Khotan - Capital of an Oasis State on the Silk Road

Khotan (also spelled Hotian, or Hetian) is the name of a major oasis and city on the ancient Silk Road, a trade network that connected Europe, India, and China across the vast desert regions of central Asia beginning more than 2,000 years ago. Khotan Fast Facts Khotan was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Yutian, beginning in the 3rd century BCE.It is located at the western end of the Tarim basin in what is today Xinjiang Province of China.One of a handful of states who controlled trade and traffic on the Silk Road between India, China, and Europe.  Its main exports were camels and green jade. Khotan was the capital of an important ancient kingdom called Yutian, one of a handful of strong and more or less independent states who controlled travel and trade throughout the region for well over a thousand years. Its competitors at this western end of the Tarim basin included Shule and Suoju (also known as Yarkand). Khotan is located in south Xinjiang province, the westernmost province in modern China. Its political power was derived from its location on two rivers in the southern Tarim Basin of China, the Yurung-Kash and the Qara-Kash, south of the vast, nearly impassable Taklamakan Desert. According to historical records, Khotan was a double colony, settled first in the third century BCE by an Indian prince, one of several sons of the legendary King Asoka [304–232 BCE] who were expelled from India after Asokas conversion to Buddhism. A second settlement was by an exiled Chinese king. After a battle, the two colonies merged. Trade Networks on the Southern Silk Road Endless dune in Taklamakan desert, in southern Xinjiang province of China.   Feng Wei Photography / Getty Images The Silk Road should be called the Silk Roads because there were several different wandering pathways across Central Asia. Khotan was on the main southern route of the Silk Road, which began at the city of Loulan, close to the entry of the Tarim River into Lop Nor. Loulan was one of the capital cities of Shanshan, a people who occupied the desert region west of Dunhuang north of Altun Shan and south of Turfan. From Loulan, the southern route led 620 miles (1,000 kilometers) to Khotan, then 370 mi (600 km) further to the foot of the Pamir mountains in Tajikistan. Reports say it took 45 days to walk from Khotan to Dunhuang; 18 days if you had a horse. Shifting Fortunes The fortunes of Khotan and the other oasis states varied over time. The Shi Ji (Records of the Grand Historian, written by Sima Qian in 104–91 BCE, implies that Khotan controlled the entire route from Pamir to Lop Nor, a distance of 1,000 mi (1,600 km). But according to the Hou Han Shu (Chronicle of the Eastern Han or Later Han Dynasty, 25–220 CE) and written by Fan Ye, who died in 455 CE, Khotan only controlled a section of the route from Shule near Kashgar to Jingjue, an east-west distance of 500 mi (800 km). What is perhaps most likely is that the independence and power of the oasis states varied with the power of its clients. The states were intermittently and variously under the control of China, Tibet or India: In China, they were always known as the western regions, regardless of who currently controlled them. For example, China controlled traffic along the southern route when political issues cropped up during the Han Dynasty about 119 BCE. Then, the Chinese decided that although it would be beneficial to maintain the trade route, the territory was not critically important, so the oasis states were left to control their own destiny for the next few centuries. Commerce and Trade Trade along the Silk Road was a matter of luxury rather than necessity because the long distances and limits of camels and other pack animals meant that only high-value goods—in particular in relation to their weight—could be economically carried. An Imperial Khotan-Green Jade Seal from the Qing Dynasty, Qianlong Period.   