Innermost Asia : vol.2 / Page 52 (Color Image)

0052	Innermost Asia : vol.2

the imperial forces north of the Kuku-nōr, and that notwithstanding the successes won by certain
Chinese generals in 673 and 677–9, Chinese supremacy in those regions was not re-established until
692.⁴⁹ It seems difficult to believe that the Tibetans, who had then risen to formidable power,
should have conquered the Tārīm basin and made their influence felt even north of the T'ien-shan,
without having at least temporarily secured mastery over the oases from Tun-huang to Turfān,
through which led the least difficult line of access to the former.⁵⁰

Final phase
of Chinese
occupation. The recovery of the 'Four Garrisons' in 692 was followed by a period of consolidation of
Chinese power in Eastern Turkestān, which extended over more than half a century and must have
brought increased prosperity to Turfān.⁵¹ Rapid decline set in with the crushing defeat inflicted
in 751 by the Arabs in Tāshkend territory on Kao Hsien-chih, the leader of the famous expedi-
tion across the Pāmīrs and Hindukush, who then had charge of the 'Four Garrisons'. But even then
Turfān remained in Chinese hands for forty years longer. Otherwise the Protectorates of Kuchā
and Pei-t'ing could scarcely have maintained themselves, after the complete severance of direct
communication with the Empire caused by the Tibetan conquest of Kan-su and its western marches,
including Tun-huang, in about A. D. 766.⁵² The very interesting records which M. Chavannes
has collected from the T'ang Annals concerning this final phase of Chinese dominion in these out-
lying territories, and reproduced in Appendix A of Ancient Khotan, distinctly mention Hsi, i. e.
Turfān, together with I[-wu] or Hāmi and Pei-t'ing, as the districts governed by Li Yüan-chung,
to whom the Emperor in 781 granted the title of 'Grand Protector of Pei-t'ing'. He and Kuo
Hsin, governor of the Four Garrisons, had managed in that year to send messengers to the imperial
court by devious routes through the territories held by friendly Hui-ho 回紇, i.e. Uigur tribes.

Tibetan
attacks,
A. D. 789. The enfeebled Empire had to content itself with bestowing great titles, nominal promotion
and the like, upon those valiant Wardens of its last Central-Asian possessions, their officers and men,
without affording the help against the increasing pressure of the Tibetans from the south which
had, no doubt, been prayed for.⁵³ In 783–4 a proposal to hand over to the latter 'the territories
of I 伊 (Hāmi), Hsi 西 and Pei-t'ing 北庭' was under serious consideration by the Emperor,
but was finally negatived.⁵⁴ Towards the close of the year 789 fresh reports reached the court
from Pei-t'ing, showing the desperate straits to which were reduced the Chinese who still held
that territory and Turfān. The party of officials which had brought these reports, travelling by
way of the Uigurs, was evidently that to which the Buddhist pilgrim Wu-k'ung had attached
himself when regaining China after an absence of nearly forty years in the 'Western countries'
and India.⁵⁵ The Tibetans were reported to be attacking Pei-t'ing with the help of Karluk and
other Turk tribes, while an Uigur force was coming to relieve it.

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

Citation Information

OCR Text

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