Lands of Asia layouts (Eng) 26.11.21

part ii | states
Han-Ferghana relations
The first country in the region with which China established diplomatic relations,
which at first were quite tense, was Dayuan – Ferghana. One of the main reasons for
hostilities between the two countries was the famous ‘heavenly horses’ of Ferghana,
about which Emperor Wudi learned from Zhang Qian.
According to the Shiji, Wudi sent a special envoy to the ruler of Dayuan with 1000
pieces of gold and a golden horse and a request to exchange these gifts for Dayuan’s
argamaks. However, the Dayuan ruler refused the Han envoy’s request, not wanting
to send the horses and believing that the long distance from China would prevent
the Han from sending troops to Dayuan. This angered the envoy and he retaliated by
being rude to the Dayuan ruler. To put it in modern terms, there was a scandal, and
the envoy was killed and his belongings were confiscated by the Dayuan ruler.
The Chinese emperor responded by sending an army to Ferghana of thousands
of men, led by commander Li Guangli. The Han-Dayuan war thus broke out, and
lasted four years, culminating in the defeat of Dayuan. A Dayuan elder called Meicai
was appointed to replace the former Dayuan ruler Wugua, who was killed by the
nobles of Dayuan. The Han took 20 or 30 of their best horses and 3,000 ordinary
stallions and mares and set out on their journey home. A year later, Dayuan elders
murdered Meicai because of his pro-Han stance, and installed Wugua’s younger
brother Chanfeng on the throne. Chanfeng established a peace treaty with China
(this was the first treaty between this country and a Central Asian country), and sent
his son as a hostage, as well as promising to send a pair of ‘heavenly horses’ to China
every year. The imperial court responded by sending an envoy with gifts to cement
peaceful relations with Dayuan. On his way back, the Chinese envoy gathered grapes
and seeds of the mu-su plant [alfalfa – E.R.], which were later cultivated on a large
scale alongside the imperial residences, lodges and pavilions. This was how important
crops such as grapes and alfalfa were introduced to China for the first time.
Chinese diplomatic activity in the Western Regions increased rapidly after the
end of the Han-Dayuan War. According to the History of the Former Han Dynasty,
under Emperor Wudi as many as ten missions were sent annually to various Inner
Asian states.
Chinese-Parthian diplomatic relations
According to the American sinologist H. Dubs, at the end of the 2nd century BC,
between 111 and 105 BC, and on the initiative of Emperor Wudi, China first
established diplomatic relations with the Parthian kingdom, referred to in Chinese
sources as Anxi. A Chinese envoy was solemnly welcomed at the eastern border by
commanders and a cavalry of 20,000 troops and escorted to the Parthian capital.
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