Karashahr

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Karashahr (Karaxahr) in the Tarim Basin of the 3rd century AD.

Karashahr or Karaschahr (also Karasahr , Karaxahr , Qara-Shāhr literally: "Black City"; Sanskrit Agnideśa (Agnidesha); Chinese焉耆Pinyin Yānqí ; Wade-Giles Yen-ch'i ; the Buddhist Sanskrit name was' Agni 'or' Fire . ') was an ancient Buddhist kingdom located on the route of the Silk Road that ran along the northern edge of the Taklamakan Desert in the Tarim Basin . It was an important empire at the time of the Han Dynasty . The capital of Karashahr was Shorchuk in ancient times .

It was in today's Autonomous County Yanqi of Hui (焉耆回族自治县) of the Mongolian Autonomous County Bayingolin Uygur Autonomous Region Xinjiang , China belongs. The seat of the district administration, the modern large community of Yanqi (焉耆 鎮; longitude 42 ° 01'N; latitude 86 ° 33'E) is located approx. 24 km west of the shallow Boston Lake ( Baghrash Kul or Chinese Bositeng Hu in Pinyin ). The lake measures approx. 81 km from east to west and 48 km from north to south, with an area of ​​approx. 1,000 square kilometers it is the largest lake in Central Asia . It has been known for its rich fish stocks since the Han period . The Kaidu flows into the lake and the Konqi ('peacock') river flows out of it to Korla and through the Taklamakan desert into Lake Lop Nor . There are numerous other smaller lakes in the region.

The advance of the Chinese from 640. With the 4 garrisons (red, including Karaschahr) and other cities (black)

history

640 conquered Tangkaiser Taizong the kingdom of Gaochang (Karakhoja, Turfan), a neighbor of China, which with the Western Türk-Kaganat was allied. After that, Karashahr, which was originally allied with China, turned against its previous ally, as a result of which it was also conquered in 644.

From 448 onwards, China set up the system of the four garrisons of Anxi to keep the conquered territories against the Tibetans . Karashahr became one of the 4 garrison towns.

Quote

"The whole of this district round Kara-shahr and Korla is, from a geographical and political point of view, both interesting and important; for whilst all other parts of Chinese Turkestan can only be reached either by climbing high and difficult passes - the lowest of which has the same elevation as Mont Blanc - or traversing extensive and dangerous waterless deserts of sand-hills, here we find the one and only convenient approach to the land through the valleys of several rivers in the neighborhood of Ili , where plentiful water abounds in the mountain streams on all sides, and where a rich vegetation makes life possible for wandering tribes. Such Kalmuck tribes still come from the north-west to Tal. They are Torgut nomads who pitch their yurts round about Kara-shahr and live a hard life with their herds....
Just as these Mongols wander about here at the present day, so the nomadic tribes of an earlier period must have used this district as their entrance and exit gate. The Tochari (Yue-chi) [Pinyin: Yuezhi ], on their way from China, undoubtedly at that time passed through this gate to get into the Ili valley. . . . "

neighbours

The state bordered Kuqa (Ch. Qiuci) and then Aksu (Aqsu) to the west, and Korla and Turfan to the east. To the south, behind the desert, was Khotan .

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Hill, John E. 2003. "Annotated Translation of the Chapter on the Western Regions according to the Hou Hanshu ." 2nd Draft Edition, Section 22. [1]
  2. ^ Buried Treasures of Chinese Turkestan: An Account of the Activities and Adventures of the Second and Third German Turfan Expeditions . Albert from Le Coq . Translated by Anna Barwell. London George Allen & Unwin Ltd. 1928. Reprint: Oxford University Press, 1985. Pp. 145-146.

literature

  • Hill, John E. 2004. The Peoples of the West from the Weilue魏 略by Yu Huan魚 豢: A Third Century Chinese Account Composed between 239 and 265 CE. Draft annotated English translation. [2]
  • Anthony François Paulus Hulsewé and Michael Loewe 1979. China in Central Asia: The Early Stage 125 BC - AD 23: an annotated translation of chapters 61 and 96 of the History of the Former Han Dynasty . EJ Brill, Leiden.
  • Puri, BN Buddhism in Central Asia , Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited, Delhi, 1987. (2000 reprint).
  • Stein, Aurel M. 1912. Ruins of Desert Cathay: Personal narrative of explorations in Central Asia and westernmost China , 2 vols. Reprint: Delhi. Low Price Publications. 1990.
  • Stein, Aurel M. 1921. Serindia: Detailed report of explorations in Central Asia and westernmost China , 5 vols. London & Oxford. Clarendon Press. Reprint: Delhi. Motilal Banarsidass. 1980. [3]
  • Stein Aurel M. 1928. Innermost Asia: Detailed report of explorations in Central Asia, Kan-su and Eastern Iran , 5 vols. Clarendon Press. Reprint: New Delhi. Cosmo Publications. 1981.
  • Yu, Taishan. 2004. A History of the Relationships between the Western and Eastern Han, Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern Dynasties and the Western Regions . Sino-Platonic Papers No. 131 March, 2004. Dept. of East Asian Languages ​​and Civilizations, University of Pennsylvania.

Web links

Coordinates: 42 ° 3 '  N , 86 ° 34'  E