Gan Ying

Gan Ying ( Chinese  甘 英 , Pinyin Gān Yīng , W.-G. Kan Ying , majority name Chong Lan Chinese  崇 兰 , Pinyin Chóng Lán ) was a military ambassador of the Eastern Han Dynasty in China , who in 97 with the Chinese military leader Ban Chao was sent on a mission to Rome ( Roman-Chinese relations ). With the other 70,000 participants of the expedition, he traveled from those in Qiuci (in present-day Xinjiang ) through Parthia (in present-day Iran ) and Tiaozhi (in present-day Iraq ) and moved even further to the western edge of the Persian Gulf .

Although Gan Ying probably never reached Rome, according to historical records, at least, he is the one Chinese who came farthest west in ancient times.

In the Hou Hanshu , a historical work about the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), it is recorded:

In the 9th year of Yongyuan ( AD 97), Ban Chao sent his adjutant Gan Ying to the coast of the western sea and back. Previous generations profess not to have ever reached any of these places; even the Shan Hai Jing says nothing about it. He wrote a report on the customs and topography of all these states. (Hou Hanshu, quoted in Leslie and Gardiner)

Another part of Hou Hanshu describes:

In the 9th year of Yongyuan (97), Ban Chao sent his adjutant Gan Ying to Daqin (the Roman Empire in ancient Chinese records). Gan Yin crossed Tiaozhi, reached the shore of the great sea (Persian Gulf) on the western edge of Anxi ( Parthia ) and tried to cross it. But the ferrymen on the western border told him that because of the wide sea, only those passengers who would meet the happy winds could make the crossing. If the wind is unfortunate, however, it could take two years. For this reason the sailors prepared the provisions for three years. During the voyage, some passengers died from homesickness. Upon hearing this, Gan Ying gave up trying. (Hou Hanshu, Chapter 88)

Gan Ying gives a report on Rome, which, however, probably comes from second hand. He locates it west of the sea:

Its territory stretches over several thousand li (one li is about half a kilometer), it has over 400 fortified cities. About ten small states depend on it. The outer walls of the cities are made of stone. They set up post offices ... There are pines and cypresses. (Hou Hanshu)

He also describes the adoptive emperorship of Nerva and the physical appearance of the Romans and their products:

As for the king, he is not a permanent institution but is chosen from the best men ... The people of this country are tall and of regular appearance. They resemble the Chinese, and that is why the land is called Da Qin (the "great" Qin ) ... The ground is rich in gold, silver and rare jewels, including a gem that shines at night.

They sew embroidered fabrics with gold threads to make tapestries and damask of many colors, and they weave a gold-painted cloth and a 'fire-washed cloth' ( asbestos ). (Hou Hanshu)

Finally, Gan Ying correctly states Rom as the western terminus of the Silk Road :

It is from this country where all these different, amazing and rare items of the foreign states come from. (Hou Hanshu)

literature

• DD Leslie, KHJ Gardiner: The Roman Empire in Chinese sources . Bardi, Rome 1996, ( Studi orientali pubblicati a cura della Scuola Orientale 15, 1996).
• Frances Wood : The Silk Road . University of California Press, Berkeley CA et al. a. 2004, ISBN 0-520-24340-4 .