Kutlug I Bilge Kagan vs Mongke Temur

Kutlug I Bilge Kagan led the Uyghur tribes in overthrowing the Second Turkic Khaganate. He proclaimed himself khagan, establishing the Uyghur Khaganate with its capital at Ordu-Baliq.

Kutlug I Bilge Kagan formed an alliance with the Tang dynasty against the remnants of the Turkic Khaganate. This alliance secured Tang recognition of the Uyghur Khaganate and provided military support.

Kutlug I Bilge Kagan consolidated Uyghur control over the former Turkic territories, incorporating tribes such as the Basmyls and Karluks. He established a centralized administration and promoted trade.

Kutlug I Bilge Kagan died in 747, succeeded by his son Bogu Qaghan. His death marked the end of the founding phase of the Uyghur Khaganate, which continued to expand under his successors.

Mongke Temur, as Khan of the Golden Horde, refused to attend the kurultai called by Kublai Khan and ceased sending tribute to the Mongol Yuan dynasty. This act effectively declared the Golden Horde's independence from the central Mongol Empire.

Mongke Temur launched a military campaign against the Ilkhanate, the Mongol state in Persia, over control of the Caucasus region. The war resulted in a stalemate but solidified the Golden Horde's position as a rival power.

Mongke Temur formed an alliance with Byzantine Emperor Michael VIII Palaiologos, sealed by a marriage between a Mongol princess and a Byzantine noble. This alliance strengthened trade and diplomatic ties between the Golden Horde and the Byzantine Empire.