Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c13.s4.t1: Zhang Qian
Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c13.s4.t1
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Zhang Qian
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Zhang Qian (birth unknown ~ 114 BCE) was a Chinese diplomat of the Western Han Dynasty and pioneer of the Silk Road. When Emperor Wu planned to forge an alliance with the Da Rouzhi (also known as Yuezhi) to fight against the Huns (Xiongnu), he appointed Zhang Qian as his envoy. Zhang Qian left west Gansu in 139 BCE and was captured when passing through the territory of the Huns. He escaped from the Huns 10 years later and went west to Dayuan, passed Qangly and Darouzhi, and finally arrived in Balkh where he stayed for more than a year. In 126 BCE, civil strife broke out among the Huns and Zhang Qian seized this opportunity to flee back to Han Empire. He gave a detailed report of the conditions in the western regions to Emperor Wu. What Zhang Qian said was included in the famous historical work, the *Shi Ji*, the *Collected Biographies of Dayuan* and the *History of the Han Dynasty - Biography of Zhang Qian*. Zhang Qian was quoted as saying: “I saw bamboo poles made in the Qionglai Mountains and cloth made in Sichuan. I asked a Bactrian how they got these goods and he answered that Bactrian merchants purchased them in Sindhu (India).” He also got to know that Sindhu was 'thousands of miles to the southeast of Balkh. It follows the practice of fixed settlement just like the Bactrians. But its terrain is low and it is humid and hot in summer. Its people fight on elephants. And the country is close to the Ganges river'. From that time onwards, the emperor and his ministers in Han Dynasty knew that there was a country called Sindhu (India) to the southwest of China. It could also be further inferred that Sindhu and Sichuan were connected by trade routes since there were products made in Sichuan (the present Sichuan Basin) in Sindhu and Sindhu was much closer to Sichuan than to Chang'an. Zhang Qian even advised Emperor Wu to build a southwestern road. But this project was impeded due to certain reasons and the road was not opened. He made a great contribution since he, in a sense, opened up the Silk Road which connected central China to the Western Regions and also brought preliminary knowledge about India to the people of Han China.
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Statue of Zhang Qian, located in Fangcheng, Henan, China
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Zhang Qian’s journey to the West Mural, Han Wudi riding on the horse, Zhangqian kneeling down, Cave No.323, Mogao Cave, Dunhuang, China
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(*Ge Weijun*)