Göktürk civil war

[citation needed] The Turkic Khaganate was an empire stretching between the Manchuria and the Black Sea.

The khagans were appointed by the kurultay (council of tribe leaders), normally from the sons, brothers of nephews of the last ruler.

[2] Ishbara Qaghan held the center, residing in the holy forest Ötüken in modern-day central Mongolia.

Both Tardu and his brother Tamgan (Turksanf), the ruler of the Volga river area, supplied him with troops.

Ishbara Qaghan wasn't able to compete with this force, and accepted the suzerainty of the Sui dynasty to protect himself.

However, in his new territory, the former alliance broke and he lost the support of Tardu because of the disagreement over the control of the Silk Road.

After Tulan's death Tardush briefly reunified east and west, but after 603 the two halves were definitely separated.