库车
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Kucha or Kuche (also: ''Kuçar'', ''Kuchar''; , Кучар; zh, t= 龜茲, p=Qiūcí, zh, t= 庫車, p=Kùchē; ) was an ancient Buddhist kingdom located on the branch of the
Silk Road The Silk Road was a network of Asian trade routes active from the second century BCE until the mid-15th century. Spanning over , it played a central role in facilitating economic, cultural, political, and religious interactions between the ...
that ran along the northern edge of what is now the
Taklamakan Desert The Taklamakan Desert ( ) is a desert in northwest China's Xinjiang region. Located inside the Tarim Basin in Southern Xinjiang, it is bounded by the Kunlun Mountains to the south, the Pamir Mountains to the west, the Tian Shan range to the ...
in the
Tarim Basin The Tarim Basin is an endorheic basin in Xinjiang, Northwestern China occupying an area of about and one of the largest basins in Northwest China.Chen, Yaning, et al. "Regional climate change and its effects on river runoff in the Tarim Basin, Ch ...
and south of the Muzat River. The former area of Kucha now lies in present-day
Aksu Prefecture Aksu PrefectureThe official spelling according to is located in mid-Western Xinjiang, China. It has an area of and 2.714 million inhabitants at the 2020 census whom 715,319 lived in the built-up (or metro) area made up of Aksu urban district. T ...
,
Xinjiang Xinjiang,; , SASM/GNC romanization, SASM/GNC: Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Sinkiang, officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People' ...
,
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
. Kuqa town is the county seat of Aksu Prefecture's Kuqa County. Its population was given as 74,632 in 1990.


Etymology

The history of toponyms for modern Kucha remains somewhat problematic; however, it is clear that Kucha (''Kuchar'', in
Turkic languages The Turkic languages are a language family of more than 35 documented languages, spoken by the Turkic peoples of Eurasia from Eastern Europe and Southern Europe to Central Asia, East Asia, North Asia (Siberia), and West Asia. The Turkic langua ...
) and ''Kuché'' (modern Chinese)Elias (1895): ''The Tarikh-i-Rashidi of Mirza Muhammad Haidar, Dughlát: A History of the Moghuls of Central Asia. An English Version Edited, with Commentary, Notes, and Map by N. Elias''. Translation by E. Denison Ross. London. Sampson, Low, Marston and Company Ltd.), p. 124, n. 1., ''et passim'' both correspond to the ''Kushan'' of Indic scripts from late antiquity. Chinese annals uniformly record the kingdom's name as 龜茲 (Qiūcí) from the Han to the Song Dynasty. Its earliest attestation is in the
Hanshu The ''Book of Han'' is a history of China finished in 111 CE, covering the Western, or Former Han dynasty from the first emperor in 206 BCE to the fall of Wang Mang in 23 CE. The work was composed by Ban Gu (32–92 CE), ...
. Commentators indicate that the name was pronounced specifically as 丘慈 (Qiūcí, Old Chinese *kʽǐwə-dzǐə) rather than the ordinary reading Guǐzī (Old Chinese *kǐwə-tsǐə). A later 4th‑century transcription, 屈茨 (Qūcí, EMC *khut-dzi), corroborates this pronunciation. Attested forms in other pre-Islamic languages include Niya-Gāndhārī ''*kuciya'', Sanskrit ''kuci-'', Kuchean , Sogdian ''’kwc’'', and Old Turkic ''küsän''. ''Guzan'' or ''Küsan'' is attested in the '' Tibetan Annals'' ( s.v.), dating from 687 CE.
Old Uyghur Old Uyghur () was a Turkic language spoken in Qocho from the 9th–14th centuries as well as in Gansu. History Old Uyghur evolved from Old Turkic, a Siberian Turkic language, after the Uyghur Khaganate broke up and remnants of it migrated ...
and
Old Mandarin Old Mandarin or Early Mandarin was the speech of northern China during the Jurchen-ruled Jin dynasty (1115–1234), Jin dynasty and the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty (12th to 14th centuries). New genres of vernacular literature were based on this langu ...
transcriptions from the
Mongol Empire The Mongol Empire was the List of largest empires, largest contiguous empire in human history, history. Originating in present-day Mongolia in East Asia, the Mongol Empire at its height stretched from the Sea of Japan to parts of Eastern Euro ...
support the forms ''Küsän'' / ''Güsän'' and ''Kuxian'' / ''Quxian'' respectively, instead of ''Küshän'' or ''Kushan''. Another, cognate Chinese transliteration is ''Ku-sien''. In the 11th‑century Turkish lexicon of Maḥmud Kāšḡari, the oasis is recorded as Küsän and Kuča, reflecting its status as “a frontier of Uighur.” The modern Mandarin form 庫車 (Kuche) was later established in 1758. Transcriptions of the name ''Kushan'' in
Indic scripts The Brahmic scripts, also known as Indic scripts, are a family of abugida writing systems. They are used throughout South Asia, Southeast Asia and parts of East Asia. They are descended from the Brahmi script of ancient India and are used b ...
from late antiquity include the spelling ''Guṣān'', and are reflected in at least one Khotanese Tibetan transcription. The forms ''Kūsān'' and ''Kūs'' are attested in Mirza Muhammad Haidar Dughlat's 16th-century work in Chaghatai, the ''Tarikh-i Rashidi''. Both names, as well as ''Kos'', ''Kucha'', ''Kujar'' etc., were used for modern Kucha.


