Shule Kingdom 疏勒 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| c. 200 BC–790 AD | |||||||
 Tarim Basin in the 3rd century AD (the territory of Shule is colored purple) | |||||||
| Capital | Kashgar | ||||||
| Common languages | Kanchaki (dialect of theSaka language, one of theEastern Iranian languages) | ||||||
| Government | Monarchy | ||||||
• ?–73 AD | Cheng | ||||||
• 73 AD – 73 AD | Douti | ||||||
• ?–? | Zhong | ||||||
• ?–? | Chenpan | ||||||
• 168–170 | Hede | ||||||
| History | |||||||
• Founded | c. 200 BC | ||||||
• Shule becomes a tributary of theEastern Han | 127 AD | ||||||
• Gained independence fromNorthern Liang | 460 AD | ||||||
• Shule becomes a tributary of thegokturks | c. 400 | ||||||
• Independence from theGokturks | 630 | ||||||
• Vassalized byTang dynasty | 632 AD | ||||||
• Conquered by Tibet | 670 AD | ||||||
• Declares vassalage toTang | 673 | ||||||
• Reconquered byTang | 692 | ||||||
• Conquered byTibetans | 790 AD | ||||||
| |||||||
| Today part of | China Kyrgyzstan | ||||||
TheShule Kingdom (Chinese:疏勒) was an ancientoasis kingdom of theTaklamakan Desert on theNorthern Silk Road, in the historicalWestern Regions of what is nowXinjiang inNorthwest China. Its capital wasKashgar,[1] the source of Kashgar's water being ariver of the same name. Much like the neighboring people of theKingdom of Khotan, the people of Kashgarspoke Saka, one of theEastern Iranian languages.[2]
Although a vassal of the ChineseTang dynasty from the 7th century, Shule was conquered by theTibetan Empire in the late 8th century and was eventually incorporated into theKara-Khanid Khanate during theIslamicisation and Turkicisation of Xinjiang.
The earliest mention of the Shule is around 120 BC, by theWestern Han Chinese, when exploring their borders.[3] In 127 AD, Shule began to pay tribute to theEastern Han.[3] In 168, followingHede's murder of the current ruler (name unknown), the Han declared war on the Shule, ending in the unsuccessfulSiege of Zhenzhong in 170 AD.[3]
By the end of the Eastern Han period (220 AD), Shule had conquered the city-states ofZhenzhong,Yarkent,Jieshi,Qusha,Xiye, andYinai.[3] In the 5th century, the Shule kingdom became a tributary of theGokturks. They gained independence from the Gokturks in 630, when the Gokturks fell in battle to the ChineseTang dynasty.[3] In 632 AD, it wasvassalized by the Tang, as part of theTang campaign against the oasis states.[4] Some sources say they were only made into atributary, and the Tang had very loosesuzerainty.[5][6][7] After being conquered by the Tang, it was part of theProtectorate General to Pacify the West betweenc. 640 andc. 790.[8] It was one of theFour Garrisons of Anxi stations between 649 and 670. After 670, one of the garrisons was changed, but Kashgar was still a seat of the four garrisons.[9]
In 670 AD, Shule was conquered by theTibetan Empire. In 673, the Shule kingdom declared itself a vassal of the Tang,[10] but was not reconquered by the Tang Chinese until 692 AD.[11]
It is alleged and probably untrue thatQutayba ibn Muslim in 715 attacked Kashgar.[12][13]
Kara Khanid Muslim Turks absorbed Kashgar during theIslamicisation and Turkicisation of Xinjiang. According toMahmud al-Kashgari, within Kashgar's vicinity, some non-Turkic languages like the Kanchaki andSogdian were still used in some areas.[14] It is believed that theSaka language group was what Kanchaki belonged to.[15][16] The Tarim Basin was believed to be linguistically Turkified before the end of the 11th century.[17]
As it was on theNorthern Silk Road, Shule mostly traded through theYumen Pass[18] and thePamir Mountains.[19]
The Northern Silk Road that passed through Kashgar split off into the northernTarim Basin route, which ran fromKashgar overAksu,Kucha,Korla, through theIron Gate Pass, overKarasahr,Jiaohe,Turpan,Gaochang andKumul toAnxi. The southern Tarim Basin route ran from Kashgar overYarkant,Karghalik,Pishan,Khotan,Keriya,Niya,Qarqan,Qarkilik,Miran andDunhuang to Anxi.[20]
Saka Shule had predominantly haplogroup Q1a, with R1a and N1a also present.[21]
Among the maternal haplogroups were H14a, H13a, U2e, U5a, M3a, D4j, C4a.[22]
Genetically, the Saka Shule appear to be descended from steppe pastoralists associated with the Andronovo/Sintasha and Afanasevo cultures, but with significant contributions from other populations such as the bmac, Baikal HG and local Tarim mummies. During the Iron Age, the region received genetic flow from the Central Asian Saka. There is also a minor contribution from the Yellow farmer and AASI.[23]