Marco Secchi / Getty Images The main export item from Khotan was jade: the Chinese imported green Khotanese jade beginning at least as long ago as 1200 BCE. By the Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE), Chinese exports traveling through Khotan were primarily silk, lacquer, and bullion, and they were exchanged for jade from central Asia, cashmere and other textiles including wool and linen from the Roman empire, glass from Rome, grape wine and perfumes, slaves, and exotic animals such as lions, ostriches, and zebu, including the celebrated horses of Ferghana. During the Tang dynasty (618–907 CE), the main trade goods moving through Khotan were textiles (silk, cotton, and linen), metals, incense, and other aromatics, furs, animals, ceramics and precious minerals. Minerals included lapis lazuli from Badakshan, Afghanistan; agate from India; coral from the ocean shore in India; and pearls from Sri Lanka. Khotan Horse Coins Six Zhu Sino-Kharosthi coin with the image of a horse surrounded by Kharosthi script, circa 1st-2nd century CE. Gohyuloong One evidence that the commercial activities of Khotan must have extended at least from China to Kabul along the Silk Road, is that indicated by the presence of Khotan horse coins, copper/bronze coins found all along the southern route and in its client states. Khotan horse coins (also called Sino-Kharosthi coins) bear both Chinese characters and the Indian Kharosthi script denoting the values 6 zhu or 24 zhu on one side, and the image of a horse and the name of an Indo-Greek king Hermaeus at Kabul on the reverse side. Zhu was both a monetary unit and a weight unit in ancient China. Scholars believe Khotan horse coins were used between the first century BCE and the second century CE. The coins are inscribed with six different names (or versions of names) of kings but some scholars argue that those are all differently-spelled versions of the same kings name. Khotan and Silk Khotans best-known legend is that it was ancient Serindia, where the West is said to have first learned of the art of silk making. There is no doubt that by the 6th century CE, Khotan had become the center of silk production in Tarim; but how silk moved out of eastern China into Khotan is a tale of intrigue. The story is that a king of Khotan (perhaps Vijaya Jaya, who reigned about 320 CE) convinced his Chinese bride to smuggle seeds of the mulberry tree and silkworm pupa cases hidden in her hat on her way to Khotan. A fully sizeable silkworm culture (called sericulture) was established in Khotan by the 5th–6th centuries, and it is likely to have taken at least one or two generations to get it started. History and Archaeology at Khotan Documents referring to Khotan include Khotanese, Indian, Tibetan, and Chinese documents. Historic figures who reported visits to Khotan include the wandering Buddhist monk Faxian, who visited there in 400 CE, and the Chinese scholar Zhu Shixing, who stopped there between 265–270 CE, searching for a copy of the ancient Indian Buddhist text Prajnaparamita. Sima Qian, the writer of the Shi Ji, visited in the mid-second century BCE. The first official archaeological excavations at Khotan were conducted by Aurel Stein in the early 20th century, but looting of the site began as early as the 16th century. Sources and Further Information Bo, Bi, and Nicholas Sims-Williams. Sogdian Documents from Khotan, II: Letters and Miscellaneous Fragments. Journal of the American Oriental Society 135.2 (2015): 261-82. Print.De Crespigny, Rafe. Some Notes on the Western Regions  . Journal of Asian History 40.1 (2006): 1-30. Print.è ¥ ¿Ã¥Å¸Å¸Ã‚  ; in Later HanDe La Vaissià ¨re, Étienne. Silk, Buddhism Bulletin of the Asia Institute 24 (2010): 85-87. Print.and Early Khotanese Chronology: A Note on the Prophecy of the Li Country.Fang, Jiann-Neng, et al. Sino-Kharosthi and Sino-Brahmi Coins from the Silk Road of Western China Identified with Stylistic and Mineralogical Evidence. Geoarchaeology 26.2 (2011): 245-68. Print.Jiang, Hong-En, et al. A Consideration of the Involucre Remains of Coix Lacryma-Jobi L. (Poaceae) in the Sampula Cemetery (2000 Years Bp), Xinjiang, China. Journal of Archaeological Science 35 (2008): 1311-16. Print.Rong, Xinjiang, and Xin  Wen. Newly Discovered Chinese-Khotanese Bilingual Tallies. Journal o f Inner Asian Art and Archaeology 3 (2008): 99-118. Print.