History


Bronze and Iron Age

For a long time, Kucha was the most populous oasis in the Tarim Basin. As a Central Asian metropolis, it was part of the
Silk Road The Silk Road was a network of Asian trade routes active from the second century BCE until the mid-15th century. Spanning over , it played a central role in facilitating economic, cultural, political, and religious interactions between the ...
economy, and was in contact with the rest of Central Asia, including
Sogdia Sogdia () or Sogdiana was an ancient Iranian peoples, Iranian civilization between the Amu Darya and the Syr Darya, and in present-day Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Sogdiana was also a province of the Achaemen ...
and
Bactria Bactria (; Bactrian language, Bactrian: , ), or Bactriana, was an ancient Iranian peoples, Iranian civilization in Central Asia based in the area south of the Oxus River (modern Amu Darya) and north of the mountains of the Hindu Kush, an area ...
, and thus also with the cultures of South Asia, Iran, and the coastal areas of China. Given its position at the northern route of the Silk Road above the
Taklamakan Desert The Taklamakan Desert ( ) is a desert in northwest China's Xinjiang region. Located inside the Tarim Basin in Southern Xinjiang, it is bounded by the Kunlun Mountains to the south, the Pamir Mountains to the west, the Tian Shan range to the ...
, many travelers or other passersby had gone through the oasis. This travel pattern led to exchanges in art, culture, and religion. The main population of Kucha was part of the ancient population of the
Tarim Basin The Tarim Basin is an endorheic basin in Xinjiang, Northwestern China occupying an area of about and one of the largest basins in Northwest China.Chen, Yaning, et al. "Regional climate change and its effects on river runoff in the Tarim Basin, Ch ...
known as the
Tocharians The Tocharians or Tokharians ( ; ) were speakers of the Tocharian languages, a group of Indo-European languages known from around 7,600 documents from the 6th and 7th centuries, found on the northern edge of the Tarim Basin (modern-day Xinj ...
, who spoke an
Indo-European language The Indo-European languages are a language family native to the northern Indian subcontinent, most of Europe, and the Iranian plateau with additional native branches found in regions such as Sri Lanka, the Maldives, parts of Central Asia ( ...
known as Kuchean Tocharian. The Tocharians are associated with the earlier
Afanasievo culture The Afanasievo culture, or Afanasevo culture (Afanasevan culture) ( ''Afanas'yevskaya kul'tura''), is an early archaeological culture of south Siberia, occupying the Minusinsk Basin and the Altai Mountains during the eneolithic era, 3300 to 2 ...
, a population derived from the
ancient North Eurasian In archaeogenetics, the term Ancient North Eurasian (ANE) refers to an ancestral component that represents the lineage of the people of the Mal'ta–Buret' culture () and populations closely related to them, such as the Upper Paleolithic individ ...
s. Chinese sources from the 2nd century BCE mentioned
Wusun The Wusun ( ) were an ancient semi-Eurasian nomads, nomadic Eurasian Steppe, steppe people of unknown origin mentioned in Chinese people, Chinese records from the 2nd century BC to the 5th century AD. The Wusun originally l ...
populations with blue eyes and red hair in the area of the
Ili River The Ili River (, , ; ; ; zh, 伊犁河, ; , ; , ) is a river in Northwest China and Southeastern Kazakhstan. It flows from the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture of the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region to the Almaty Region in Kazakhstan. It ...
to the northwest of Kucha.


Chinese conquest under the Western Han Dynasty

In the second century BCE, the kingdom known in Chinese sources Qiūcí 龜茲 was controlled, as the other states of the regions by the steppe federation of Xiōngnú 匈奴. Chinese official and diplomat
Zhang Qian Zhang Qian (; died c. 114 BC) was a Chinese diplomat, explorer, and politician who served as an imperial envoy to the world outside of China in the late 2nd century BC during the Western Han dynasty. He was one of the first official diploma ...
traveled the area westward to visit Central Asia, during the 2nd century BCE, but he did not mention Qiūcí in his report. According to the ''Hanshu'' (漢書), around 101 BCE, the king of Qiūcí (龜茲) received hostages, including Làidān (賴丹), the crown prince of Wūmí (扜彌). On his return journey to Cháng'ān (長安) after the campaign against Dàyuān (大宛), General Lǐ Guǎnglì (李廣利) captured Làidān. Subsequently, Prince Làidān was ordered by the Han court to oversee the establishment of military agricultural colonies (túntián 屯田) at Lúntái 輪臺 near Qiūcí. However, a nobleman from Qiūcí killed Làidān, which led to an attack by a Han army commanded by Cháng Huì 常惠,only several decades later. The daughter of the Princess Jieyou (Jiěyōu Gōngzhǔ 解忧公), who was married to the king of the
Wusun The Wusun ( ) were an ancient semi-Eurasian nomads, nomadic Eurasian Steppe, steppe people of unknown origin mentioned in Chinese people, Chinese records from the 2nd century BC to the 5th century AD. The Wusun originally l ...
, was sent to the Han court in 64 BCE. However, the King of Kucha Jiàngbīn 絳賓 stopped here on the way, wanting to marry her, which she accepted. In 65 BCE, King Jiàngbīn even travelled to Cháng'ān 長安 (modern Xī'ān 西安, Shaanxi) to visit the Han court and pay tribute. In 60 BCE, the Han court established the
Protectorate of the Western Regions The Protectorate of the Western Regions () was an imperial administration (a Protectorate (imperial China), protectorate) situated in the Western Regions administered by Han dynasty, Han dynasty China and its successors on and off from 59 or 6 ...
(Xīyù Dūhùfǔ 西域都護府), with its administrative seat in Wūlěi 烏壘, just east of Qiūcí 龜茲. King Jiàngbīn's 絳賓 son, Chéngdé 丞德, was granted the title of "Outer Imperial Grandson" (wàisūn 外孫), signifying his status as the son of an imperial daughter. Following the fall of the Former Han dynasty and during the usurpation of Wáng Mǎng 王莽 (r. 8–23 CE), the city-states of the Western Territories (Xīyù 西域) severed ties with China and once again fell under the control of the Xiōngnú 匈奴. According to the ''
Book of Han The ''Book of Han'' is a history of China finished in 111 CE, covering the Western, or Former Han dynasty from the first emperor in 206 BCE to the fall of Wang Mang in 23 CE. The work was composed by Ban Gu (32–92 CE), ...
'' (completed in 111 CE), Kucha was the largest of the "Thirty-six Kingdoms of the
Western Regions The Western Regions or Xiyu (Hsi-yü; ) was a historical name specified in Ancient Chinese chronicles between the 3rd century BC to the 8th century AD that referred to the regions west of the Yumen Pass, most often the Tarim Basin in prese ...
", with a population of 81,317, including 21,076 persons able to bear arms. The Kingdom of Kucha occupied a strategic position on the Northern Silk Road, which brought prosperity, and made Kucha a wealthy center of trade and culture. Since Kucha was an oasis town positioned north of the
Taklamakan Desert The Taklamakan Desert ( ) is a desert in northwest China's Xinjiang region. Located inside the Tarim Basin in Southern Xinjiang, it is bounded by the Kunlun Mountains to the south, the Pamir Mountains to the west, the Tian Shan range to the ...
, it attracted travelers passing by along their journey on the
Silk Road The Silk Road was a network of Asian trade routes active from the second century BCE until the mid-15th century. Spanning over , it played a central role in facilitating economic, cultural, political, and religious interactions between the ...
. The ancient city also served not only as a rest stop for travelers and visitors, but a religious stronghold and a political center.Lee, Sonya S. “Recent Publications on the Art and Archaeology of Kucha: A Review Article.” ''Archives of Asian Art'' 68, no. 2 (2018): 215–32. https://doi.org/10.1215/00666637-7162255. The Silk Road, despite its name, provided routes across Eurasia for the flow of cultures, religions, ideas, and goods and services, and Kucha played a role in this exchange. Kucha and the archaeological discoveries in the surrounding region provide insight into the city's significance during the time of the Silk Road.


