Ashina Funian
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Ashina Funian (Chinese: 阿史那伏念; r. 680–681) was a Göktürk leader and member of the Ashina tribe who was the leader of a Göktürk revolt in the 7th century that tried to restore the Eastern Turkic Khaganate and break from Tang domination. His rebellion was unsuccessful and he was executed by Tang authorities in 681.
Towards the end of the sixth century, the Turkic Khaganate, which had recently succeeded the Rouran Khaganate as the hegemonic power of the Mongolian Plateau was involved in a civil war and by 603 it had separated into two independent states; the Eastern Turkic Khaganate and the Western Turkic Khaganate. The Eastern Khaganate was conquered by the Chinese Tang dynasty in 630, and the Western Khaganate was conquered by the Tang dynasty in 657. After their conquest, the Eastern Turks were forced to accept a protectorate status on China's outskirts. They were confined to live in the Ordos Loop and in 639, after an Ashina attempted to assassinate Emperor Taizong of Tang, they were forced to live between the Yellow River and Gobi Desert, as a buffer state between China and the Xueyantuo.[1][2][3]
A rebellion attempt was started by Chebi Khan in 646, who tried to reestablish the Khaganate before being captured by Tang general Gao Kan in 650.[4] A second attempt took place between 679 and 680, when Ashina Nishufu, a descendant of the leading Ashina tribe, led a series of successful campaigns against China, now ruled by Empress Wu, before being defeated by a large Chinese army under the command of general Pei Xingjian. Nishufu was later killed by his own men.[5][6]