Central Asia 200-600 CE

1. Central Asia 200-600 CE Instructor Pacas

2. Kushans • The Han attacks at the Xioung Nu khanate in 87-93 CE and in 155 CE debilitated Xioung Nu hegemony in the eastern steppes. • It forced the Xioung Nu confederation to fragment into north and south confederations. • Further attacks by Wuhuan and Xianbei peoples (Mongolic tribes) of Manchuria spurred migrations west.

3. Kushans cont’d • Out of these developments two new confederations emerged. • The Kushans who had assumed the reign over a mixture of Yuezhi tribes who had conquered Greco-Bactria, parts of Iran and western and eastern Turkestan, as well as parts of Pakistan. • And the Huns.

4. Kushans • Culturally the Kushans were predominantly steppe nomads who had adopted much of the Greco-Bactrian culture of their conquered foes. • They adopted Buddhist philosophy as the state ‘religion’ and financed the building of many temples and schools plus many Buddhist missionaries accompanied their caravans to the east and west.

5. Kushan Empire • The Kushan Empire reached its pinnacle of power in the 2nd century CE as the middle man in the trade of the silk road between the far east and Mediterranean world. • Between 230 – 270 CE the Kushan Empire engaged in defensive wars against the new expansionist empire of the Sassanid Persians.

6. Sassanid Persian Empire • In 224 CE the Sassanians successfully defeated the Parthians and conquered them. • Quickly they began a process to conquer the surrounding states including Kushan Empire 230-270 CE. • By the end of the 3rd century the Sassanid Persians were in possession of much of the Middle East.

7. The Huns • Sassanid Persian accounts talk of a group of steppe nomads invading the northern portions of their empire (former Kushan heartland) in the late 4th century CE called Hyaona or Hyon and the Greeks called them Chionitae….Huns. • In 370 CE the Huns conquered the Sarmatian and Alan tribes of steppe nomads and the Germanic Goth tribes of the steppes creating one of the largest confederation of the western Eurasian steppe.

8. Xioung Nu Collapse • The effects in the far east of the collapse of the Xioung Nu empire opened the way for the Turkic and Mongolic steppe nomads to play a much more significant role in the history between China and the steppe tribes. Of particular importance to Chinese history were the Tabghach (Toba/Topa), Hua and Rouran/Avars, and the Huns (Hepthalites).

9. Toba (Wei Dynasty) 386-534 CE • By 439 CE the Toba controlled all of China north of the Yellow River, Xinjiang, and parts of Manchuria and steppe zone. • Their capital was at Pingcheng (near modern Datong) • Their force was reckoned at 100,000 soldiers possessing 1,000,000 horses. • Composed of 119 clans and tribal groups as well as Chinese subjects.

10. Toba administration • Early on the Toba adopted the administration of the Xianbei people and kept the Toba separate from the Chinese, each with their respective rules and administration but because the Toba were heavily outnumbered by their subjects (Han Chinese) the process of Sinicization occurred fairly rapidly.

11. Religion • The Toba although heavily influenced by the more sophisticated Han Chinese culture of their subject did retain elements of their steppe nomadic past pertaining to military plus they kept the religion/philosophy of their ancestors…Buddhism and engaged in funding many temples and schools to be built in China. • It was under Toba rule that Buddhism made great inroads into China and rest of the Far East.

12. Wei Dynasty • Having been efficiently Sinicized the Toba ruling elite adopted the Chinese name of Yuan. • Their period of rule was known as Wei Dynasty.

13. Mugulu • According to the history of the Toba (Wei) the progenitor of the Avars was a slave of one of the ruling families of the Wei. • His Wei master gave him the name of Mugulu, “head has become bald”. • Mugulu escaped and ran to the steppes and became a robber/brigand gathering a group of loyal followers.

14. Juluhui • Mugulu’s son Juluhui is credited as coalescing this band of robbers and brigands into a people who acknowledge Wei overlordship, and sent yearly tribute, paid in horses. • This gave Juluhui access to trade in Chinese markets established in the Chinese limes which earned him much prestige and followers.

15. Juhului-Avars • This new confederation quickly began to cement its power over the steppe. • They called themselves Abar or Avar and by the fifth century CE they had control over the Gobi Desert, Lake Baikal, Xinjiang, and Manchuria. • They began to deal as equals with the Wei Dynasty in China.

16. Avar and Wei Wars • The Avars engaged in wars against the Toba (Wei Dynasty) in the later 5th –early 6th century CE. • The Avars had subjugated many of the other Iranian and some Gok Turk steppe tribes and made them a part of their confederation. • Iranians and Gok Turks members of the Avar confederation though were viewed as second class citizens in this union by the Avar conquerors. • In fact the Gok Turks were almost slaves of the Avars and subjected to be their iron-smiths.

17. The Gok “Blue” Turks • According to their traditions their origins lied in the union of a she-wolf with a sole survivor of a tribe that had been annihilated by their enemies. • They originated in areas which had been heavily populated by Iranian or Tocharian steppe nomads so early on the ruling class might have been Iranian, Tocharian, or of mixed origin. • They were called the “Tiele” by the Chinese.

18. Gok “Blue” Turks • Around the early 500’s the Gok “Blue” Turks were composed of different khanates. • One of these khanates was subjected to the Avars. • When one of the leaders of the Turks helped the Avar khan Anagui (520-552 CE) put down an insurrection he asked for an Avar bride as recompense for his loyal service. • The Avars denied him this but the western Wei granted the Turk leader, Bumin, a Wei princess.

19. Wei and Gok “Blue” Turk Alliance • In 552 CE the Gok “Blue” Turks and Western Wei went on the offensive against the Avars. • The Avar Khan Anagui committed suicide seeing his power slip and the Avar Empire of the east crumbled. • Avars remnants began a process of moving west and eventually emerged in Europe fleeing their former slaves and now new masters, the Gok “Blue” Turk Khanate.

20. The Gok “Blue” Turk • Bumin took the title of Qaghan after defeating the Avars but soon died. • His sons Keluo and Mughan and his brother Ishtemi subjugated the tribes and statelets north of China and forged an empire from Manchuria to the Black Sea. • This was the first trans-Eurasian state directly linking Europe with East Asia.