Kucha during the Eastern Han Dynasty

During the Later Han (25–220 CE), Kucha, with the whole
Tarim Basin The Tarim Basin is an endorheic basin in Xinjiang, Northwestern China occupying an area of about and one of the largest basins in Northwest China.Chen, Yaning, et al. "Regional climate change and its effects on river runoff in the Tarim Basin, Ch ...
, became a focus of rivalry between the
Xiongnu The Xiongnu (, ) were a tribal confederation of Nomad, nomadic peoples who, according to ancient Chinese historiography, Chinese sources, inhabited the eastern Eurasian Steppe from the 3rd century BC to the late 1st century AD. Modu Chanyu, t ...
to the north and the
Han Chinese The Han Chinese, alternatively the Han people, are an East Asian people, East Asian ethnic group native to Greater China. With a global population of over 1.4 billion, the Han Chinese are the list of contemporary ethnic groups, world's la ...
to the east. In 74 CE, Chinese troops started to take control of the Tarim Basin with the conquest of
Turfan Turpan () or Turfan ( zh, s=吐鲁番) is a prefecture-level city located in the east of the autonomous region of Xinjiang, China. It has an area of and a population of 693,988 (2020). The historical center of the prefectural area has shifted ...
. In the first century CE, Kucha resisted the Chinese and allied itself with the Xiongnu and the
Yuezhi The Yuezhi were an ancient people first described in China, Chinese histories as nomadic pastoralists living in an arid grassland area in the western part of the modern Chinese province of Gansu, during the 1st millennium BC. After a major defea ...
against the Chinese general
Ban Chao Ban Chao (; 32–102 CE), courtesy name Zhongsheng, was a Chinese diplomat, explorer, and military general of the Eastern Han dynasty. He was born in Fufeng (region), Fufeng, now Xianyang, Shaanxi. Three of his family members—father Ban Biao, ...
. Even the
Kushan Empire The Kushan Empire (– CE) was a Syncretism, syncretic empire formed by the Yuezhi in the Bactrian territories in the early 1st century. It spread to encompass much of what is now Afghanistan, Eastern Iran, India, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbe ...
of
Kujula Kadphises Kujula Kadphises (Kushan language: Κοζουλου Καδφιζου, also Κοζολα Καδαφες; Kharosthi: 𐨐𐨂𐨗𐨂𐨫 𐨐𐨯, International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ', '; ; r. 30–80 CE, or 40–90 CE accor ...
sent an army to the Tarim Basin to support Kucha, but they retreated after minor encounters. In 124, Kucha formally submitted to the Chinese court, and by 127 China had conquered the whole of the Tarim Basin. Kucha became a part of the Western protectorate of the Chinese
Han dynasty The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...
, with China's control of the Silk Road facilitating the exchange of art and the propagation of
Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
from Central Asia. The Roman Maes Titianus visited the area in the 2nd century CE, as did numerous great Buddhist missionaries such as the Parthian
An Shigao An Shigao (, Korean: An Sego, Japanese: An Seikō, Vietnamese: An Thế Cao) (fl. c. 148–180 CE) was an early Buddhist missionary to China, and the earliest known translator of Indian Buddhist texts into Chinese. According to legend, he was a p ...
, the Yuezhis Lokaksema and Zhi Qian, or the Indian Zhú Shuòfú (). Around 150 CE, Chinese power in the western territories receded, and the Tarim Basin and its city-states regained independence.


4th- and 5th-century Silk Road

Kucha became very powerful and rich in the last quarter of the 4th century CE, about to take over most of the trade along the Silk Road at the expense of the Southern Silk Road, which lay along the southern edge of the
Tarim Basin The Tarim Basin is an endorheic basin in Xinjiang, Northwestern China occupying an area of about and one of the largest basins in Northwest China.Chen, Yaning, et al. "Regional climate change and its effects on river runoff in the Tarim Basin, Ch ...
. According to the '' Jinshu'', Kucha was highly fortified, had a splendid royal palace, as well as many Buddhist stupas and temples: Culture flourished, and Indian
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
scriptures were being translated by the Kuchean monk and translator Kumarajiva (344–413 CE), himself the son of a man from
Kashmir Kashmir ( or ) is the Northwestern Indian subcontinent, northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term ''Kashmir'' denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir P ...
and a Kuchean mother. The southern kingdoms of Shanshan and the
Jushi Kingdom The Jushi ( zh, t=wikt:車師, 車師, p=Jūshī, sometimes pronounced ''Cheshi''), or Gushi ( zh, t=姑師, p=Gūshī), were a people probably associated with the Subeshi culture, who established a kingdom during the 1st millennium BC in the Turpa ...
(now Turfan and Jiaohe) asked for Chinese assistance in countering Kucha and its neighbour Karashar. The Chinese general Lü Guang was sent with a military force by Emperor Fu Jian (357–385) of the
Former Qin Qin, known as the Former Qin and Fu Qin (苻秦) in historiography, was a Dynasties of China, dynastic state of China ruled by the Fu (Pu) clan of the Di (Five Barbarians), Di peoples during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. Founded in the wake of ...
(351–394). Lü Guang obtained the surrender of Karashar and conquered Kucha in 383 CE. Lü Guang mentioned the powerful armour of Kucha soldiers, a type of
Sasanian The Sasanian Empire (), officially Eranshahr ( , "Empire of the Iranians"), was an Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651. Enduring for over four centuries, the length of the Sasanian dynasty's reign ...
chainmail Mail (sometimes spelled maille and, since the 18th century, colloquially referred to as chain mail, chainmail or chain-mail) is a type of armour consisting of small metal rings linked together in a pattern to form a mesh. It was in common milita ...
and lamellar armour that can also be seen in the paintings of the
Kizil Caves The Kizil Caves (also romanized as Qizil or Qyzyl; ; zh, s=克孜尔千佛洞, l=Kizil Caves of the Thousand Buddhas) are a set of Buddhist rock-cut caves located near Kizil Township ( zh, s=克孜尔乡, p=Kèzī'ěr Xiāng, labels=no) in Ba ...
as noted in the ''Biography of Chinese General Lü Guang'': "They were skillful with arrows and horses, and good with short and long spears. Their armour was like chain link; even if one shoots it, he arrowcannot go in." Lü Guang soon retired and the empire of Fu Jian crumbled against the Eastern Jin, and he established a principality in
Gansu Gansu is a provinces of China, province in Northwestern China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeastern part of the province. The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tibetan Plateau, Ti ...
, bringing Kumarajiva together with him.


