Battle of Talas
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Talas (怛羅斯會戰) (معركة نهر طلاس) in 751 AD was an especially notable conflict between the Arab Abbasid Caliphate
and the Chinese Tang Dynasty
(together with variously involved peoples and nations associated with the geographical territory involved) for control not only of the Syr Darya
region, but even more. In fact, this battle marked the end of the western expansion to the territory of the Tang dynasty; and, also, reached a point never reached by prior or subsequent dynasties. Prior to this time, a series of military events had lead the Tang army further and further westward, during the course of which various cities and states were conquered or overthrown. On July 751, The Abbasids started a massive attack against the Chinese on the banks of the Talas river; the Arab army (200,000 Muslim troops according to Chinese estimates though these numbers are almost certainly exaggerated) met the combined army of 10,000 Tang Chinese and 20,000 Karluks mercenary (Arab records put the Chinese forces at 100,000 also an exaggeration). Out of 10,000 Tang troops, only 2000 managed to return from Talas to their territory in Central Asia.
The Tang dynasty's defeat was due to the defection of Karluk mercenaries
and the retreat of Ferghana
allies who originally supported the Chinese. The Karluks forces, which composed two thirds of the Tang army, deserted the Chinese coalition and changed to the Muslim side while the battle was ongoing. With the Karluk troops attacking the Tang army from the rear and the Arab attacking from the front, the Tang troops were unable to hold their positions. The commander of the Tang forces, Gao Xianzhi
, recognized that defeat was imminent and managed to escape with some of his Tang regulars with the help of Li Siye
. Despite losing the battle, Li did inflict heavy losses on the pursuing Arab army after being reproached by Duan Xiushi
. After the battle, Gao was prepared to organize another Tang army against the Arabs when the devastating An Shi Rebellion
broke out in 755. When the Tang capital was taken by rebels, all Chinese armies stationed in Central Asia were ordered back to China proper to crush the rebellion
The Chinese name Daluosi (怛罗斯, Talas) was first seen in the account of Xuanzang
. Du Huan located the city near the western drain of the Chui River. The exact location of the battle has not been confirmed but is believed to be near Taraz
and Talas
on the border of present day Kazakhstan
and Kyrgyzstan
.
, was installed with the help of the Arabs. The deposed king Ikhshid fled to Kucha
(seat of Anxi Protectorate), and sought for Chinese intervention. The Chinese sent 10,000 troops under Zhang Xiaosong to Ferghana. He defeated the Arab-puppet Alutar at Namangan
and reinstalled Ikhshid. The inhabitants of three Sogdian
cities were massacred as a result of the battle. The second encounter occurred in 717, when Arabs were guided by the Turgesh
and besieged two cities in the area of Aksu
. The Chinese Tang Jiahui responded by sending two armies, one composed of Karluk mercenaries led by Ashina Xin (client qaghan of Onoq) and another composed of Tang regulars led by Jiahui himself. According to Chinese sources the battle resulted in a Tang victory.
According to Arab
sources in the year 750, Abu al-'Abbas al-Saffah (Al-Saffah), the founder of the Abbasid Caliphate launched a massive rebellion against the incumbent Umayyad Caliphate from the province of Khurasan
near Talas
. After eliminating the entire Umayyad family and his decisive victory at the Battle of the Zab
(also known as the Abbasid Revolution). Abu al-'Abbas al-Saffah and his forces marched into Damascus
and founded a new dynasty. Abu al-'Abbas al-Saffah sent his armies to Central Asia
, Sindh
, Arabia, Anatolia
, Egypt
and North Africa
, his forces confronted many regional powers and consolidated the realm of the Abbasid Caliphate.
Abu al-'Abbas al-Saffah spent all his wealth on warfare and his forces were known to the Chinese as the Black Robed Ta-Shih. He died in the year 752 AD. His brother who succeeded him as the second Abbasid Caliph Abu Jafar al-Mansur
(r.754-775 AD) (A-p’uch’a-fo) helped the Chinese Emperor Suzong of Tang
after he appealed for help in regaining control of his capital Chang'an
from the treacherous commander, An Lu-Shan. Abu Jafar al-Mansur responded by sending 4,000 men who recaptured the city and were well rewarded by the Chinese Emperor.
