By the tenth century, the Ganzhou branch of the Uighurs had secured their position along the Hexi Corridor, east of Dunhuang, and could cut off the Silk Road to and from China. The kaghan's family and the rulers of Dunhuang intermarried for political alliances. In Cave 98 at Dunhuang the Uighur wife of the Dunhuang king, Cao Yijin, is shown leading a procession followed by Cao's Chinese wives.
Pigments on plaster
Courtesy of the Dunhuang Academy, Cave 98