6th century

Kucha ambassadors are known to have visited the Chinese court of Emperor Yuan of Liang in his capital
Jingzhou Jingzhou ( zh, s=, c=荆州, t=, p=Jīngzhōu) is a prefecture-level city in southern Hubei province, China, located on the banks of the Yangtze River. Its total residential population was 5,231,180 based on the Seventh National Population Censu ...
in 516–520 CE, at or around the same time as the Hepthalite embassies there. An ambassador from Kucha is illustrated in '' Portraits of Periodical Offering of Liang'', painted in 526–539 CE, an 11th-century Song copy of which has survived. The Chinese pilgrim
Xuanzang Xuanzang (; ; 6 April 6025 February 664), born Chen Hui or Chen Yi (), also known by his Sanskrit Dharma name Mokṣadeva, was a 7th-century Chinese Bhikkhu, Buddhist monk, scholar, traveller, and translator. He is known for the epoch-making ...
visited Kucha and in the 630s described Kucha at some length, and the following are excerpts from his descriptions of Kucha: A specific style of music developed within the region and "Kuchean" music gained popularity as it spread along the trade lines of the
Silk Road The Silk Road was a network of Asian trade routes active from the second century BCE until the mid-15th century. Spanning over , it played a central role in facilitating economic, cultural, political, and religious interactions between the ...
. Lively scenes of Kuchean music and dancing can be found in the
Kizil Caves The Kizil Caves (also romanized as Qizil or Qyzyl; ; zh, s=克孜尔千佛洞, l=Kizil Caves of the Thousand Buddhas) are a set of Buddhist rock-cut caves located near Kizil Township ( zh, s=克孜尔乡, p=Kèzī'ěr Xiāng, labels=no) in Ba ...
and are described in the writings of
Xuanzang Xuanzang (; ; 6 April 6025 February 664), born Chen Hui or Chen Yi (), also known by his Sanskrit Dharma name Mokṣadeva, was a 7th-century Chinese Bhikkhu, Buddhist monk, scholar, traveller, and translator. He is known for the epoch-making ...
. " e fair ladies and benefactresses of Kizil and Kumtura in their tight-waisted bodices and voluminous skirts recall—notwithstanding the Buddhic theme—that at all the halting places along the
Silk Road The Silk Road was a network of Asian trade routes active from the second century BCE until the mid-15th century. Spanning over , it played a central role in facilitating economic, cultural, political, and religious interactions between the ...
, in all the rich caravan towns of the Tarim, Kucha was renowned as a city of pleasures, and that as far as
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
men talked of its musicians, its dancing girls, and its courtesans." Kuchean music was very popular in
Tang China The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...
, particularly the lute, which became known in Chinese as the
pipa The pipa, pípá, or p'i-p'a () is a traditional Chinese musical instrument belonging to the plucked category of instruments. Sometimes called the "Chinese lute", the instrument has a pear-shaped wooden body with a varying number of frets rangi ...
. For example, within the collection of the
Guimet Museum The Guimet Museum (full name in ; ''MNAAG''; ) is a Parisian art museum with one of the largest collections of Asian art outside of Asia that includes items from Cambodia, Thailand, Viet Nam, Tibet, India, and Nepal, among other countries. Found ...
, two Tang female musician figures represent the two prevailing traditions: one plays a Kuchean ''pipa'' and the other plays a Chinese ''jiegu'' (an Indian-style drum). The music of Kucha, along with other early medieval music, was transmitted from China to
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
during the same period and is preserved there, somewhat transformed, as
gagaku is a type of Japanese classical music that was historically used for imperial court music and dances. was developed as court music of the Kyoto Imperial Palace, and its near-current form was established in the Heian period (794–1185) arou ...
or Japanese court music.


7th to 13th centuries

Following its conquest by the
Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...
in the early 7th century, during Emperor Taizong's campaign against the Western Regions, the city of Kucha was regarded by Han Chinese as one of the Four Garrisons of Anxi: the "Pacified West", or even its capital. During a few decades of domination by the
Tibetan Empire The Tibetan Empire (,) was an empire centered on the Tibetan Plateau, formed as a result of expansion under the Yarlung dynasty heralded by its 33rd king, Songtsen Gampo, in the 7th century. It expanded further under the 38th king, Trisong De ...
, in the late 7th century, Kucha was usually at least semi-independent. In the 8th and 9th centuries, Uyghurs increasingly migrated into the area. After the destruction of the
Uyghur Khaganate The Uyghur Khaganate (also Uyghur Empire or Uighur Khaganate, self defined as Toquz-Oghuz country; , Tang-era names, with modern Hanyu Pinyin: or ) was a Turkic empire that existed for about a century between the mid 8th and 9th centuries. It ...
by Kyrgyz forces in 840, Kucha became an important center of the Uyghur kingdom of
Qocho Qocho or Kara-Khoja ( zh, t=高昌回鶻, p=Gāochāng Huíhú, l=Gaochang Uyghurs, c=, s=), also known as Idiqut, ("holy wealth"; "glory"; "lord of fortune") was a Uyghur kingdom created in 843, with strong Chinese Buddhist and Tocharian ...
. The extensive ruins of the ancient capital and the Subashi Temple (Chinese ''Qiuci''), which was abandoned in the 13th century, lie north of modern Kucha.


Modern Kucha

Francis Younghusband Lieutenant Colonel Sir Francis Edward Younghusband, (31 May 1863 – 31 July 1942) was a British Army officer, explorer and spiritual writer. He is remembered for his travels in the Far East and Central Asia; especially the 1904 British ...
, who passed through the oasis in 1887 on his journey from
Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
to
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
, described the district as "probably" having some 60,000 inhabitants. The modern Chinese town was about with a high wall, with no bastions or protection to the gateways, but a ditch about deep around it. It was filled with houses and "a few bad shops". The "Turk houses" ran right up to the edge of the ditch and there were remains of an old city to the south-east of the Chinese one, but most of the shops and houses were outside of it. About north of the Chinese city were barracks for 500 soldiers out of a garrison he estimated to total about 1500 men, who were armed with old Enfield rifles "with the Tower mark." Kucha is now part of Kuqa, Xinjiang. It is divided into the new city, which includes the People's Square and transportation center, and the old city, where the Friday market and vestiges of the past city wall and cemetery are located. Along with agriculture, the city also manufactures
cement A cement is a binder, a chemical substance used for construction that sets, hardens, and adheres to other materials to bind them together. Cement is seldom used on its own, but rather to bind sand and gravel ( aggregate) together. Cement mi ...
, carpets, and other household necessities in its local factories.


