Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c5.s1.12

v1.c5.s1.12

Meanwhile, according to the *Hou Han Shu*, in the section on the *Biography of Ban Chao*, it is said that in the 9ᵗʰ year of Jianchu (84 CE), Ban Chao (32-102 CE) dispatched envoys to “present many delicate silk fabrics to the king of Yuezhi.” At that time the Yuezhi people had already established the Kushan Empire, ruling the northwestern region of India. Due to Ban Chao’s efforts, the so-called Silk Road was kept open in this period, allowing Chinese silk to be successfully transported to the northwestern region of India via the route through the Western Regions.