(763 onwards) caused the decline of Tang influence in Central Asia by the end of the 700s. The local Tang tributaries
then switched to the authority of the Abbasids, Tibetans, or Uighurs and the introduction of Islam
was thus facilitated among the Turkic peoples. Well supported by the Abbasids, the Karluk
s established a state
that would be absorbed in the late 9th century by the Kara-Khanid Khanate
.
With the successful cooperation of Arabs and Turkic peoples
, Islam began to exert its influence on the Turkic culture.
, of 20th century according to whom, "The earlier Arab historians, occupied with the narrative of events then taking place in western Asia, do not mention this battle; but it is undoubtedly of great importance in the history of (Western) Turkestan
as it determined the question which of the two civilizations, the Chinese or the Muslim, should predominate in the land (of Turkestan)."
The loss of 8000 troops to the Tang empire can be compared to a troop strength of more than 500,000 before the Anshi rebellion According to Bartold, for the history of the first three centuries of Islam, al-Tabari
was the chief source (survived in Ibn al Athir's compilation), which was brought down to 915. (Unfortunately, this important work was only compiled and published by a group of Orientalist
s in 1901.) It is only in Athir that we find an accurate account of the conflict between the Arabs and the Chinese in 751. Neither Tabari nor the early historical works of the Arabs which have come down to us in general make any mention of this; however, Athir's statement is completely confirmed by the Chinese History of the Tang Dynasty. It must be noted that in all Arab sources, the events which occurred in the eastern part of the empire are often dealt with briefly. Another notable informant of the battle on the Muslim side was Al-Dhahabi
(1274–1348).
The Battle of Talas was key event in the history of paper
- the technological transmission of the paper-making process. After the battle of Talas, knowledgeable Chinese prisoners of war were ordered to produce paper in Samarkand
, or so the story goes. In fact, high quality paper had been known – and made – in Central Asia for centuries; a letter on paper survives from the fourth century to a merchant in Samarkand. But the Islamic conquest of Central Asia in the late seventh and early eighth centuries opened up this knowledge for the first time to what became the Muslim world, and so by the year 794 AD, paper manufacturing could be found in Baghdad
, modern-day Iraq. The technology of paper making was thus transmitted to and revolutionised the Islamic world, and later the European West. The paper production was a state secret, and only some places and Buddhist Monks knew the technology. Of course, the paper was transported many kilometers as a Chinese luxury product, and as it was traded, the finding of paper in several places is not proof of production, but of use.
Other than the transfer of paper, there is no evidence to support a geopolitical or demographic change resulting from this battle. In fact it seems that Tang influence over Central Asia even strengthened after 751 and that by 755, Tang power in Central Asia was at its zenith. Several of the factors after the battle had been taken note of prior to 751. Firstly, the Karluks never in any sense remained opposed to the Chinese after the battle. In 753, the Karluk Yabgu Dunpijia submitted under the column of Cheng Qianli and captured A-Busi, a betrayed Chinese mercenary of Tongluo (Tiele
) chief (who had defected earlier in 743), and received his title in the court on 22 October. Furthermore, at the same time that Talas took place, the Tang also sent an army from Shibao city in Qinghai to Suyab and consolidated Chinese control over the Turgesh. Chinese expansion in Central Asia did not halt after the battle; the Chinese commander Feng Changqing
, who took over the position from Gao Xianzhi through Wang Zhengjian, virtually swept across the Kashmir
region and captured Gilgit
shortly two years later. Even Tashkent reestablished its vassal status in 753, when the Tang bestowed a title to its ruler.