Modern Scholarship on Kucha

Modern efforts to investigate the Kucha region's history have contributed to knowledge of China's rich cultural history. The Chinese government has taken steps towards studying the history of ancient cities such as Kucha to understand what role the city played during different areas, such as the time the Silk Road was active. Since it is understood that Kucha was an active oasis town along the Silk Road and that the town had political and cultural influence, the town is a place of frequent scholarship. Kucha was declared a UNESCO world heritage sight in 2014, and with this declaration came increased protection of the area as well as funding towards historical investigations. The cave complexes in Kucha are a tourist destination, and thus interest in Buddhist influence and history of the region are subjects in modern scholarship. The Kucha Research Academy was founded in 1985 and has led efforts to research, preserve, and educate on the Kucha region. Kucha is subject of investigations by various countries such as China, Japan, and Germany, among others who have led modern investigations into the region. Historical artifacts from the Kucha region are located at Kucha itself, but other objects, such as cave paintings, have since been removed and are located at museums in other countries. Artifacts, whether located in Kucha or elsewhere, have educated visitors on Kucha's place in China's history.


Archaeological investigations of the region

There are several significant archaeological sites in the region which were investigated by the third (1905–1907, led by Albert Grünwedel) and fourth (1913–1914, led by
Albert von Le Coq Albert von Le Coq (; 8 September 1860 in Berlin, Prussia – 21 April 1930 in Berlin, Weimar Republic) was a Prussian/German brewery owner and wine merchant, who at the age of 40 began to study archaeology.''Schatzjagd an der Seidenstraße.'' A fi ...
) German Turfan expeditions. Those in the immediate vicinity include the cave site of Achik-Ilek and Subashi. The archaeological investigations of the Kizil Caves provide documented evidence of what the caves looked like before they degraded over time. The Kizil Caves in the Kucha region contained Buddhist artwork and artifacts, some of which were excavated by explorers or kept in the caves. Over 30 caves have been discovered around the Kucha region which serve as tourist attractions today, but have been altered over time due to human activity and natural disasters. The cave paintings extracted from the Kizil Caves were removed from walls and ceilings during previous expeditions. The caves which were discovered during these expeditions were filled with artwork which reflected religious motifs. In his archaeological excavation of the caves, Le Coq recorded his methods of wall art extraction in detail: a sharp knife was used to cut through the painting and into the cave wall as to allow for its removal to subsequently be placed in crates and shipped back to Europe. As the paintings were removed in pieces and shipped over long distances, the fragments were very fragile and required careful handling in order to be prepared for display. There have been several archaeological investigations of the Kucha region since the German Turfan expedition in the early 20th century. Despite the Kizil Caves in Kucha being a tourist attraction, there have been steps towards the site's preservation and protection. Since UNESCO identified the Kizil Caves as a national heritage sight in 2014, the Chinese government increased its efforts in protecting the region.


Kucha and Buddhism

Kucha was an important Buddhist center from Antiquity until the late Middle Ages. Buddhism was introduced to Kucha before the end of the 1st century, however it was not until the 4th century that the kingdom became a major center of
Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
, primarily the
Sarvastivada The ''Sarvāstivāda'' (; ;) was one of the early Buddhist schools established around the reign of Ashoka (third century BCE).Westerhoff, The Golden Age of Indian Buddhist Philosophy in the First Millennium CE, 2018, p. 60. It was particular ...
, but eventually also
Mahayana Buddhism Mahāyāna ( ; , , ; ) is a term for a broad group of Buddhist traditions, texts, philosophies, and practices developed in ancient India ( onwards). It is considered one of the three main existing branches of Buddhism, the others being Thera ...
during the Uighur period. In this respect it differed from
Khotan Hotan (also known by #Etymology, other names) is a major oasis town in southwestern Xinjiang, an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region in Northwestern China. The city proper of Hotan broke off from the larger Hotan County to become an ...
, a Mahayana-dominated kingdom on the southern side of the desert. According to the ''
Book of Jin The ''Book of Jin'' is an official Chinese historical text covering the history of the Jin dynasty (266–420), Jin dynasty from 266 to 420. It was compiled in 648 by a number of officials commissioned by the imperial court of the Tang dynasty, ...
'', during the third century there were nearly one thousand Buddhist stupas and temples in Kucha. At this time, Kuchanese monks began to travel to China. The fourth century saw yet further growth for Buddhism within the kingdom. The palace was said to resemble a Buddhist monastery, displaying carved stone Buddhas, and monasteries around the city were numerous. Buddhism was the prominent faith in Kucha, and continued to be for centuries. After the Islamic conquest Buddhist structures, artwork, and other evidence of Buddhist worship had begun to vanish, being replaced with Islamic structures.Schmidt, Birgit Angelika, Martin Andreas Ziemann, Simone Pentzien, Toralf Gabsch, Werner Koch, and Jörg Krüger. “Technical Analysis of a Central Asian Wall Painting Detached from a Buddhist Cave Temple on the Northern Silk Road.” ''Studies in Conservation'' 61, no. 2 (2016): 113–22. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48544545. The Kizil Caves, located in the Kucha region, have been excavated and the archaeological missions to the cave sites have subsequently revealed the city was once a Buddhist place of worship. The structures known as the Kizil Caves and their subsequent artworks connect the ancient city of Kucha to surrounding areas with the historical spread of Buddhism. The practice of Buddhist faith in the city led to the creation of several Buddhist artworks and structures, which have been the subject of archaeological investigations since the early 20th century. The Kizil Caves were even labeled a world heritage sight in 2014 by
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
, suggesting their importance in Chinese cultural history. These caves were influenced by Kucha's connection to the Sanskrit Buddhist practice and reflect this connection via its Buddhist artwork.Hiyama, Satomi. “Transmission of the ‘World’: Sumeru Cosmology as Seen in Central Asian Buddhist Paintings Around 500 AD.” ''Naturwissenschaften, Technik Und Medizin'' 28, no. 3 (2020): 411–29. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00048-020-00245-9.


Monks

Monks in ancient Kucha were connected with other countries via language. Buddhist Monks from Kucha had communicated in Sanskrit, and thus had a connection to India through this language.


Po-Yen

From 256 to 260, a monk named Po-Yen or Boyan who was from the royal family traveled to the Chinese capital,
Luoyang Luoyang ( zh, s=洛阳, t=洛陽, p=Luòyáng) is a city located in the confluence area of the Luo River and the Yellow River in the west of Henan province, China. Governed as a prefecture-level city, it borders the provincial capital of Zheng ...
. In 258, he translated six Buddhist texts into Chinese at China's famous
White Horse Temple White Horse Temple () is a Buddhist temple in Luoyang, Henan that, according to tradition, is the first Buddhism, Buddhist temple in China, having been first established in 68 AD under the patronage of Emperor Ming of Han, Emperor Ming in the Ea ...
, including the ''
Longer Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra "Longer" is a song written and recorded by the American singer-songwriter Dan Fogelberg and released in 1979 by Full Moon Records and Epic Records. The song can be found on Fogelberg's 1979 album '' Phoenix''. It was also included on his 1982 ...
'', an important sutra in
Pure Land Buddhism Pure Land Buddhism or the Pure Land School ( zh, c=淨土宗, p=Jìngtǔzōng) is a broad branch of Mahayana, Mahayana Buddhism focused on achieving rebirth in a Pure land, Pure Land. It is one of the most widely practiced traditions of East Asi ...
.


