Battle of Ming Sha

Battle between the Tang dynasty and Second Turkic Khaganate

The battle of Ming Sha was a major battle between the Tang dynasty and Second Turkic Khaganate which occurred in 707.

Battle of Ming Sha
Date707
Location
China
Result Göktürk victory
Belligerents
Second Turkic Khaganate Tang dynasty
Commanders and leaders
Qapaghan Qaghan
Kul Tigin
Bilge Qaghan		 Sha Zha Zhongyi
Strength
80,000 [1][2]
Casualties and losses
unknown [3] at least 6,000[4] or up to 30,000[5][6]

Battle

Kul Tigin and Bilge Qaghan were also present in the Göktürk army under the command of Qapaghan Qaghan. The Göktürks attacked them. Here, the 80.000 strong Tang army under the command of Sha Zha Zhongyi, sent by the Tang dynasty against the Göktürks in Kul Tigin inscription, Kul Tigin's role in the war is described as follows:

During the battle, Kul Tigin mounted first on Tadık Çor's gray horse, then on Isbara’s gray horse, and then on Yiğin Siliğ Bey’s dressed doru horses and attacked the Chinese, but all horses were dead. They shot Kul Tigin with more than 100 arrows from his armor and robe, but the arrows didn’t touch Kul Tigin's Face and head[7]

When Sha Zha realized that he would be defeated, he fled from the battle. Some sources mentioned that 13.000 Chinese soldiers died, also Bilge Qaghan said that he destroyed his army. This battle is mentioned in Kul Tigin inscription.[8]

In another Göktürk inscription, the Bilge Qaghan inscription, this battle is mentioned as follows:

At the age of 22 I went on a campaign against the Chinese. I fought Sha Zha’s army of 80.000 and killed them![9]

References

  1. ^ Taşağıl, Ahmet (1993). "Kapgan Kagan (692-716)". Belleten. 57 (218): 51–70. doi:10.37879/belleten.1993.51. ISSN 0041-4255.
  2. ^ Kul Tigin Inscription, lines 33 and 34.
  3. ^ Taşağıl, Ahmet (1993). "Kapgan Kagan (692-716)". Belleten. 57 (218): 51–70. doi:10.37879/belleten.1993.51. ISSN 0041-4255.
  4. ^ Old Book of Tang "194A", quote: (中宗即位，默啜又寇靈州鳴沙縣。靈武軍大總管沙咤忠義拒戰久之，官軍敗績，死者六千餘人。).
  5. ^ New Book of Tang "7", quote: (十二月己卯，突厥默啜寇靈州鳴沙縣，靈武軍大總管沙吒忠義逆擊之，官軍敗績，死者三萬。); "215A", quote: (中宗始即位，入攻嗚沙，於是靈武軍大總管沙咤忠義與戰，不勝，死者幾萬人，……)
  6. ^ Liu Mau Tsai, Eastern Turks, p. 348.
  7. ^ Kul Tigin Inscription, lines 33 and 34.
  8. ^ Kul Tigin Inscription, D32.
  9. ^ Bilge Kagan Inscription, D26.

Ahmetbeyoglu, Ali (2014). Sorularla Eski Türk Tarihi [Ancient Turkish History with Questions]. Yeditepe Yayinevi. p. 111. ISBN 9786055200411.