The Chinese influence to the west of the Pamir Mountains
certainly did not cease as the result of the battle; Central Asian states under Muslim control, such as Samarkand, continued to request aid from the Tang against the Arabs in spite of Talas and hence in 754, all nine kingdoms of Western Turkestan again sent petitions to the Tang to attack the Arabs and the Tang continued to turn down such requests as it did for decades. Ferghana, which participated in the battle earlier, in fact joined among the central Asian auxiliaries with the Chinese army under a summons and entered Gansu during An Lushan's revolt in 756. Neither did the relations between the Chinese and Arabs worsen, as the Abbasids, like their predecessors (since 652), continued to send embassies to China uninterruptedly after the battle. Such visits had overall resulted in 13 diplomatic gifts between 752–98. Not all Turkic tribes of the region converted to Islam after the battle either — the date of their mass-conversion to Islam was much later, in the 10th century under Musa.
Abbasid
The Abbasid Caliphate or, more simply, the Abbasids , was the third of the Islamic caliphates. It was ruled by the Abbasid dynasty of caliphs, who built their capital in Baghdad after overthrowing the Umayyad caliphate from all but the al-Andalus region....
and the Chinese Tang Dynasty
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
(together with variously involved peoples and nations associated with the geographical territory involved) for control not only of the Syr Darya
Syr Darya
The Syr Darya , also transliterated Syrdarya or Sirdaryo, is a river in Central Asia, sometimes known as the Jaxartes or Yaxartes from its Ancient Greek name . The Greek name is derived from Old Persian, Yakhsha Arta , a reference to the color of the river's water...
region, but even more. In fact, this battle marked the end of the western expansion to the territory of the Tang dynasty; and, also, reached a point never reached by prior or subsequent dynasties. Prior to this time, a series of military events had lead the Tang army further and further westward, during the course of which various cities and states were conquered or overthrown. On July 751, The Abbasids started a massive attack against the Chinese on the banks of the Talas river; the Arab army (200,000 Muslim troops according to Chinese estimates though these numbers are almost certainly exaggerated) met the combined army of 10,000 Tang Chinese and 20,000 Karluks mercenary (Arab records put the Chinese forces at 100,000 also an exaggeration). Out of 10,000 Tang troops, only 2000 managed to return from Talas to their territory in Central Asia.
The Tang dynasty's defeat was due to the defection of Karluk mercenaries
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
and the retreat of Ferghana
Fergana Valley
The Fergana Valley or Farghana Valley is a region in Central Asia spreading across eastern Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Divided across three subdivisions of the former Soviet Union, the valley is ethnically diverse, and in the early 21st century was the scene of ethnic conflict...
allies who originally supported the Chinese. The Karluks forces, which composed two thirds of the Tang army, deserted the Chinese coalition and changed to the Muslim side while the battle was ongoing. With the Karluk troops attacking the Tang army from the rear and the Arab attacking from the front, the Tang troops were unable to hold their positions. The commander of the Tang forces, Gao Xianzhi
Gao Xianzhi
Gao Xianzhi, or Ko Sōnji, was a Tang general of Korean descent. He was known as a great commander during his lifetime. He is most well known for taking part in multiple military expeditions to conquer the Xiyu region over the infamous Pamir Mountains, all the way to the Aral Sea and the Caspian...
, recognized that defeat was imminent and managed to escape with some of his Tang regulars with the help of Li Siye
Li Siye
Li Siye , formally Prince Zhongyong of Wuwei , was a general of the Chinese Tang Dynasty who fought in the Battle of Talas. He fought valiantly at the Battle of Talas after the defeat of the main forces commanded by Gao Xianzhi, and his efforts allowed Gao to escape from the pursuit that Abbasid...
. Despite losing the battle, Li did inflict heavy losses on the pursuing Arab army after being reproached by Duan Xiushi
Duan Xiushi
Duan Xiushi , courtesy name Chenggong , formally Prince Zhonglie of Zhangye , was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. He was known for his strict military discipline...
. After the battle, Gao was prepared to organize another Tang army against the Arabs when the devastating An Shi Rebellion
An Shi Rebellion
The An Lushan Rebellion took place in China during the Tang Dynasty from CE December 16, 755 to CE February 17, 763, beginning when general An Lushan declared himself emperor, establishing the rival Yan Dynasty in Northern China...
broke out in 755. When the Tang capital was taken by rebels, all Chinese armies stationed in Central Asia were ordered back to China proper to crush the rebellion
The Chinese name Daluosi (怛罗斯, Talas) was first seen in the account of Xuanzang
Xuanzang
Xuanzang was a famous Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveler, and translator who described the interaction between China and India in the early Tang period...
