Also called "Xiajiasi" 轄戛斯 or 黠戛斯, or "Hegusi" 紇扢斯. A people living north of modern Xinjiang province (outside the borders of China) first mentioned during the Southern and Northern Dynasties, speaking a language that belongs to the Western Turkic branch of the Altaic language family. At the begin of the 7th century the Kirgiz stood under the domination of the Syr Tarduš ("Xue-Yantuo" 薛延陀) but accepted the dominance of the Tang Dynasty, and their chieftain "Shibo Qu'azhan" 失鉢屈阿棧 was installed as commander-in-chief (dudu 都督). Later the Kirgiz were defeated by the Uighurs (Huigu 回鶻) but were able to destroy the Uighur federation in the late 830es. In 845 the supreme chieftain of the Kirgiz was officially installed as Qaghan by the Tang government. With the occupation of the western regions by the Western Liao 西遼 the Kirgiz were forced to move more to the south, into the Zhunggar Basin 準嘎爾盆地 and later more to the west into the Seven Rivers Area near the Balkhash Lake. The Kirgiz roamed an area that was quite remote from the political centers of the empires in China and therefore have very few historical impact on Chinese history. During Qing 清 the Kirgiz were called Bruth "Bulute 布魯特".