The Tiele (), also transliterated as Chile (), Dili (), Zhile () and Tele (), who were also known by the Chinese exonym Gaoche () or Gaoju, were a tribal confederation of Turkic ethnic origins living to the north of China proper and in Central Asia, emerging after the disintegration of the Xiongnu confederacy. Chinese sources associate them with the earlier Dingling.Xin Tangshu vol. 217a "回紇，其先匈奴也，俗多乘高輪車，元魏時亦號高車部，或曰敕勒，訛為鐵勒。" tr: "Uyghurs. Because, customarily, they ride high-wheeled carts. In Yuan Wei time, they were also called Gaoju (i.e. High-Cart) tribe. Or called Chile, or mistakenly as Tiele."Weishu Vol 103 Gaoju "高車，蓋古赤狄之餘種也，[...] 諸夏以為高車丁零。" tr. "Gaoju, probably the remnant stock of the ancient Red Di. [...] The various Xia (i.e. Chinese) considered them Gaoju Dingling (i.e. Dingling with High Cart)"Cheng, Fangyi. "The Research on the Identification between the Tiele (鐵勒) and the Oğuric tribes" in Archivum Eurasiae Medii Aevi ed. Th. T. Allsen, P. B. Golden, R. K. Kovalev, A. P. Martinez. 19 (2012). Harrassowitz Verlag, Wiesbaden. p. 87
Chile and Gaoche The names "Chile" (敕勒) and "Gaoche" (高車) first appear in Chinese records during the campaigns of Former Yan and Dai in 357 and 363 respectively. However, the protagonists were also addressed as "Dingling" in the records of the Southern Dynasties.Duan, "Dingling, Gaoju and Tiele", p. 16–18, 197. The name Gaoche ("high cart") was a nickname given by the Chinese.Duan, "Dingling, Gaoju and Tiele", p. 11–12.Pulleyblank, "Central Asia and Non-Chinese Peoples of Ancient China", p. VII 21–26.
The Book of Jin, listed Chile as the fifth of 19 Southern Xiongnu tribes.Jinshu vol. 97 section "Xiongnu"1. Chuge (屠各) 2. Xianzhi (鮮支) 3. Koutou (寇頭) 4. Wutan (烏譚) 5. Chile (赤勒) 6. Hanzhi (捍蛭) 7. Heilang (黑狼) 8. Chisha (赤沙) 9. Yugang (鬱鞞) 10. Weisuo (萎莎) 11. Tutong (禿童) 12. Bomie (勃蔑) 13. Qiangqu (羌渠), 14. Helai (賀賴) 15. Zhongqin (鐘跂) 16. Dalou (大樓), 17. Yongqu (雍屈) 18. Zhenshu (真樹) 19. Lijie (力羯) By the time of the Rouran domination, the Gaoche comprised six tribes1. Di (狄) 2. Yuanhe (袁纥) 3. Hulu (斛律) 4. Jiepi (解批) 5. Hugu (护骨) 6. Yiqijin (异奇斤). and twelve clans.1. Qifuli (泣伏利) 2. Tulu (吐卢) 3. Yizhan (乙旃) 4. Dalian (大连) 5. Kuhe (窟贺) 6. Dabogan (达薄干) 7. A-Lun (阿仑) 8. Moyun (莫允) 9. Qifen (俟分) 10. Fufuluo (副伏罗) 11. Qige (乞袁) 12. Youshupei (右叔沛).Suribadalaha,"New Studies of the Origins of the Mongols", p. 34–35.Li, "A Research on Migration of Northwestern Minorities Between pre-Qin to Sui and Tang", p. 113.
One group known as the Eastern Gaoche (东部高车) probably dwelled from the Onon River to Lake Baikal. However, their relationship with the rest of the Gaoche and its tribal components is unclear.Duan, "Dingling, Gaoju and Tiele", p. 185–186.
Mythological origin The Book of Wei preserved the Gaoche's origin myth.
