Ishbara Khagan's Dark Turn

This image illustrates the lonely path of Ishabra Khagan who ruled the Göktürk Empire from 584 until 587. Having "won" a devastating civil war against his brothers and cousins in the steppe, Ishbara asserted his rule in the Göktürk capital Ötüken in Central Mongolia. But as his rivals banded together and started a large-scale invasion from Kazakhstan into Mongolia, Ishbara was on the lookout for help – and he found help in China.

This was most ironic, as Ishbara had just led an invasion himself against the Chinese Sui Dynasty a year earlier, albeit with varying success. But his military capacities had shrunk since then, and politically he had become totally isolated. Thus, he saw no other choice but to turn himself in to the Sui Dynasty.

The events that followed and much more are topic of my new documentary "The Celestial Turks Episode 4" which will become public on 16 February: https://youtu.be/C-I9LT1-AvY