Po-Śrīmitra

Po-Śrīmitra was another Kuchean monk who traveled to China (307 to 312) and translated three Buddhist texts.


Po-Yen

A second Kuchean Buddhist monk also known as Po-Yen or Boyan also went to Liangzhou (modern
Wuwei, Gansu Wuwei ( zh, c=武威 , p=Wǔwēi) is a prefecture-level city in northwest central Gansu province. In the north it borders Inner Mongolia, in the southwest, Qinghai. Its central location between three western capitals, Lanzhou, Xining, and Yinc ...
,
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
) and is said to have been well respected, although he is not known to have translated any texts.


Kumarajiva

Kumarajiva (344–413) is one of the most well-known monks from Kucha. His contributions to Buddhist scholarship largely come from his work as a translator of Kuchean Buddhist texts into Chinese. Kumarajiva was not the first nor the only person to have translated ancient texts, but his translations were significant because his work made hundreds of Buddhist texts available to Chinese readers. The Silk Road was in use during Kumarajiva's lifetime he utilized this path for the flow of ideas and religion into other regions, especially China. Kumarajiva learned from traveling Buddhist scholars and educators of other religions from an early age, setting the foundation for his later scholarship. Kucha was an oasis town where many immigrants and travelers passed through while traveling along the Silk Road, and since the town was a Buddhist center it left imprints of its culture on those who visited.Liu, X. (2021). Kumarajiva and Kucha in His Time. Studies in People's History, 8(1), 28-32. https://doi-org.pitt.idm.oclc.org/10.1177/2348448921997016 (Original work published 2021) Kumarajiva was 20 years old when he officially became a monk, adding to his credibility as a Buddhist teacher and scholar. Kucha was a town where many cultures and religions coexisted amongst each other, and this being where Kumarajiva grew up, influenced him as he traveled across the Silk Road. Kumarajiva learned Buddhism and taught it to those he could translate and communicate with, which shifted from Hinayana to Mahayana Buddhism in his lifetime.Peng, Wuqing, and Ninglin Sun. “Study on the Relationship between Kumarajiva and Mahayana Buddhism in Western Regions of China.” ''Hervormde Teologiese Studies'' 80, no. 3 (2024): 1–7. https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v80i3.9948. His position in Kuchean history aided Buddhist practices and beliefs reach to different areas of China, even different variants of Buddhism. Kumarajiva was a profound educator of Mahayana Buddhism, and it was this practice which he would preach to those he encountered whilst traveling or translating. Practices and beliefs of Mahayana Buddhism in Kucha are evident in records of Kumarajiva's teachings as well as the Kizil Cave complexes in the area.


Tocharian languages

The language of Kucha, as evidenced by surviving manuscripts and inscriptions, was ''Kuśiññe'' (Kushine) also known as
Tocharian B Tocharian B (also known as Kuchean or West Tocharian) was a Western member of the Tocharian branch of Indo-European languages, extinct from the ninth century. Once spoken in the Tarim Basin The Tarim Basin is an endorheic basin in Xinjiang, N ...
or West Tocharian, an
Indo-European The Indo-European languages are a language family native to the northern Indian subcontinent, most of Europe, and the Iranian plateau with additional native branches found in regions such as Sri Lanka, the Maldives, parts of Central Asia (e. ...
language. Later, under the Uighur domination, the Kingdom of Kucha gradually became Turkic-speaking. ''Kuśiññe'' was completely forgotten until the early 20th century, when inscriptions and documents in two related (but mutually unintelligible) languages were discovered at various sites in the Tarim Basin. Conversely, Tocharian A, or ''Ārśi'' was native to the region of Turpan (known later as Turfan) and ''Agni'' (Qarašähär; Karashar), although the ''Kuśiññe'' language also seems to have been spoken there. While written in a Central Asian
Brahmi script Brahmi ( ; ; ISO 15919, ISO: ''Brāhmī'') is a writing system from ancient India. "Until the late nineteenth century, the script of the Aśokan (non-Kharosthi) inscriptions and its immediate derivatives was referred to by various names such as ...
used typically for
Indo-Iranian languages The Indo-Iranian languages (also known as Indo-Iranic languages or collectively the Aryan languages) constitute the largest branch of the Indo-European language family. They include over 300 languages, spoken by around 1.7 billion speakers ...
, the Tocharian languages (as they became known by modern scholars) belong to the centum group of Indo-European languages, which are otherwise native to Southern and
Western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's extent varies depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the Western half of the ancient Mediterranean ...
. The precise dating of known Tocharian texts is contested, but they were written around the 6th to 8th centuries CE (although Tocharian speakers must have arrived in the region much earlier). Both languages became extinct before circa 1000 CE. Scholars are still trying to piece together a fuller picture of these languages, their origins, history and connections, etc.


Neighbors

The kingdom bordered Aksu and
Kashgar Kashgar () or Kashi ( zh, c=喀什) is a city in the Tarim Basin region of southern Xinjiang, China. It is one of the westernmost cities of China, located near the country's border with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. For over 2,000 years, Kashgar ...
to the west and
Karasahr Karasahr or Karashar (), which was originally known in the Tocharian languages as ''Ārśi'' (or Arshi), Qarašähär, or Agni or the Chinese derivative Yanqi ( zh, s=焉耆, p=Yānqí, w=Yen-ch'i), is an ancient town on the Silk Road and the capi ...
and
Turpan Turpan () or Turfan ( zh, s=吐鲁番) is a prefecture-level city located in the east of the Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of Xinjiang, China. It has an area of and a population of 693,988 (2020). The historical center of the ...
to the east. Across the
Taklamakan Desert The Taklamakan Desert ( ) is a desert in northwest China's Xinjiang region. Located inside the Tarim Basin in Southern Xinjiang, it is bounded by the Kunlun Mountains to the south, the Pamir Mountains to the west, the Tian Shan range to the ...
to the south was Khotan.