Rouran Domination
In 391 the Rouran chief, Heduohan was killed by the Tuoba Northern Wei. Heduohan's brother Shelun raided several tribal dependencies of the Tuoba in retaliation, but reportedly suffered a serious defeat in 399, and was forced to flee westward. Here Shelun defeated the Hulu tribe and subjugated them. With the aid of a Hulu named Chiluohou, Shelun conquered most of the Gaoche tribes and proclaimed himself Kaghan of the Rouran on March 11, 402. Many Gaoche, such as Chiluohou, were promoted to establish better control.Duan, "Dingling, Gaoju and Tiele", p. 208–211.Bo Yang, "Zizhi Tongjian", p. 7,105 (Vol.27).
During the reign of Shelun and his successor Datan, the Rouran pushed as far as the Issyk Kul, where they defeated the Wusun and drove them south. In the east they raided the Northern Wei before they were defeated on June 16, 429.Duan, "Dingling, Gaoju and Tiele", p. 213–214, 228.Bo Yang, "Zizhi Tongjian", p. 7,671 (Vol.30). Afterwards, as many as 1.5 million Gaoche were said to have been captured and settled to areas adjacent to the capital Pingcheng in the south.
After this settlement they were called the Western Chile (西部敕勒), including a section of the Ordos Desert south of the Yellow River known as the Hexi Chile (河西敕勒), the Eastern Chile (东部敕勒), between Wuzhou and the capital suburbs, and the Northern Chile (北部敕勒), to the north and around the borders.
The greater part of the latter two possibly fled back to the steppe and were not heard of after 524 and 445 respectively. The Western Chile (mainly the Hulu and Tiele related to Fufuluo's Qifuli clan) being caused by a horse race, by which south and north were eventually assimilated.Duan, "Dingling, Gaoju and Tiele", p. 272–273, 315–320.
With the loss of numerous subjects and vital resources, the Rouran went into a temporary decline. However, in 460 they launched new campaigns in the west, destroying the remnant of Northern Liang. During a campaign against Khotan in 470, the king wrote in his supplicatory letter to the Toba Emperor that all of the statelets in the west had submitted to the Rouran. In 472, Yucheng attacked Northern Wei across the western border. By the time of his death in 485, Yucheng had restored the Kaghanate to a status even more powerful than the times of Datan.
During these wars, a southwestern Gaoche tribal group known as the Fufuluo united twelve clans and rebelled, but were defeated by the Rouran. They escaped and established a state northwest of Gaochang in 487. From then on, little is known about the rest of the Gaoche until the Göktürks.
Fufuluo The Fufuluo (副伏罗) were a Gaoche tribe of twelve clans, dwelling close to the Gaochang kingdom (likely by the Tuin River of the Govi-Altai range. Early on a Fufuluo clan known as the Yizhan (which had lived there since the mid 2nd century) allied with the Touba.Duan, "Dingling, Gaoju and Tiele", p. 186. In 481, the Fufuluo began to interfere with the Gaochang and deposed one of their kings. The Fufuluo were then subjugated by the Rouran Khaganate.
After the death of the Rouran ruler Yucheng in 485, his belligerent son Dulun fought more wars against the Touba Northern Wei.
After a disagreement, A-Fuzhiluo betrayed him, and in 487, together with his younger cousin Qiongqi, they managed their clans of over 100,000 yurts to escape from the pursuing armies, led by Dulun and his uncle Nagai by defeating them.
After they settled, he founded a statelet (also known as the A-Fuzhiluo kingdom) under the title of Ulu Beglik (based on an interpretation of Shiratori Kurakichi and Pulleyblank). Like the later Qibi and Xueyantuo in 605, the Fufuluo divided their rule between north and south at Dzungaria.Duan, "Dingling, Gaoju and Tiele", p. 38, 217–219, 366–367.
The Fufuluo allied with the Northern Wei in 490 and fought against the Rouran until 541 when they were dispersed by them.Duan, "Dingling, Gaoju and Tiele", p. 216, 226, 229–230, 252.
Shortly after the death of Dulun in 492, several important cities on the eastern route were taken by Fufuluo, separating the Rouran from the west. With the elimination of Rouran influence, the Hephthalites, kindred steppe nomads, for the first time extended their domain as far as Karashahr, where Qiongqi was killed and his son Mietu was taken hostage.
