Abstract

The Nine Tatars was the nomadic group who occupied the central region of Mongolia plateau from the tenth to the eleventh Century.Mongolian ethnic group was the Mongolia plateau main ethnic which changed from Turkic ethnic group，in the discussion of the historical process，Nine Tatars was indispensable.

First，during the eighth century，a part of Shiwei（室韦）（i.e.the Thirty Tatars in the Orkhon Inscriptions）tribe was located in the middle part of Selenga River，can be identified as Ye-dre seven clans and Khe-rged clans in the P.t.1283 Dunhuang Tibetan manuscript，and Nine Tatars in the inscriptions of Uyghur Khanate in Turkic Runic Script.At that time，Nine Tatars was subordinate to the Left Wing of Uyghur Khanate，could be regarded as a part of Thirty Tatars.In Uyghur Khanate period，between Turkic tribes and Mongolia tribes，the boundary was not usually thought of the eastern Mongolia plateau，but more on the West.

Second，during the tenth century，the Nine Tatars occupied the core area of Mongolia plateau，i.e.from Khangai Mountains to Tuul River valley，the names of some tribes were associated with the names of Zubu（阻卜）tribes in Liaoshi（辽史），and the names of sub tribes of Kereit was recorded in the Jami'al-Tarikh.Nine Tatars was called“the Nine Tatars Kingdom”at E59（Herbis Baary Inscr-iption）in the Yenisei Inscriptions at the time.In the Chinese records，the Tatars in the names of King and Tianwang Niangzi（天王娘子）（täŋri elig täŋrim，i.e.Khatun）who paid tribute to the Song Dynasty，was not the Hexi Tatars but the Nine Tartars Kingdom.The Nine Tatars Kingdom kept the directly tributary relationship with the Northern Song central dynasty.

Third，according to the P.2741，P.t.1189 and other Dunhuang manuscripts，in early tenth century，the Nine Tatars in Orkhon River was deeply entered Hexi（河西）area，and kept the alliance with the Uyghur Kingdom of Ganzhou（甘州）.In the same time，the Nine Tatars kept the relationship with the Guiyi Army of Shazhou（沙州），and kept the close relations with the ancient Uyghur merchants and their homeland，the Uyghur Kingdom of Qocho（高昌）.Although there was a part of Tatars in the Hexi area during tenth century，but these Tatars belonged to the tip of the Tatars group，its historical significance could not be compared to the Tatars headquarters.The history of the Nine Tatars was closely related to the northwest of China，should be regarded as an integral part of the history of Chinese.

Fourth，according to the Chinese Documents，Shiwei，i.e.Tatars migrated to the Yinshan（阴山）area in the early ninth century，but they had never been able to develop into the main tribes in this region.At the beginning of twelfth century，the term of“Yinshan Tatar”should not be the inverse of more than two hundred years.“Yinshan”in the term of“Yinshan Buluo”（阴山部落）which was called by Li Keyong（李克用）“Yiqin”（懿亲）and“Waishe”（外舍）was not limited to today's Yinshan.“Yinshan Buluo”can be regarded as the Tatar tribe who followed Li Keyong to quell Huang chao（黄巢）uprising，referring to the Nine Tatars including Kereit.Nine Tatars kept close relationship with Shatuo Later Tang（沙陀后唐）dynasty，and even kinsmen by affinity.In the Five Dynasties and Song Dynasty，the historical process of the North of the Gobi Desert directly related with the Central Plains Dynasty.

Fifth，Tatars migrated to the west of the Mongolia plateau，which reflected the Nine Tatars was closely related to the Uyghur Kingdom of Qocho.In Yenisei Inscriptions，Ujbat Ⅸ Inscription recorded the Nine Tatars had hostile relations with the Kirghiz（黠戛斯，Xiajiasi）Khanate in tenth century.The Uyghur Kingdom of Qocho had defeated the Nine Tatars in the founding of the early days which was recorded in xj 222-0661.9 Uyghur manuscript.In the second half of the ninth century，the historical process of the North of the Gobi Desert was that the Nine Tatars of the Mongolian ethnic group firstly migrated to it.About 70s，Beiting（北庭）Uyghurs campaigned to the North of the Gobi Desert，and the Nine Tatars may be allied with it to be against Xiajiasi Khanate.The result was that the Nine Tatars controlled the core zone of the Mongolia plateau at the end of 70s ninth century，in the same time，who maintained a good relationship with the Uyghur Kingdom of Qocho.

