Zhang Qian, Chang Ch’ien – the original Silk Road traveler
Hanzi for Zhang Qian
On Sunday, at the 38th session of the Intergovernmental Committee of UNESCO, held in Doha, it was decided to accept a number of historical and cultural sites from around the world into the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Among the nominations that were approved was one relating to the Silk Road, making special mention of the Tien Shan Corridor, which passed through what is now Kyrgyzstan. In particular, it included the sites of three Silk Road cities: Nevkat, Suyab and Balasagin. – where the Burana Tower is located.
These days, apart from the Burana Tower, there is not that much to see of the once great cities … they are now, mainly, the domain of archaeologists and people are prepared to use their imagination what once was and might have been.
As it happens, I have already written a postcard about the cities of the Silk Road as it passed though the Chui Valley and also one about the seventh century traveler, Hsuan Tsang - who crossed the Bedel Pass from China and rested on the Southern shores of Lake Issyk Kul before traveling on to Tokmok where he was entertained by the Great Khan of the region and would have visited these cities when they were at the height of their power and importance.
So to mark this occasion I thought I would look at another of the Silk Road pioneers, Zhang Qian, (or Chang Ch’ien), who is sometimes refered to as the First Silk Road traveler, (although, to be honest, he almost certainly didn’t visit these three cities – probably traveling a more southerly route to the Feghana Valley in his search for the legendary Celestial Horses).
It was in 138 B.C., that Zhang Qian, the commander of the guards of the imperial palace gates volunteered to lead an expedition of 100 men to form an alliance with the Yuezhi, (an agricultural people who produced strong horses and many unknown crops including alfalfa for animal fodder), against the Xiongnu, (a Turkic speaking nomadic tribe which, at the height of it power, dominated an area that extended all the way from Eastern Mongolia to the Aral Sea).
It wasn’t an easy journey.
After a trip lasting thirteen years, from the 100 men that had originally left with him, Zhang Qian returned with a solitary survivor, (Ganfu – a Xiongnu prisoner of war).
In his journeying he was captured and held captive for ten years; married to a Xiongnu bride and fathered a son before escaping and continuing his journey.
Traveling into the Ferghana valley he encountered the legendary Celestial Horses and then South into Bactria, he discovered that the potential allies he was seeking were more interested in trade than making war – the great Chinese empire was just too far away.
His mission was a failure in that he failed to find allies for the Chinese court, but he brought back with him something which, perhaps, much more valuable – information about the geography, the peoples and culture of the lands to West – information about some 36 separate kingdoms. His mission also led to the formalization of trade, especially the silk trade, between China and Persia. As a result, he is often regarded as the founder of the Silk Road.
Of particular interest to the Imperial court was his description of the short, strong, sturdy horses that sweated blood and which were superior to any in China at that time and could match, and surpass, those of the nomadic Xiongnu and so a return journey was undertaken to arrange for the purchase of a stock of these Celestial Horses. The new emperor Wu-ti sent him back (this time with three hundred warriors), and after a lifetime of travel and danger his health gave out and he died after his return from this second trip. Wu-ti then sent another, far larger, expedition which after a four year campaign returned with some 3000 of the Celestial Horses.
These horses were famous for “sweating blood” – something noted by Silk Road travellers right up until the 19th and 20th centuries. The reason for this phenomenon remained a secret right up until the twentieth century when it was discovered that it was due to parasite infections. The parasite burrowed under the skin in the region of the shoulder and back and produced little swellings which burst and bled. Not only were these horses highly prized by the Chinese army and served in many campaigns, (and later by the nomadic tribes which inhabited the region, they were traded for silk – much of which found its way to Europe – and served as models for sculptures across China.
On his travels he had noticed products from further abroad, but the task remained to find a trade route which was not blocked by the Xiongnu. Zhang Qian set out on a second mission to forge a route from China to India via Sichuan, but after many attempts this effort proved unsuccessful.
In 119-115 Zhang Qian was sent on a third mission by the emperor, to develop ties with the Wusun people. On his return he was granted the post of “Grand Messenger” and became on eof the highest ranking ministers in the government.
He was the first official diplomat to bring back reliable information about Central Asia and the world beyond their borders to the Chinese imperial court. The accounts of his travels were included in many of the ancient chronicles and he played an important role in the Chinese colonization and conquest of the region which we now know as Xinjiang and opened up China to the rest of the world, for which, today, he is considered a national hero.
Bishkek