The extant writings of the late Tang chief minister Li Deyu form the basis for Michael Drompp’s reconstruction of the Tang dynasty’s response to a threatening event, viz. the collapse of the Uighur steppe empire in 840 C.E., and the subsequent fleeing of large numbers of Uighur refugees to China’s northern frontier.

Through a translation of seventy relevant documents the author analyzes the rhetoric of the crisis, as well as its aftermath. The extant writings of Li Deyu uniquely allow an in-depth look into Chinese-Inner Asian relations, very unusual for such an early period. This volume permits us a close look at the workings of the late Tang government, particularly in terms of policy formation and implementation, as well as the rhetoric surrounding such activities.

Michael R. Drompp, Ph.D. (1986) in Uralic and Altaic Studies, Indiana University, is Professor of History at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee. He has published works on the history and culture of the early Turkic people of Inner Asia and their relations with China.