This timeline is a supplement of the main article Uyghur. Dealing with the centuries between 400 and 900 AD, it refers to a critical period in the cultural formation of the Uyghur nation, as they transitioned from a minor Turkic tribe to the Uyghur Khaganate.
Events leading to the formation of the Uyghur Khaganate Date People Event Geopolitical Context 546 Bumin Pre-emptively strikes a planned Töle revolt Attempt of the vassal Turks to gain ascendancy over the vassal Gaoqu people 560 Muqan Annexes Töle tribes under a federal system Muqan demonstrates his qut by the submission of the Töle (i.e. the right of taxation over their livestock); resolves internal power struggle 565 Wu Chen-Di Civil war divides the Wei Kingdom Muqan demonstrates his qut by the submission of the Töle (i.e. the right of taxation over their livestock); resolves internal power struggle 572 Istämi Divides Muqan's realm between his rival successors: Taspar-Qağan rules in the central region, Istämi-Yabgu in the far-west, Shetu in the east and Jotan in the west Traditional power transfer from elder to younger brother, subsequently from youngest uncle to eldest nephew 575 Tardu Takes power in far-west region His father dies in Taraz 575 You-Zhou Qi dynasty collapses Qi = Eastern Wei, Rouran allies; Zhou = Western Wei, Turk allies 578 Taspar Repeatedly raids the Zhou Kingdom Under the influence of the Qi exiles 578 Wu-Di Gives Taspar 100,000 bales of silk and the Princess Zhou Tsienkien Marriage alliance prevents raids 578 Wu-Di Kidnaps Prince Kaozhou as he is hunting To eliminate rival to power 578 Taspar Takes no action against the Zhou Kingdom's violation of his power. Instead, he places 10,000 Turks as 'guests' in Zhou He has a secret agreement to trade the Prince Kaozhou for Princess Tsienkien. The lack of honor to a guest outrages the common people. This period shows the beginning of class separation and the movement of Turkic nobility into the Chinese cultural sphere. 580 Shang Sun Arrives with Zhou Tsienkien and befriends Shetu To collect information about the Turks for Zhou 581 Wen-Di At the death of Emperor Jing-Di, he seizes power as regent for the new Emperor who is still a child His dynastic claim is based on his daughter, the Emperor's Mother 581 Taspar ???Muqan Maybe as part of an agreement between Muqan and Taspar 581 Ishbara Qaghan Swearing he will attack Talopien to uphold tradition, he is the voice of conservative factions If tradition is followed, he will be the next Qağan 581 Änlo Taspar dies and the toy appoints Änlo To avoid conflict between the three conflicting claims of Tardu, Shetu and Talopien 581 Talopien Threatens Änlo He views himself as the legal Qağan because he has been given the title by the previous one 581 Änlo Cedes title to Shetu at Ötükän and takes title of second Qağan In exchange for protection, the empty title and to control the Tola Valley (Uyğur tribes) 582 Wen-Di Deposes Zhou Emperor and expels the 10,000 Turks from Changan To show his independence and to end the drain on the treasury 582 Shetu Forms a coalition force with Tardu, Jotan and Talopien To reinforce his position as Qağan and to avenge his wife's family 582 Wen-Di Sends ambassador Yuan Huei to recognize him as Qağan by presenting him with the symbolic wolf flag at Hami Tardu is upset that he was not made Qağan by the toy, so Wen-Di gives him diplomatic recognition which legitimizes his claim. He thereby acquires qut 582 Tardu Declares the far-west region as sovereign and separate with himself as Qağan The far-west region has de facto independence since the Istämi-Muqan era 583 Shetu Blames Talopien for the failures of the campaign Rivalry and the influence of Shang Sun 583 Talopien Joins Jotan and Boru in the west region. They are all opposed to Shetu's paranoia, assassination and tyranny