Essay on Comparing the Wife of Bath’s Prologue and Tale

In Geoffrey Chaucer’s poem The Canterbury Tales a young Chaucer tells of the people he meets on a pilgrimage to the shrine of Saint Thomas Beckett in Canterbury. One of the most vivacious characters on the pilgrimage is The Wife of Bath. Both the Wife of Bath’s prologue and tale share a common theme of a woman’s control in a relationship with a man. The Wife of Bath and the old hag in her tale share a similar perspective on what women want most in life. In the prologue and tale the reader is exposed to the idea that what women most desire in life is to have control over their husbands and lovers. This tale and its prologue are linked through the way that Dame Alice, the Wife of Bath, fashions the old hag in her tale after herself. Wife†¦show more content†¦The fourth one was â€Å"bad† because this husband cheated on her. Her last husband Johnny, the one I took for love and not for wealth†¦(339), was bad because Dame Alice handed her power to her husband along with all of her money and land. He last husband also became abusive towards her, leaving her deaf in one ear. The Wife of Bath’s prologue proves that that she is only happy when she maintains complete dominance over her partner. In her tale Dame Alice claims once again that the most important thing to a woman is to have control and dominance in a relationship with a man. This is seen when the knight returns to the castle to answer the queen’s question, saying a woman wants the self-same sovereignty over her husband as over her lover, and master him, he must not be above her (174-176). As part of a previous arrangement the knight is saved, but must marry the old hag. The woman knows that her new husband is upset that she is old and ugly, so she decides to give him a choice. The hag questions the knight as to whether he would rather have her old and faithful or young and unfaithful. The knight tells the hag that the decision is hers to choose what she thinks will be best. Because the knight was wise enough to give the woman the choice to choose for herself the old hag was able to become young, beautiful and good. The Wife’s tale demonstrates that life will be better for a man when he gives hisShow MoreRelatedThe Wife Of Baths Tale Analysis1047 Words   |  5 Pagesbecause they considered wives to be gold diggers in which men would pay for their fancy lifestyle. The â€Å"Wife of Bath’s Tale,† was written around the year 1386, by Geoffrey Chaucer who tells a tale about a wife that wants sovereignty over her husbands. Book 18 of â€Å"Le Morte d’Arthur,† was written by Thomas Malory, he tells a tale about Queen Guinevere who wanted to follow the traditional role of a wife, who wanted to marry Sir Lanucelot but never could and have happiness because of the tragic that sheRead MoreThe Wife of Bath Essay2246 Words   |  9 PagesIn The Canterbury Tales, the Wife of Bath gives an in-depth look on h er life and understanding on the world as she perceives it. During her Prologue, we learn that what she calls experience stems from her first three marriages, but during her last two there is a shift in power. The Wife of Bath demonstrates her understanding and power throughout her first three marriages both physically and emotionally and the contrast of her lack of control in her last two, thus revealing the true meaning behindRead MoreChaucer s Canterbury Tales And The Wife Of Bath s Tale1167 Words   |  5 Pagesalways tries to improve a part of society in a moral basis. The reason it targets a part of society is because didactic literature has an audience of origin that the moral applies to. For example, Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales: â€Å"The Wife of Bath s Prologue† and â€Å"The Wife of Bath s Tale† , which is written by Geoffrey Chaucer, takes place during the late 5th and early 6th century during King Arthur’s reign of Great Britain. During this era, society was structured in a totally different manner than theRead MoreEssay on Ideal Women vs Real Women in Beowulf and The Wife of Bath1486 Words   |  6 Pagesfemale who is respected and admired, being the wife of King Hrothgar, Queen of the Danes: â€Å"Applause filled the hall./Then Wealhtheow pronounce in the presence of the company† (1214-1215). There is a great contrast between Grendel’s mother and Wealhtheow. In Geoffrey Chaucer’s The wife of bath’s Prologue and Tale, it is one of the many Canterbury tales that can bring us awareness of the women’s role in the middle ages. Even though Alisoun, who is the wife of bath is a female traveling with a groupRead More Womens Roles in Epic of Gilgamesh, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and The Canterbury Tales1481 Words   |  6 PagesChanging Womens Roles in The Epic of Gilgamesh, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and The Canterbury Tales Over the course of time, the roles of men and women have changed dramatically. As women have increasingly gained more social recognition, they have also earned more significant roles in society. This change is clearly reflected in many works of literature, one of the most representative of which is Plautuss 191 B.C. drama Pseudolus, in which we meet the prostitute Phoenicium. Although the

