Countries described in Zhang Qian's report. Visited countries are highlighted in blue. Blue is a Colour, the Perception of which is evoked by

Kangju (also known as Kangly) (Chinese: 康居) was an ancient kingdom in central Asia, located directly north of Sogdiana and about 1,000 kilometers northwest of Dayuan (Ferghana)^[1] and corresponding to the area of Sogdiana. History Hellenistic period The Sogdian Rock or Rock of Ariamazes a fortress in Sogdiana was captured in 327 BC by the forces of Alexander the Great The Dayuan or Ta-Yuan ( lit “Great Yuan” were a people of Ferghana in Central Asia, described in the Chinese historical works of Fergana or Farghana ( Uzbek: Farg'ona, Persian فرغانه, UniPers "Farqāna", Russian: Фергана History Hellenistic period The Sogdian Rock or Rock of Ariamazes a fortress in Sogdiana was captured in 327 BC by the forces of Alexander the Great It was mentioned by the Chinese traveller and diplomat Zhang Qian who visited the area c. Zhang Qian ( 張[[wikt 騫|騫]] Wade-Giles Chang Ch'ien was an imperial envoy to the outside world in the 2nd century BC during the time of the Han Dynasty 128 BCE:

"Kangju is situated some 2,000 li [832 kilometers] northwest of Dayuan. The Dayuan or Ta-Yuan ( lit “Great Yuan” were a people of Ferghana in Central Asia, described in the Chinese historical works of Its people are nomads and resemble the Yuezhi in their customs. The Yuezhi or Rouzhi ( Chinese: 月支 Pinyin: yuè zhī or ròu zhī; also 月氏 Pinyin: yuè shì They have 80,000 or 90,000 skilled archer fighters. The country is small, and borders Dayuan. It acknowledges sovereignty to the Yuezhi people in the South and the Xiongnu in the East. The Yuezhi or Rouzhi ( Chinese: 月支 Pinyin: yuè zhī or ròu zhī; also 月氏 Pinyin: yuè shì The Xiongnu ( Turkish: Doğu Hun were a confederation of nomadic tribes from Central Asia with a ruling class of unknown origin and other subjugated tribes "^[2]

Kangju was later named Kang (康国) during the Sui and Tang dynasties, though by that time the area was ruled by Türkic peoples of the Gokturk Khaganate. The Turkic peoples are Eurasian peoples residing in northern central and western Eurasia who speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family Göktürks ( Turkish: Gök Türkler) were a Turkic people of ancient Central Asia.

Notes

1. ^ Zhang Qian account in "Records of the Great Historian, Han Dynasty II", Sima Qian, translated by Burton Watson, Revised edition (1993) Columbia University Press, p. 234. ISBN 0-231-08167-7
2. ^ "Records of the Great Historian, Han Dynasty II", Sima Qian, translated by Burton Watson, Revised edition (1993) Columbia University Press, p. 234. ISBN 0-231-08167-7

References

• Hill, John E. 2004. The Western Regions according to the Hou Hanshu. Draft annotated English translation. [1]
• Hill, John E. 2004. The Peoples of the West from the Weilüe 魏略 by Yu Huan 魚豢: A Third Century Chinese Account Composed between 239 and 265 CE. Draft annotated English translation. [2]
• Liu, Xinru: Migration and Settlement of the Yuezhi-Kushan. Interaction and Interdependence of Nomadic and Sedentary Societies in: Journal of World History, 12 (No. The Journal of World History is a refereed Scholarly journal that presents historical analysis from a global point-of-view focusing especially on forces that 2) 2001, p. 261-292. See [3]
• The Tarim Mummies: Ancient China and the Mystery of the Earliest Peoples from the West. J. P. Mallory and Victor H. Mair. Thames & Hudson. London. (2000), ISBN 0500051011

See Also

• Kangly (Possible inhabitants of Kangju).