Yuezhi Culture
Yuezhi Culture refers to the heritage of the Indo-European Yuezhi people, likely descendants of the Scythians, who inhabited the Gansu Province and regions of Mongolia during the early centuries B.C.E. Initially a nomadic society, the Yuezhi established an empire by 250 B.C.E. that spanned much of Mongolia, the Altay region, the upper Yellow River, and the Tarim Basin. They are noted for their production of jade and practiced a form of shamanism as part of their religious beliefs.
In the 2nd century B.C.E., the Yuezhi faced pressure from the Xiongnu, leading to their migration westward, where they eventually settled between the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers. This relocation allowed them to establish a new capital at Kienshih, present-day Samarkand. The Yuezhi later invaded Bactria, renaming it Tokharistan, and one of their branches, the Kushāns, went on to form an influential empire in India around 50 C.E. The remnants of Yuezhi culture persisted in the region for some time under various rulers. Overall, Yuezhi Culture is characterized by its nomadic origins, significant territorial expansions, and contributions to the cultural tapestry of Central Asia and beyond.
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Yuezhi Culture
Related civilizations: Bactria, China, Kushān.
Date: c. 420 b.c.e.-c. 100 c.e.
Locale: East Turkestan, Turkestan, and Afghanistan
Yuezhi Culture
The Indo-European Yuezhi (YEW-eh jee; Wade-Giles Yüeh-chih) were probably Scythians who lived in Gansu Province (later Xingjiang) in the fifth century b.c.e. By about 250 b.c.e., they had established an empire that included most of Mongolia, the Altay region, the upper Yellow River, and the Tarim Basin. Primarily nomads, they produced jade while in Gansu. Their religion was a form of shamanism.
About 200 b.c.e., the Xiongnu, under Maodun (c. 209-174 b.c.e.), conquered all of Mongolia and in 176 b.c.e. drove the Yuezhi from Gansu to the Ili Valley. Twelve years later, Wulin, a vassal of the Xiongnu, forced them farther west. Some Yuezhi moved to the Tibetan mountains, but most occupied the territories between the Amu Dar’ya and Syr Dar’ya Rivers (Sogdia), driving Saka tribes into Bactria. Their new capital was Kienshih (Maracanda/Samarqand). In 138 b.c.e., Chinese emperor Wudi (r. 140-87 b.c.e.) unsuccessfully dispatched an ambassador to secure their assistance against the Xiongnu. Instead, following the Saka, the Yuezhi invaded Bactria and renamed the land Tokharistan. One of five branches of the Yuezhi, the Kushāns, extended their territories in Bactria and crossed the Indus River in 50 c.e. to establish the Kushān Empire in India. A Yuezhi state continued to exist for a while in Bactria under King Heraus.
Bibliography
Frye, Richard N. The Heritage of Central Asia: From Antiquity to the Turkish Expansion. Princeton, N.J.: Markus Wiener, 1996.
Harmatta, János, B. N. Puri, and G. F. Etemadi, eds. The Development of Sedentary and Nomadic Civilizations: 700 b.c. to a.d. 250. Vol. 2 in History of Civilizations of Central Asia. Paris: UNESCO, 1994.