National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
Digital Archive of Toyo Bunko Rare Books

CHAPTER IV

HISTORICAL CONNECTIONS BETWEEN CHINA AND THE NORTH
AFTER THE CHOU PERIOD

Towards the end of the Chou period, an event took place which clearly shows
in what way elements from the circle of the Eurasiatic Steppes could have pene-
trated into China. Ssü-Ma Ts'ien reports that Wu Ling, king of Chao (325-
298 B.C.) wished to put an end to continuous conflicts due to barbarian agres-
sion (1). His kingdom embraced what is actually Shan-si and western Chih-li,
and was particularly exposed to danger. The king decided to adapt Chinese
military organization and equipment to barbarian customs, and it is related
that certain of his subjects offered forcible resistance to these innovations. Lite-
rature on archeological subjects has often used this sure text (2). Pelliot
shows in detail what was adopted in this period by the Chinese from their war-
like neighbours (3). Chariots bearing arquebusiers were to be replaced by
cavalry, as was customary for people who lived on horseback and who could
draw the bow while riding. A new type of equipment naturally demanded cloth-
ing different from the traditional costume of the Chinese; above all, instead of the
flowing cloak and long skirt, a jacket held by a belt, and trousers; in brief the
dress of the nomadic horsemen. But Pelliot also points out that this reform
only appeared after the Han and did not dominate until the T'ang. Although
the borrowing of north Asian forms, so important to Chinese art, already began
at the end of the Chou period, the results are not felt before the III century
B.C., or in the majority of cases, at the earliest, during the Han dynasty. As for
Chinese objects bearing northern Asian characteristics, the possibility arises that
they may date from the first period of this artistic exchange between the centre
of culture and the periphery; but there is always another possibility, that of a
later creation.
To what race and to what people did these barbarians belong from whom
the Chinese consciously borrowed weapons and implements, and, because of
this, artistic forms? Ssü-Ma Ts'ien speaks of the Hu as neighbours of the Chao
kingdom. According to De Groot the eastern Hu should be considered