Culture, sights and cityscape


Cityscape

Today the city is divided into an old town (gucheng) on the westbank of the river, a new town several kilometer on the west. Between these two towns was located the ancient city of Kucha. Aurel Stein, in his work ''Innermost Asia'', described Kucha as follows, p. 806, in the beginin of the 20th centiry:
The present town, situated dose to the western river bank and surrounded for the most part by weak walls of stamped clay, manifestly of modem construction, shows no old remains above ground as far as I could ascertain.But on the opposite side of the river, where lively suburban bāzārs stretching along the main roads towards the town, mingle with orchards, fields, and clusters ot cultivators’ farms, l was able to trace the remains of a larger and certainly much older circumvallation. Their position, almost due south of the Sū-bāchi shrines and somewhat nearer to them than that of the present town, suggests that they may well mark the site of the walls that enclosed the Kuchā city of Tang time


Ancient city (Tang dynasty)


Historical Description

During his journey to Kucha in 630 CE, the renowned pilgrim Xuanzang provided a detailed description of the ancient city. He wrote:
Its capital city is about seventeen or eighteen li in circuit. There are two standing statues of the Buddha, more than ninety feet in height, one at each side of the road outside the west gate of the capital city. It is at this place in front of the statues that the great quinquennial congregations are held. At the northwest of the meeting place I crossed a river and reached Āścarya (‘Marvelous’) Monastery.
This description indicates that, at that time, the city was situated to the east of the river.


Archaeological Discoveries

In modern times, explorers reported the remains of an old city on the left (east) bank of the Kucha River. Aurel Stein, in his work ''Innermost Asia'', traced the eastern wall of this ancient city for approximately 800 meters. He described the structure as a wall constructed of compacted earth blocks, approximately 18 meters thick and still standing 5 to 6 meters high. At regular intervals, the wall was reinforced with quadrangular bastions. Stein noted that the wall's top did not appear to have been crenellated. By the early 20th century, the northern and southern sections had mostly eroded, and the western wall had completely disappeared—likely washed away by the river. Huang Wenbi provided more precise data during an expedition in 1957–1958. He estimated that the total length of the ancient city's walls was 5.5 kilometers. According to him, the eastern wall was 15 meters thick and 6.6 meters high, reinforced with quadrangular bastions spaced every 40 meters. However, its construction differed from that of the northern and southern walls. The eastern wall was built using large, coarse earthen blocks, while the northern and southern walls were made of compacted earth with a finer, ochre-colored structure. Their thickness varied, and unlike the eastern wall, they lacked quadrangular bastions. Huang Wenbi suggested that the northern and southern walls were older. According to Monique Maillard, this discrepancy might be attributed to different cultural influences: Chinese builders favored straight walls, while local traditions incorporated quadrangular bastions. Stein identified this ancient city as the one described by the pilgrim Xuanzang, as its dimensions matched the recorded measurements. Huang Wenbi, relying on Chinese historical texts, reached the same conclusion. Only a few monuments of the ancient city remain, documented by early explorers through photographs. The first, named the "Allal-Bagh Stūpa" by Pelliot, appears to have been a large stūpa with a ramp, similar to the Subashi Stūpa. Pelliot also photographed another stūpa, the "Sādhan Tourâ Stūpa," which seems to belong to the same architectural type. The most significant structure, referred to as "Pilan Ourda" by Pelliot and "Pilang Tura" by Stein, is a massive construction made of large earthen blocks. It was located in the southeastern corner of the ancient city's enclosure. According to both Huang Wenbi and Stein, it was a large quadrangular building measuring 21 by 25 meters. It was constructed with solid masonry of large rough-hewn blocks resting on a foundation of compacted earth. At the top, a broad platform showed traces of a structure containing two rooms, one of which housed a large platform, possibly intended for a statue. The exact function of this building remains uncertain. While Stein did not determine its purpose, Huang Wenbi suggested it was a defensive structure.


2016 Excavations

In 2016, archaeologists uncovered a well‑constructed brick‑paved pathway made of blue bricks arranged in patterns with circular floral motifs at junctions. Parts of the city wall and a U‑shaped moat—measuring approximately 7.5 meters wide and 3.1 meters deep—were also revealed. Approximately 80 artifacts, including pottery, stone tools, building materials, and coins, were recovered.


2017 Excavations

Further excavations in 2017 at the Qiongtayin site (Chinese: 穷特音墩, 穷特音墩) within the city uncovered residential structures, a courtyard, multiple ash pits, hearths, and post holes, along with a high‑platform building. Ten late‑period tombs were also unearthed, with some structures disrupted by burial activities. Artifacts such as pottery fragments, copper and iron implements, coins (including both clipped‑edge “Wu Zhu” coins and local Kucha coins), and animal bones were found. The predominantly wheel‑made redware pottery featured decorative motifs like cloud patterns, lotus petals, foliage, and drapery designs, suggesting a primary occupation during the Tang Dynasty.


Sights and architectural heritage


Kucha Great Mosque

The Kucha Great Mosque (库车大寺) is located on a raised platform called Kegedun, to the northwest of the old city of Kucha. As of 2020, it is the second largest mosque in Xinjiang after the Aitigaer Mosque in
Kashgar Kashgar () or Kashi ( zh, c=喀什) is a city in the Tarim Basin region of southern Xinjiang, China. It is one of the westernmost cities of China, located near the country's border with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. For over 2,000 years, Kashgar ...
, and it contains the only well-preserved site of an Islamic court in Xinjiang that once operated under
Islamic law Sharia, Sharī'ah, Shari'a, or Shariah () is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition based on scriptures of Islam, particularly the Qur'an and hadith. In Islamic terminology ''sharīʿah'' refers to immutable, intan ...
. In the 16th century, Isḥāq Wālī, the founder of the Heishan Sect, preached in the region from
Kashgar Kashgar () or Kashi ( zh, c=喀什) is a city in the Tarim Basin region of southern Xinjiang, China. It is one of the westernmost cities of China, located near the country's border with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. For over 2,000 years, Kashgar ...
to Kucha. According to tradition, he established the mosque in 1561 (some sources suggest 1559. During the reign of the Kangxi Emperor in 1668, the mosque was expanded. Over the following centuries, it underwent several renovations. In the 14th year of the Republic of China (1925, though some sources say 1929), a fire damaged part of the mosque's wooden main hall. Later that year, local imam 艾里木阿吉 financed its reconstruction. The mosque was rebuilt in the fall and completed in 1932, reaching its current scale.


Kucha Royal Palace (库车王府)

Built in 1759 during the Qing Dynasty, the Kucha Royal Palace was established by Emperor Qianlong to honor local leaders for their loyalty. The palace showcases a blend of Central Plains and Islamic architectural styles. Although the original structure was destroyed in the early 20th century, it was reconstructed in 2004 based on historical records. Today, the palace complex includes the Palace Cultural Relics Museum, Qiuci Museum, Kucha Folk Exhibition Hall, and the Qing Dynasty City Wall, offering insights into the 190-year history of the twelve generations of Kucha princes.


