Shule Kingdom

Although a vassal of the Chinese Tang dynasty from the 7th century, Shule was conquered by the Tibetan Empire in the late 8th century and was eventually incorporated into the Kara-Khanid Khanate during the Islamicisation and Turkicisation of Xinjiang.

History

The earliest mention of the Shule is around 120 BC, by the Western Han Chinese, when exploring their borders. In 127 AD, Shule began to pay tribute to the Eastern Han. In 168, following Hede's murder of the current ruler (name unknown), the Han declared war on the Shule, ending in the unsuccessful Siege of Zhenzhong in 170 AD.

By the end of the Eastern Han period (220 AD), Shule had conquered the city-states of Zhenzhong, Yarkent, Jieshi, Qusha, Xiye, and Yinai. In the 5th century, the Shule kingdom became a tributary of the Gokturks. They gained independence from the Gokturks in 630, when the Gokturks fell in battle to the Chinese Tang dynasty. In 632 AD, it was vassalized by the Tang, as part of the Tang campaign against the oasis states. Some sources say they were only made into a tributary, and the Tang had very loose suzerainty. After being conquered by the Tang, it was part of the Protectorate General to Pacify the West between c. 640 and c. 790. It was one of the Four Garrisons of Anxi stations between 649 and 670. After 670, one of the garrisons was changed, but Kashgar was still a seat of the four garrisons.

In 670 AD, Shule was conquered by the Tibetan Empire. In 673, the Shule kingdom declared itself a vassal of the Tang, but was not reconquered by the Tang Chinese until 692 AD.

It is alleged and probably untrue that Qutayba ibn Muslim in 715 attacked Kashgar.

Kara Khanid Muslim Turks absorbed Kashgar during the Islamicisation and Turkicisation of Xinjiang. According to Mahmud al-Kashgari, within Kashgar's vicinity, some non-Turkic languages like the Kanchaki and Sogdian were still used in some areas. It is believed that the Saka language group was what Kanchaki belonged to. The Tarim Basin was believed to be linguistically Turkified before the end of the 11th century.