04-16-2016, 01:26 AM
(This post was last modified: 04-16-2016, 03:09 AM by Michael Kerr.)
I do think that the Yuezhi controlled a much larger area than the western end of the Gansu corridor but this corridor was a very important and strategic region, no matter how harsh the landscape and conditions as like its title, it was the corridor to the west for the movement of Chinese silks and if you travelled with grazing livestock and camels as well it was the most direct route and I think the Yuezhi protected both the region and the caravans militarily from other tribes. "This is our turf and we will protect it". This was the important route to the west although there were other routes they were probably over harder geographical features like mountains or through regions containing dangerous tribes and that is why I think the Yuezhi prospered in their trading relationship with China. The Chinese got their goods moving west without spending a lot of money to protect their caravans and the Yuezhi chiefs also did well out of the relationship with top money paid for jade and horses and probably had a mortgage on "the ancient infrastructure and transport/ the oases towns and the Bactrian camel". Good middlemen. Most of the Turkoman and their descendant breeds thrived in semi desert regions and they and the Akhal-tekes and others were noted for their endurance and stamina.
It seems strange that before the Xiong-nu became a threat and expelled the Yuezhi from the Gansu corridor that there is very little record of what lies west of Gansu until Zhang Qian travelled west in search of the Yuezhi for the Han. Benjamin does mention one earlier source but again it could have doubtful origins. But the sources which tell us of the Yuezhi living in the Gansu are Chinese.
Mu Tianzi zhuan, Chapter 1.
On the day of jiawu the king travelled westwards. Thereafter he crossed the pass and the slope of Yu. On the day of jihai he arrived at Yanju, the flat land of the Yuzhi.
King Mu reigned 976-922 BC, the reference to “crossing the Pass of Yu to reach the land of the Yuzhi" seems to indicate reasonably accurate Chinese knowledge of the location of the the Gansu and what they thought was the region where Indo-Europeans resided and not knowing that the area they controlled was probably a lot larger.
It does strike me that once the Yuezhi had migrated west or whether they just abandoned the Gansu corridor and Tarim basin to the Xiong-nu, that after containing the Xiong-nu threat the Chinese filled in the vacuum and occupied Xingjian province as I think the Silk route was too important to let go. A lack of Yuezhi grave sites probably confirms your theory that the kings and elite of the Yuezhi confederation were buried elsewhere as befitting their rank.
In 1969 they found a tomb near the city of Wuwei in Gansu province that probably belonged to an important Han general. It contained the flying horse of Kansu which was dated to the 2nd Century CE and was probably a representation of the Ferghana horse.
In regards to Arabians & Andalusians, Bennett also sees a difference between the Andalusians & the Arabians, the Arabian breed was bred for Bedouin tastes & with the Arab conquest a lot of the North African barbs were bred with Arabians. Moi Watson would know a lot about the South American connection with Spanish horses but for the laymen like myself Bennett's book Conqueror gives a good insight on the history & ancient breeds of horses, including steppe breeds but concentrates too much on South American horses IMHO. We seem to owe a lot to the ancient Hittites for the breeding of high stamina oriental horses.
Regards
Michael Kerr
It seems strange that before the Xiong-nu became a threat and expelled the Yuezhi from the Gansu corridor that there is very little record of what lies west of Gansu until Zhang Qian travelled west in search of the Yuezhi for the Han. Benjamin does mention one earlier source but again it could have doubtful origins. But the sources which tell us of the Yuezhi living in the Gansu are Chinese.
Mu Tianzi zhuan, Chapter 1.
On the day of jiawu the king travelled westwards. Thereafter he crossed the pass and the slope of Yu. On the day of jihai he arrived at Yanju, the flat land of the Yuzhi.
King Mu reigned 976-922 BC, the reference to “crossing the Pass of Yu to reach the land of the Yuzhi" seems to indicate reasonably accurate Chinese knowledge of the location of the the Gansu and what they thought was the region where Indo-Europeans resided and not knowing that the area they controlled was probably a lot larger.
It does strike me that once the Yuezhi had migrated west or whether they just abandoned the Gansu corridor and Tarim basin to the Xiong-nu, that after containing the Xiong-nu threat the Chinese filled in the vacuum and occupied Xingjian province as I think the Silk route was too important to let go. A lack of Yuezhi grave sites probably confirms your theory that the kings and elite of the Yuezhi confederation were buried elsewhere as befitting their rank.
In 1969 they found a tomb near the city of Wuwei in Gansu province that probably belonged to an important Han general. It contained the flying horse of Kansu which was dated to the 2nd Century CE and was probably a representation of the Ferghana horse.
In regards to Arabians & Andalusians, Bennett also sees a difference between the Andalusians & the Arabians, the Arabian breed was bred for Bedouin tastes & with the Arab conquest a lot of the North African barbs were bred with Arabians. Moi Watson would know a lot about the South American connection with Spanish horses but for the laymen like myself Bennett's book Conqueror gives a good insight on the history & ancient breeds of horses, including steppe breeds but concentrates too much on South American horses IMHO. We seem to owe a lot to the ancient Hittites for the breeding of high stamina oriental horses.
Regards
Michael Kerr
Michael Kerr
"You can conquer an empire from the back of a horse but you can't rule it from one"
"You can conquer an empire from the back of a horse but you can't rule it from one"
