Bilge Qaghan vs Ulugh Muhammad

After the Eastern Turkic Khaganate was destroyed by the Tang dynasty in 630, Bilge Qaghan, with the help of his brother Kul Tigin and vizier Tonyukuk, revived the khaganate. He defeated the Tang and their allies, re-establishing Turkic independence.

Bilge Qaghan led a campaign against the Tang and their Turkic allies, defeating them at the Irtysh River. This victory secured the khaganate's western borders and demonstrated the military prowess of the revived Turkic state.

Bilge Qaghan negotiated a peace treaty with the Tang dynasty, ending decades of conflict. The treaty established the borders between the two empires and allowed for trade and diplomatic exchanges, bringing stability to the region.

Bilge Qaghan commissioned the Orkhon inscriptions, monumental stelae inscribed with runic Turkic script. These inscriptions, written by Tonyukuk and later by Bilge's son, recorded the history and achievements of the Turkic Khaganate, providing a key source for Turkic history.

Bilge Qaghan was poisoned by a minister, possibly on the orders of the Tang court. His death led to a period of instability and decline for the Eastern Turkic Khaganate, which eventually fell to the Uyghurs in 744.

Ulugh Muhammad, after losing the throne of the Golden Horde, established the independent Khanate of Kazan on the middle Volga. This created a new Tatar state that would be a major political and military power in the region for over a century.

Shortly after founding the Khanate, Ulugh Muhammad led a military campaign against the Grand Principality of Moscow. His forces raided the outskirts of Moscow, demonstrating the new khanate's military capability and securing tribute from the Russians.

Ulugh Muhammad's forces defeated a larger Russian army near Suzdal. The Russian Grand Prince Vasily II was captured. This victory forced Moscow to pay a large ransom and recognize Kazan's independence, solidifying the Khanate's position.