Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c13.s1.4

v2.c13.s1.4

At the beginning of the Han Dynasty, the Hexi Corridor was successively occupied by the Wushun, Yuezhi and Xiongnu peoples and the small oasis states in the western regions were also controlled by the Xiongnu. Therefore, communication was difficult between the Han empire and the western regions. In the second year of Jianyuan (139 BC), the Han Emperor Wu sent envoy Zhang Qian to Dayuezhi (now midwest Afghanistan) thereby facilitating passage along the Silk Road which was called “Zaokong” in Chinese. After the second year of Yuanguang (133 BC), Emperor Wu of sent his army to attack the Xiongnu repeatedly, thus consolidating the northwest frontier of the empire. He set up four prefectures including Jiuquan, Wuwei, Zhangye and Dunhuang which cut the connection between the Xiongnu and the Qiang people (in today’s Sichuan-Tibet region) and thereby linked the Han empire with the western regions. Many beacon towers and fortresses were built from Dunhuang to Yanze (Lop Nor, Xinjiang today) to forestall any invasion by the Xiongnu. In 119 BCE, Zhang Qian was sent to the western regions again and his subordinates were sent to Dayuan (Ferghana today), Kangju (south of present-day Kazakhstan), Dayuezhi, Tokhgra (northern part of today’s Afghanistan), Parthia (present-day Iran), Sindu (present-day India), the kingdom of Khotan (Hotan today), and Yumi (east of Yutian). Thus, the passage from the Han empire to the western regions was ensured. In 77 BC, the army of the Han dynasty conquered the Kingdom of Loulan and moved its capital to Yuni (near Ruoqiang, present-day Xinjiang). In 60 BC, the Han dynasty set up the Western Region Frontier Commandery in order to protect the route to the west. After Zhang Qian was sent to the western regions and forged an alliance with Wusun, there was relatively free passage along this route with the constant movement of envoys and merchants.