Sixth，old Uyghur Inscriptions Text Q in the White Pagoda of Hohhot（呼和浩特）reported that Turkic Nestorians had appeared in the area during the Yuan Dynasty.The above mentioned Text Q was most likely wrote by the local Nestorian Onggud tribes.The Onggud Tribes belonged to the old Uyghur cultural circle，five representative groups of Onggud were associated with the Western Regions.Tenth to eleventh century，including the Nestorians，the Sogdian merchants of ancient Uyghur were ruled by the Uyghur Kingdom of Qocho，their footprints were all over the Hexi area，Longxi（陇西），the North of the Gobi Desert，Khitan and the mainland of Song Dynasty.Nestorianism spread in Onggud，who had close relationship with the activity of the Sogdian merchants of ancient Uyghur were ruled by the Uyghur Kingdom of Qocho，and the Nestorian forces developed eastward.Although Onggud including part of Shatuo（沙陀）Turks and the descendants of old Uyghurs，but the ruling class was from the Nestorianism nobility in the Western Regions.The name of Onggud could derive from the Uyghur öng“east，front”.

Seventh，Qatun Sïnï“Khatun tomb”was located in the east of Qamïl（哈密）that recorded by Dīvānü Luġāt-it-Türk，the same latitude as Qamïl，it couldn't be identified as the tomb of Zhaojunmu（昭君墓）in the southern suburbs of Hohhot.Mr.Zhang Guangda（张广达）regarded Khatun tomb as Keduncheng（可敦城）“Qatun City”，this point was very persuasive.The circular map in Dīvānü Luġāt-it-Türk marked the geographical location of Ötükän，it took the source of Irtysh River as for reference to discuss Qatun Sïnï Khatun tomb's geographical position，its conclusion could hardly be fair.This point that took the tomb of Zhaojunmu as Khatun tomb，which existed discord on the name and had the order reversed on the logical thinking.It was not contrary to science that took Qatun Sïnï，which had been fighting with Tangut，as Zhenzhou（镇州）Khatun City（可敦城）in Tatars of the North of the Gobi Desert.Although there was a pathway that connected Khitan to Xixia and Qarakhanid，the traffic line from Qarakhanid to Khitan was recorded by the Sharaf al-Zamān Tāhir Marvazī，which was from Shazhou to Ötükän and Zhenzhou Khatun City in the North of the Gobi Desert，then arrived at Khitan.It reflected the condition in the early eleventh century.

In summary，this book focused on the Mongolian ancestors Shiwei—Tatars’migration to the core area of Mongolia plateau and the South of the Gobi Desert，carded and texted the later growth process of it.Its innovative achievements are mainly reflected in：

1.During the eighth century，the Nine Tatars located in the middle part of the Selenga River，in accord with the Shiwei tribes’residence in Chinese record.

2.During the tenth century，the Nine Tatars’social development had reached the“kingdom”stage，and maintained direct tribute relationship with the central Northern Song Dynasty.

3.During the tenth century，except Khitan，the Nine Tatars maintained interactive relationship with Five Dynasties，Song Dynasty，Uyghur Kingdom of Ganzhou，Guiyi Army of Shazhou and the Uyghur Kingdom of Qocho.

4.The Nine Tatars maintained close relations with the Shatuo Later Tang Dynasty，and even maintained relation by marriage.

I hope the above research results can make the academic circles reposition the Yinshan Tatars and Hexi Tatars.More importantly，during the Five Dynasties and the Song Dynasty，the Nine Tatas attached to Shatuo Later Tang Dynasty and tributed directly to the Song Dynasty，remained close relationship with Hexi area.This shows that at that time，the rise and fall on nomadic tribes of the North of the Gobi Desert is closely related to the Central Plains Dynasty，the history of the North of the Gobi Desert is an organic part of China history.

Key Words：the Nine Tatars，the Yenisei Inscriptions，Dunhuang Manuscripts，Turkic Runic Script，Uyghur Script