Qocho
Qocho Kingdom 高昌回鶻 | |||||||||||||
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| 843–14th century | |||||||||||||
Territory of Qocho c. 1000. | |||||||||||||
| Status |
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| Capital | Gaochang (Qocho), Beshbalik (Beiting/Tingzhou) | ||||||||||||
| Common languages | Old Uyghur, Middle Chinese; also Tocharian and Sogdian in early years | ||||||||||||
| Religion | Manichaeism (official initially 843–965), Buddhism (Later declared as official) Church of the East | ||||||||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||||||||
| Idiqut | |||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||
• Established | 843 | ||||||||||||
• Disestablished | 14th century | ||||||||||||
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| Today part of | |||||||||||||
Qocho or Kara-Khoja (Chinese: 高昌回鶻; pinyin: Gāochāng Huíhú; lit. 'Gaochang Uyghurs'), also known as Idiqut, ("holy wealth"; "glory"; "lord of fortune") was a Uyghur kingdom created in 843, with strong Chinese Buddhist and Tocharian influences. It was founded by refugees fleeing the destruction of the Uyghur Khaganate after being driven out by the Yenisei Kirghiz. They made their winter capital in Qocho (also called Gaochang or Qara-Khoja, near modern Turpan) and summer capital in Beshbalik (modern Jimsar County, also known as Tingzhou). Its population is referred to as the "Xizhou Uyghurs" after the old Tang Chinese name for Gaochang, the "Qocho Uyghurs" after their capital, the "Kucha Uyghurs" after another city they controlled, or the "Arslan ("Lion") Uyghurs" after their king's title.