After 507, the Hephthalites simultaneously sent eighteen embassies with gifts to the Chinese courts (twelve to Northern Wei, three to the Liang dynasty, two to Western Wei and one to Northern Zhou), as opposed to only one in 456.Duan, "Dingling, Gaoju and Tiele", p. 235–239. The Hephthalites helped Mietu. He returned to his realm and Biliyan, the successor of A-Fuzhiluo, was overthrown by his tribesmen, while shortly paying tribute to the Touba. In 508, Yujiulü Futu attacked the Fufuluo and was victorious, but was killed by Mietu on his way back. Later in 516, Yujiulü Chounu, son of Futu, defeated Mietu, and in reprisal had him towed to death by a horse. The Fufuluo went into exile several years under the refuge of the Hephthalites. In 520, Chounu was repulsed by his younger brother Yifu who restored the realm. After his defeat, Chounu returned to the east, where he was killed in a coup in which the ruling clan of Yujiulu was split into two factions. In 521, the Fufuluo penetrated into Rouran territory, but were repulsed by 524. Thereafter, the Fufuluo suffered a series of defeats from Anagui before being annihilated in 541. During the final decade, they helped the Eastern Wei fight the Western Wei in a civil war. After defeat, the nobility surrendered to them.Duan, "Dingling, Gaoju and Tiele", p. 242–254.
Rulers of Gaoche Family names and given name Durations of reigns Family name and given name阿伏至羅 Āfúzhìluó 487–503跋利延 Bálìyán 503–505彌俄突 Mí'étú 505–516伊匐 Yīfú 516–524越居 Yuèjū 524–536比造 Bǐzào 536–540去賓 Qùbīn 540–541
Tiele Emergence of the Tiele The term Tiele appeared in Chinese literature from the 6th century to 8th century, and most scholars agree that Tiele is simply different Chinese characters used to describe the same Turkic word as Chile, although some scholars disagree on what the specific original Turkic word may be: Tölöš ~ Töliš, Türk, or Tegreg ~ Tägräg. The name "Tiele" was first interpreted as "Tölis" by Édouard Chavannes and Vilhelm Thomsen, but this was pointed out as inaccurate in 1937 by Cen Zhongmian, as Tölis applied to the Turkic title of official (突利失 Tulishi) in the east that also came to be attached to the Xueyantuo qaghan. Some scholars (Haneda, Onogawa, Geng, etc.) proposed that Tiele, Dili, Dingling, Chile, Tele, & Tujue all transliterated underlying Türk; however, Golden proposed that Dili, Dingling, Chile, Tele, & Tiele transliterated Tegrek while Tujue transliterated Türküt, plural of Türk.Cheng (2012), p. 84–87 The appellation Türük (Old Turkic: 𐱅𐰇𐰼𐰰) ~ Türk (OT: 𐱅𐰇𐰼𐰚) (whence Middle Chinese 突厥 *dwət-kuɑt > *tɦut-kyat > standard Chinese: Tūjué) was initially reserved exclusively for the Göktürks by Chinese, Tibetans, and even the Turkic-speaking Uyghurs. In contrast, medieval Muslim writers, including like Ottoman historians like Mustafa Âlî and explorer Evliya Çelebi as well as Timurid scientist Ulugh Beg, often viewed Inner Asian tribes, "as forming a single entity regardless of their linguistic affiliation" commonly used Turk as a generic name for Inner Asians (whether Turkic- or Mongolic-speaking). Only in modern era do modern historians use term Turks to describe an ethno-cultural collection of various Turkic groups.
In 546 the remainder of the Fufuluo, now called Tiele, rebelled and were defeated by Bumin Khan at Dzungaria. Around 250,000 of them were then incorporated into his army. In 552, Bumin Khan sent his army and defeated Anagui just north of the Chinese border. Two years before his death, he eliminated the remnants of the Rouran to the north and subjugated the Tiele.Duan, "Dingling, Gaoju and Tiele", p. 325–326.Bo Yang, "Zizhi Tongjian", p. 9,958–9,959 (Vol.38).
According to the Book of Sui, the Tiele consisted of over 40 tribes divided into seven locations:
The original manuscript contains no punctuation, so different scholars read and reconstruct the ethonyms differently.