Empress Ashina
Videos
Empress Ashina (阿史那皇后) was a Göktürk princess, who became an empress of the Xianbei-led Chinese Northern Zhou dynasty. She was the daughter of Göktürk's third khagan Muqan Qaghan, and her husband was Emperor Wu.
Epitaph of Empress Ashina. Front: "Inscription of Empress Wude of Zhou Dynasty" "周武德皇后志铭"). Back: "In the 2nd year of the Kai'huang era of the reign of Emperor Wen of Sui, on the 23rd day of the 4th month (corresponding to 30 May 582 in the Julian calendar), Lady Ashina, Empress Wudi of Zhou, posthumously Empress Wude, passed away and on the 29th of the same month received a joint burial in Xiaoling Mausoleum ".
Northern Zhou
Videos
Zhou, known in historiography as the Northern Zhou, was a Xianbei-led dynasty of China that lasted from 557 to 581. One of the Northern dynasties of China's Northern and Southern dynasties period, it succeeded the Western Wei dynasty and was eventually overthrown by the Sui dynasty.
The Sogdian merchant An Jia with a Turkic Chieftain in his yurt.
An Jia (right) brokering an alliance with Turks (left).
Sogdian musicians on the tomb of Wirkak, Northern Zhou period, Xi'An