Göktürk and Byzantine First Relations — AD 568In 568 AD, the Göktürk Khaganate sent its first diplomatic mission to the Byzantine Empire. The Göktürks, seeking a powerful alliance against their common enemy the Sassanid Persian Empire, dispatched their ambassador Maniakh to Constantinople.Background:The Göktürks had recently risen to dominance across the Central Asian steppes, controlling vast territories from Manchuria to the Caspian Sea. They needed a western ally to put pressure on the Sassanids from both sides simultaneously.The Mission:Emperor Justin II received the Göktürk delegation warmly in Constantinople. The two empires shared a mutual interest — both were threatened by Sassanid Persia and the Avars. The Byzantine court was fascinated by these powerful newcomers from the east.Significance:This diplomatic contact marked the beginning of relations between two of the most powerful states of the 6th century — the steppe empire of Central Asia and the eastern heir of the Roman Empire. It also demonstrated how far Göktürk political influence had reached, extending all the way to the gates of Europe.Göktürk and Byzantine First Relations — AD 568In 568 AD, the Göktürk Khaganate sent its first diplomatic mission to the Byzantine Empire. The Göktürks, seeking a powerful alliance against their common enemy the Sassanid Persian Empire, dispatched their ambassador Maniakh to Constantinople.Background:The Göktürks had recently risen to dominance across the Central Asian steppes, controlling vast territories from Manchuria to the Caspian Sea. They needed a western ally to put pressure on the Sassanids from both sides simultaneously.The Mission:Emperor Justin II received the Göktürk delegation warmly in Constantinople. The two empires shared a mutual interest — both were threatened by Sassanid Persia and the Avars. The Byzantine court was fascinated by these powerful newcomers from the east.Significance:This diplomatic contact marked the beginning of relations between two of the most powerful states of the 6th century — the steppe empire of Central Asia and the eastern heir of the Roman Empire. It also demonstrated how far Göktürk political influence had reached, extending all the way to the gates of Europe.