Factors That Could Influence A Child Or Young Person’s Development Free Essays

A2. A personal factor that may influence a Childs development would be being born with or later developing a brain tumour. Brain tumours can often lead to epilepsy, speech and communication difficulties, and even physical disabilities. We will write a custom essay sample on Factors That Could Influence A Child Or Young Person’s Development or any similar topic only for you Order Now A child that has epilepsy can be affected emotionally through embarrassment caused by having a seizure and the effects the seizure has on the child’s body i.e. They may lose control of their bladder. A night time seizure makes it difficult for the child to pay attention during lessons the next day, due to fatigue. An absent seizure (looking vacant/day dreaming) may disrupt their ability to process and remember information temporary. This can lead to difficulties with their reading, writing and maths. The child may get frustrated and annoyed as anything learned just prior to an absent seizure has to be repeated, due to short term memory loss. Other affects; Anti-seizure medications also may cause problems with mental processing and can cause fatigue or hyperactivity, especially when trying to get the dosage right for the child’s needs. Children who can appear to be seizure-free may be experiencing epileptic discharges in the brain (epilepsy type waves occurring when there is no physical sign of a seizure). However a child may show signs by being restless, distracted easily, and not being able to focus on the task at hand. Behavioural disturbances: – Fear, stress, embarrassment, frustration and even outbursts of anger. Having a buddy system in place and peer support may help build low self esteem. Being consistent and using clear direct instruction, repetition and praise and encouragement all helps. Another personal factor is asthma which is a chronic illness that can start in infancy. It can affect a child’s physical development they may not grow as tall as their peers due to having to take their preventative inhaler that contains steroids. Also having frequent time away from school can impede on their social skills as well as falling behind on lessons. An asthma attack can be brief or it can last for several days. An attack can be very scary  and exhausting. Although asthma is not curable, it can be controlled by taking medication and by avoiding contact with environmental â€Å"triggers† for asthma. Triggers that can induce an asthma attack are;  allergens (substances to which people are allergic), such as pollens, foods, dust, mould, or animal dander irritants in the air, such as dirt, cigarette smoke, gases and air pollution odours in the household, such as household cleaners, perfumes, paints, varnishes, fabric softeners, laundry detergents and cooking fumes respiratory infections, such as colds, and flu  exercise Emotional stress such as excessive fear or excitement weather conditions – very cold, windy or sudden changes in the weather medications, such as aspirin or certain cough medicines This illness can cause behavioural and emotional effects in a child. They could experience lower self esteem due to not taking a part in sport activities, fear of trying for fear of an asthma attack. This can then have an impact on peer relationships, not being able to share fully in reached goals, or share in group camaraderie. Loneliness can occur possibly even depression. External Factor The external factors, which surround the child as opposed to being of the child can influence the child’s development in different ways, for example, the family environment can be a huge influence on the child’s development. A break-up of the parents can be massively disruptive for children, this may cause them to become withdrawn, or lose interest in school and education. Loss of focus and inability to concentrate, outbursts of emotion, lack of sleep. Not being able to cope emotionally because of all the changes at home. i.e. Home routine disrupted arguments, loss of one parent in the household can cause grief, insecurity, fear, anger, self blame. Not being able to express their feelings verbally. Which can lead to unpredictable behaviour, isolating themselves from people, having angry outbursts, and even self harming? All can affect a child in areas of their development especially socially, emotional, communication and even  intellectually. Another external factor is poverty and deprivation, lack of food will cause lethargy and inability to concentrate at school. It may affect the child’s growth and health. Low self esteem due to not having the latest fashion in clothes, ill fitting clothes, bullying due to the way they look. Not having books, the latest gadgets and games etc will impede on their fine motor skills and hand eye co-ordination especially in their early years. Socially older children may make the wrong choices and even turn to crime to get what they don’t have. There may be low expectations due to their parents being uneducated or not being good role models. How to cite Factors That Could Influence A Child Or Young Person’s Development, Papers

China and Russian Mongol FRQ free essay sample

The Mongolian rule had a very direct impact and influence in China and Russia in terms of political and economical structure. Although the Mongols were not as evident in the Golden Horde region, they still impacted Russia just as much as they did in the Yuan district in China. In both China and Russia, the Mongols left their mark by placing high taxes on peasants, taking full control over trade through the Silk Road, and increasing international diplomacy through various methods, creating Pax Mongolica. Although Mongolian rule fell long ago, its influence can still be seen today. In Russia and China, the Mongol era brought a change in political power. The Khans, or â€Å"Great Leaders†, ruled both places, although not equally. China was directly ruled by the Mongols, seeing that China hosted them in the Yuan province, while Russia was given a sense of self rule. The Mongols still claimed taxes and sought goods from Russia, but did not actually occupy it as they did in China. We will write a custom essay sample on China and Russian Mongol FRQ or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The lack of occupancy in Russia eventually led to the downfall of the Mongol rule there seeing that there was no opposing force to govern them, thus putting power back to the Russians, and creating what we know Russia as today. Not only was the political aspect of China and Russia influenced, but the economy was influenced as well. The conquests of Kublai Khan and his successors joined the Eastern world with the Western world by the use of the Silk Road, which served as a trade route. The Silk Road connected trade centers spanning across Asia and Europe reaching from the Golden Horde to the Yuan province. The trade route, while under strict protection of the Mongols, increased Eurasian trade of goods, beliefs, and disease. The Silk Road spread silk, porcelain, and gun powder from China as well as Buddhism, and the plague. The goods that came and went through the trade route were taxed heavily along with the peasants that resided in each region. The high taxes served as income for the Mongols to use towards warfare, necessities, and indulgences. The Silk Road, by bringing in and sending out new ideas and goods, spread international diplomacy. In the case of China, the Silk Road brought in ambassadors from the Middle East amongst other regions, thereby increasing and instilling a sense of Pax Mongolica. In conclusion, the Mongols influence on China and Russia shaped them into what they are today.  The Mongols achieved their greatness by taxing the poor in order to support their army, making the Silk Road their own, and accumulating international diplomacy and instilling Pax Mongolica.