076: Greco Bactria - Han China and the War of the Heavenly Horses

In 128 B.C., an explorer and diplomat named Zhang Qian had arrived in the Ferghana Valley in modern Uzbekistan. As the first known Chinese visitor in Central Asia, he was originally tasked by the Han Emperor Wudi to seek an alliance with the Yuezhi nomads, who migrated to Bactria in the 130s and contributed to the collapse of the Greco-Bactrian Kingdom. Though the alliance fell through, Zhang’s reports on the wealthy lands of “Daxia” and “Dayuan” tantalized the Emperor’s political ambitions, resulting in waves of Han embassies and armies being sent to the so-called “Western Regions”. A burgeoning trade network soon arose as East Asia and the Mediterranean worlds became ever closer, prompting expeditions by the Chinese to make contact with the mysterious Da Qin (Roman Empire), whose aristocrats demanded the goods produced by the equally mysterious “Seres” (“Silk Peoples”).
Episode Notes:
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Episode 076 Transcript:
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The Hellenistic Far East Map 3 - Zhang Qian in Central Asia (hellenisticage...)
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[@richardyannick8935]

Finally! I can't wait to hear this one ! The moment of contact between two great civilizations!

[@user-nf1zz9rq4x]

my Greek friends told me this when i visited Greece. It was amazing to hear and discusses with them about this part of history. Magical!
Plus, we Chinese and Greeks have a almost exact period of "enlightenment" of philosophy and thoughts. When the Platonic Academy make the birth of Aristotle and many philosophers around BC350s, China also have a blossom of philosophers and thought from 6th century BC to 221 BC en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hundred_Schools_of_Thought

[@Street_photographyGK]

I am Greek and i really respect China. Serious people with. A lot of knowledge and philosophy. Amazing civilization!

[@weilandiv8310]

Heavenly Horses! The journey begins!

[@darthjoey8986]

Nice to learn a lil ancient Eastern History. China is fascinating. Good episode

[@MegaTang1234]

It appears that the Greeks descendants/ successors seemed to have abandoned the infamous pike formation by the time they met the Han army. Interesting episode by the way.

[@theletterw3875]

The Romans abandoned the phalanx in the second Samnite war citing that the broken and rough terrain disrupted the cohesion of the formation. Similar terrain pressures would exist even more pronounced with the pike phalanx in east and south Bactria, plus the enemy they were facing were largely mounted, making the forward momentum tactic Phillip used largely ineffective.

[@GerNiels]

Great episode. Very interesting topic!

[@spanishman5923]

Cool narration; keep improving voice to make it even more epic.

[@mishkosimonovski23]

Nice!

[@Dahveed1982]

2nd post!

[@uprightwalkingape3483]

Shendu = Sindu = Indus = Punjab ≠ modern India

[@gwendolynpreston6670]

【ｐｒｏｍｏｓｍ】

[@alexandermukai7724]

Interesting content, but I’m struggling to get past the narrative voice with all the annoyingly stressed long vowels and forced intonations. Good effort, keep working on improving the presentation. Don’t try to make it sound so ‘epic’, keep it cool, factual and interesting instead.