Museums


Wèi and Jìn Tomb Museum

The Wèi and Jìn Tomb Museum (魏晋古墓遗址博物馆, Wèi Jìn gǔmù yízhǐ bówùguǎn) is built on the site of the nationally protected 库车友谊路墓群 (Kùchē Yǒuyì Lù Mùqún, "Kucha Youyi Road Tomb Group"). Its display area, located 7 to 9 meters underground, exhibits 15 brick tombs that have been fully excavated, preserving the original layout of tomb doors, corridors, burial chambers, and antechambers. This tomb group was first discovered in 2007 during construction work on Youyi Road in Kucha. Following multiple excavations, nearly 2,000 tombs have been cleared and over 2,000 artifacts have been unearthed.Major finds include ceramics, bone implements, coins (such as the "撒五铢钱" ǔ zhū qián, "five-zhū coins", and various metal objects, all of which are consistent with the style of Central Plains Han brick tombs. Some tombs also feature characteristics of Central Plains funerary customs, such as the practice of placing coins in the mouth or hand of the deceased. Archaeologists generally date these tombs to the Jin Sixteen Kingdoms Period (晋十六国时期, Jìn Shíliùguó shíqī), roughly spanning the 3rd to 5th century AD.


Kizil Caves

The
Kizil Caves The Kizil Caves (also romanized as Qizil or Qyzyl; ; zh, s=克孜尔千佛洞, l=Kizil Caves of the Thousand Buddhas) are a set of Buddhist rock-cut caves located near Kizil Township ( zh, s=克孜尔乡, p=Kèzī'ěr Xiāng, labels=no) in Ba ...
lie about northwest of Kucha and were included within the rich fourth-century kingdom of Kucha. The caves claim origins from the royal family of ancient Kucha, specifically a local legend involving Princess Zaoerhan, the daughter of the King of Kucha. While out hunting, the princess met and fell in love with a local mason. When the mason approached the king to ask for permission to marry the princess, the king was appalled and vehemently against the union. He told the young man he would not grant permission unless the mason carved 1000 caves into the local hills. Determined, the mason went to the hills and began carving in order to prove himself to the king. After three years and carving 999 caves, he died from the exhaustion of the work. The distraught princess found his body, and grieved herself to death, and now, her tears are said to be current waterfalls that cascade down some of the cave's rock faces.


Coinage

From around the third or fourth century Kucha began the manufacture of Wu Zhu (五銖) cash coins inspired by the diminutive and devalued Wu Zhu's of the post-Han dynasty era in
Chinese history The history of China spans several millennia across a wide geographical area. Each region now considered part of the Chinese world has experienced periods of unity, fracture, prosperity, and strife. Chinese civilization first emerged in the Y ...
. It is very likely that the cash coins produced in Kucha predate the Kaiyuan Tongbao (開元通寳) and that the native production of coins stopped sometime after the year 621 when the Wu Zhu cash coins were discontinued in
China proper China proper, also called Inner China, are terms used primarily in the West in reference to the traditional "core" regions of China centered in the southeast. The term was first used by Westerners during the Manchu people, Manchu-led Qing dyn ...
. The coinage of Kucha includes the "Han Qiu bilingual Wu Zhu coin" (漢龜二體五銖錢, ''hàn qiū èr tǐ wǔ zhū qián'') which has a yet undeciphered text belonging to a language spoken in Kucha.


Rulers

(Names are in modern Mandarin pronunciations based on ancient Chinese records) *Hong (弘) 16 *Cheng De (丞德) 36 *Ze Luo (則羅) 46 *Shen Du (身毒) 50 *Jiang Bin (絳賓) 72 *Jian (建) 73 *You Liduo (尤利多) 76 *Bai Ba (白霸) 91 *Bai Ying (白英) 110–127 *Bai Shan (白山) 280 *Long Hui (龍會) 326 *Bai Chun (白純) 349 *Bai Zhen (白震) 382 *Niruimo Zhunashen (尼瑞摩珠那勝) 521 *Bai Sunidie (白蘇尼咥) 562 *Anandavarman ? * Tottika (circa 550–600) * Suvarnapushpa (白蘇伐勃駃 ''Bái Sūfábókuài'') 600–625 *Suvarnadeva (白蘇伐疊 ''Bai Sufadie'') 625-645 *Haripuspa (白訶黎布失畢, ''Bai Helibushibi'') 647 *Bai Yehu (白葉護) 648 *Bai Helibushibi (白訶黎布失畢) 650 *Bai Suji (白素稽) 659 *Yan Tiandie (延田跌) 678 *Bai Mobi (白莫苾) 708 *Bai Xiaojie (白孝節) 719 *Bai Huan (白環) 731–789? / Tang general – Guo Xin 789


See also

* Ci poetry *
Kushan Empire The Kushan Empire (– CE) was a Syncretism, syncretic empire formed by the Yuezhi in the Bactrian territories in the early 1st century. It spread to encompass much of what is now Afghanistan, Eastern Iran, India, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbe ...
* Mirza Muhammad Haidar Dughlat * Qamar-ud-din Khan Dughlat * Silk Road numismatics *
Silk Road transmission of Buddhism Mahayana Buddhism entered Han China via the Silk Road, beginning in the 1st or 2nd century CE. The first documented translation efforts by Buddhist monks in China were in the 2nd century CE via the Kushan Empire into the Chinese territory bo ...
* Subashi (lost city)


References


Bibliography

* * *
Google Books
* * * * * * * * * * * * *


Primary sources

*The ''
Book of Han The ''Book of Han'' is a history of China finished in 111 CE, covering the Western, or Former Han dynasty from the first emperor in 206 BCE to the fall of Wang Mang in 23 CE. The work was composed by Ban Gu (32–92 CE), ...
'' *The ''
Book of the Later Han The ''Book of the Later Han'', also known as the ''History of the Later Han'' and by its Chinese name ''Hou Hanshu'' (), is one of the Twenty-Four Histories and covers the history of the Han dynasty from 6 to 189 CE, a period known as the Lat ...
'' *The ''
Book of Jin The ''Book of Jin'' is an official Chinese historical text covering the history of the Jin dynasty (266–420), Jin dynasty from 266 to 420. It was compiled in 648 by a number of officials commissioned by the imperial court of the Tang dynasty, ...
''


External links


Silk Road Seattle – University of Washington
(The Silk Road Seattle website contains many useful resources including a number of full-text historical works)
Kucha at Google Maps
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kucha Ancient peoples of China Former countries in Chinese history Central Asian Buddhist kingdoms Central Asian Buddhist sites Populated places along the Silk Road Populated places in Xinjiang Oases of China