture is from Bukharin
At that time, the Tang army had garrisoned in Anxi, but due to supply difficulties, its permanent force was only a few thousand. These thousands of people are elite soldiers, and can recruit local soldiers to participate in combat, so general warfare is sufficient.
However, if the Tang army wants to march on a large scale, it must send troops from the interior, and the general strength of the army is tens of thousands.
This time, the Tang Dynasty first enlisted the West Turkic Asnahru, that is, 30,000 people from the Tang army. In addition, there are 20,000 people who can be recruited such as Huihe. It should be said that the lineup is still very large.
Regarding this battle, Minister Luo Hongyi offered his plan:
Helubao is a city, Fang Han is covered with snow, saying that the Tang soldiers will not come and should be destroyed in one fell swoop. It lasts until the spring, and changes occur, even if you don't rush to connect the countries, you will flee away. In addition, the army originally punishes He Lu, and Chu Mi, Chu Mu Kun, etc. also want to avoid themselves. If they do not stay in, he and He Lu will reunite.
Although the winter wind is strong today, the soldiers are bitter, and the Fabian food should not be left for a long time, so that the thieves will be attached to the party and die on credit. Please be lenient in dealing with crimes such as moon and honey, specifically condemning He Lu, and in addition to misfortune, do not treat branches and leaves first. I would like to launch soldiers such as Spleen, Chuyue, Chumi, Qilu, and a lunar eclipse, eagerly rushing to it, the army will live in Luoshui as a support, and this will drive Rong Di to attack the jackal. Qi Rong people borrowed Tang soldiers as their wings. Today, before Hu Qi goes out, and after Tang Bing, He Lu is very powerful.
This passage is very long, but it is very important. There are two key points:
First: This is not the best season for marching, but Ashina Helu will be careless, if you send troops. To achieve its unintended effect, on the one hand, it will be wiped out before the other party’s climate is formed, and on the other hand, it can save some money and food;
Second: to divide the tribes of the Western Turks, isolate the forces of Asnahru, and then subscribe The West Turkic soldiers were the leader, and the Tang army was behind to repel Rong Di to attack the jackal.
The simple point is to win the greatest victory at the least cost. This is also the most important criterion for the Tang Dynasty to manage the Western Regions.
However, the ideals are full, and the reality is very skinny. The appeal of Ashina Helu was beyond the expectations of the Tang Dynasty, and Luo Hongyi's dedication did not succeed. The reason for the detailed introduction of his strategy is that the Tang Dynasty generally adopted this basic policy in the governance of the Western Turkic region.
As for this battle, the Tang army is strong, general Liang Jianfang attacked Laoshan, the (Turkic) defeated, chased five hundred miles, cut the lone bet, the first nine thousand ranks, and his commander Sixty, the problem was temporarily solved with Tang Jun's own force.
Why do you mean temporarily? Although Ashina Helu was defeated, his political ability was very strong. Each of the ten Western Turks had tens of thousands of cavalry. After the integration was completed, it was still a major enemy to the Tang Dynasty.
