Karabalghasun
The Uyghurs created a highly civilised empire with clear Iranian influences particularly in areas of government. The Uyghurs went one step further in emulating sedentary states as soon after the empire was founded they established a permanent settled capital Karabalghasun(Ordu-Baliq) - where the kaghan maintained his court and decided the policies of the empire . With no fixed settlement, the Xiongnu had been limited in their acquisition of Chinese goods to what they could carry. As stated by Thomas Barfield, ' the more goods a nomadic society acquired the less mobility it haqd, hence, at some point, one was more vulnerable trying to protect a rich treasure house by moving it than by fortifying it'. By building a fixed city the Uyghurs created a protected storage space for trade goods from China; could hold a stable fixed court and receive traders and effectively cement their role as being central to Silk Road exchange. However the vulnerability that came with having a fixed city was to be the Uyghur's downfall.
Read more about this topic: Uyghur Khaganate