Sabao (Chinese:薩保;pinyin:sàbǎo;lit. 'Protector', 'Guardian'), orsārtpāw inSogdian,[1] was an official Chinese title in the 5th-7th centuries CE, used for government-appointed leaders of theSogdian immigrant-merchant community.[2] The wordsabao is derived from the Sogdian wordsārtpāw, "caravan leader".[2] Sabaos also often had titles of "Prefects", with regional responsibilities, in the Chinese administration :An Jia was Sabao and Grand Governor (大都督, Dàdūdū) ofTong Prefecture.
They were in charge of commercial affairs for foreign merchants fromMiddle Asia doing businesses in China, as well as Zoroastrian affairs. VariousSabaos are known from their epitaphs, such asAn Jia,Wirkak orYu Hong.[3][4]
The tombs of theSabaos in China are among the most lavish of the period in this country, and are only slightly inferior to Imperial tombs, suggesting that they were among the wealthiest members of the population.[5]
Ce sont les décors funéraires les plus riches de cette époque, venant juste après ceux de la famille impériale; il est probable que les sabao étaient parmi les éléments les plus fortunés de la population.