Western Regions

You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Chinese. (September 2020) Click [show] for important translation instructions. Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article. You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary is Content in this edit is translated from the existing Chinese Wikipedia article at [[:zh:西域]]; see its history for attribution. You should also add the template {{Translated|zh|西域}} to the talk page. For more guidance, see Wikipedia:Translation.

You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Japanese. (September 2020) Click [show] for important translation instructions. Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia. Consider adding a topic to this template: there are already 3,783 articles in the main category, and specifying|topic= will aid in categorization. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article. You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary is Content in this edit is translated from the existing Japanese Wikipedia article at [[:ja:西域]]; see its history for attribution. You should also add the template {{Translated|ja|西域}} to the talk page. For more guidance, see Wikipedia:Translation.

Part of a series on the
History of Xinjiang
Ancient period Tocharians Yuezhi Xiongnu Western Regions (Han Protectorate; Chief Officials) Kingdom of Khotan Former Liang Former Qin Later Liang Western Liang Gaochang Rouran First Turkic Khaganate Western Turkic Khaganate Eastern Turkic Khaganate Second Turkic Khaganate
Medieval and early modern period Tang Protectorates (West; Beiting) Tibetan Empire Uyghur Khaganate Kara-Khanid Khanate Kingdom of Qocho Qara Khitai Mongol Empire (Yuan; Chagatai Khanate) Moghulistan (Turpan; Yarkent) Ming ruled Kara Del Dzungar Khanate Kumul Khanate Yettishar Qing rule (Dzungar genocide Dungan Revolt Qing reconquest)
Modern period Xinjiang Province, Republic of China (Xinjiang clique 1st East Turkestan Republic 2nd East Turkestan Republic) Xinjiang Province, People's Republic of China Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (Production and Construction Corps Xinjiang conflict Xinjiang internment camps / Persecution of Uyghurs in China)
v t e

The Western Regions or Xiyu (Hsi-yü;

Because of its strategic location astride the Silk Road, the Western Regions have been historically significant to China since at least the 3rd century BC.

History

Han dynasty

In 138 BC, the

The earliest solid Chinese political control of the region began in 60 BC, when Emperor Xuan of the Western Han dynasty established a military administrative office responsible for what would be present day Xinjiang and parts of Central Asia,^[2] known as the Protectorate of the Western Regions. Later, the Eastern Han dynasty set up another protectorate known as the Chief Official of the Western Regions.^[3]

Tang dynasty

In the 7th century, the Tang dynasty's campaign against the Western Regions led to the re-acquired full control of the region, under the Protectorate General to Pacify the West. The region became significant in later centuries as a cultural conduit between East Asia, the Indian subcontinent, the Muslim world and Europe, such as during the period of the Mongol Empire. One of the most significant exports of the Western Regions was Buddhist texts, particularly the Mahayana sutras, which were carried by traders and pilgrim monks to China. The Tang dynasty monk Xuanzang crossed the region on his way to study in India, resulting in the influential Great Tang Records on the Western Regions upon his return to the Tang capital of Chang'an.

The Chinese lost its influence on Perisa to the

After Tang dynasty

The influence exercised over the Western Regions by later Chinese dynasties varied over time.^[2] Xiyu tudi renwu lüe (Brief Records of the Lands and Peoples in the Western Regions), a chapter in the Gazetteer of Shaanxi compiled by Ming dynasty Chinese scholar Ma Li in 1542, documents a route leading from the Jiayu Pass, China's northwestern outpost, to the Ottoman Empire capital Istanbul and geography and economy of the places along the route.^[4]

In the 19th century, the Russian Empire annexed Central Asia which became known as Russian Turkestan,^[2] whereas the Inner Asian region of Xinjiang under the rule of the Qing dynasty of China also became known as Chinese Turkestan. By the early twentieth century, the Russia Empire (and then its successor state the Soviet Union) controlled most of the regions to the west of Xinjiang.^[2]

Culture

Before the onset of Turkic migrations, the peoples of the region spoke two main groups of Indo-European languages. The peoples of oasis city-states of Hotan and Kashgar spoke Saka, one of the Eastern Iranian languages, whereas the people of Kucha, Turpan and Loulan Kingdom spoke the Tocharian languages.^[5][6]

See also

• Turkestan
• Chinese Turkestan
• Chinese Tartary
• Hexi Corridor
• History of the Han dynasty
• Kingdom of Khotan
• Shule Kingdom
• Sogdia
• Han dynasty in Inner Asia
  • Protectorate of the Western Regions
  • Chief Official of the Western Regions
• Tang dynasty in Inner Asia
  • Protectorate General to Pacify the West
• Qing dynasty in Inner Asia
  • Xinjiang under Qing rule
• Ethnic groups in Chinese history

References

Citations

Sources

• Yap, Joseph P. (2009). Wars with the Xiongnu - a translation from Zizhi Tongjian Chapters 4-17. AuthorHouse.
  ISBN 978-1-4490-0604-4
  .
• 西域考古図譜 : vol.1 西域考古図譜 : vol.2

Further reading

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Western Regions.

Look up Western Regions in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

• Yap, Joseph P, (2019). The Western Regions, Xiongnu and Han, from the Shiji, Hanshu and Hou Hanshu.
  ISBN 978-1792829154
  .