. Du Huan located the city near the western drain of the Chui River. The exact location of the battle has not been confirmed but is believed to be near Taraz
Taraz
Taraz , is a city and a center of the Jambyl Province in Kazakhstan. It is located in the south of Kazakhstan, near the border with Kyrgyzstan, on the Talas River...
and Talas
Talas, Kyrgyzstan
Talas is a small town in northwestern Kyrgyzstan, located in the Talas River valley between two imposing mountain ranges. Its geographical location is and its population is 32,538 . It is the administrative headquarters of Talas province. The town was founded by East Slavic settlers in 1877...
on the border of present day Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
and Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan , officially the Kyrgyz Republic is one of the world's six independent Turkic states . Located in Central Asia, landlocked and mountainous, Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east...
.
Background
Prior to the battle, there were other indirect encounters between the combatants. The first occurred in 715 when Alutar, the new king of FerghanaFergana Valley
The Fergana Valley or Farghana Valley is a region in Central Asia spreading across eastern Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Divided across three subdivisions of the former Soviet Union, the valley is ethnically diverse, and in the early 21st century was the scene of ethnic conflict...
, was installed with the help of the Arabs. The deposed king Ikhshid fled to Kucha
Kucha
Kuchaor Kuche Uyghur , Chinese Simplified: 库车; Traditional: 庫車; pinyin Kùchē; also romanized as Qiuzi, Qiuci, Chiu-tzu, Kiu-che, Kuei-tzu from the traditional Chinese forms 屈支 屈茨; 龜玆; 龟兹, 丘玆, also Po ; Sanskrit: Kueina, Standard Tibetan: Kutsahiyui was an ancient Buddhist kingdom...
(seat of Anxi Protectorate), and sought for Chinese intervention. The Chinese sent 10,000 troops under Zhang Xiaosong to Ferghana. He defeated the Arab-puppet Alutar at Namangan
Namangan
Namangan is the third-largest city in Uzbekistan . It is the capital of Namangan Province, in the northern edge of Fergana Valley of north-eastern Uzbekistan.-Geography:...
and reinstalled Ikhshid. The inhabitants of three Sogdian
Sogdiana
Sogdiana or Sogdia was the ancient civilization of an Iranian people and a province of the Achaemenid Empire, eighteenth in the list on the Behistun Inscription of Darius the Great . Sogdiana is "listed" as the second of the "good lands and countries" that Ahura Mazda created...
cities were massacred as a result of the battle. The second encounter occurred in 717, when Arabs were guided by the Turgesh
Turgesh
The Türgesh, Turgish or Türgish were a Turkic tribal confederation who emerged from the ruins of the Western Turkic Kaganate...
and besieged two cities in the area of Aksu
Aksu Prefecture
Aksu Prefecture is located in mid-western Xinjiang, China. It has an area of 132,500 km² and 2.19 million inhabitants .The name Aksu is Turkic for 'white water'.-Geography:...
. The Chinese Tang Jiahui responded by sending two armies, one composed of Karluk mercenaries led by Ashina Xin (client qaghan of Onoq) and another composed of Tang regulars led by Jiahui himself. According to Chinese sources the battle resulted in a Tang victory.
According to Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
sources in the year 750, Abu al-'Abbas al-Saffah (Al-Saffah), the founder of the Abbasid Caliphate launched a massive rebellion against the incumbent Umayyad Caliphate from the province of Khurasan
Greater Khorasan
Greater Khorasan or Ancient Khorasan is a historical region of Greater Iran mentioned in sources from Sassanid and Islamic eras which "frequently" had a denotation wider than current three provinces of Khorasan in Iran...
near Talas
Talas
-Places:*Talas River Kyrgyzstan and Karakhstan;*Talas Valley*Talas Alatau*Talas , an ancient Silk Road city in Kazakhstan*Talas, Kyrgyzstan, a modern town in Central Asia*Talas Province, Kyrgyzstan...
. After eliminating the entire Umayyad family and his decisive victory at the Battle of the Zab
Battle of the Zab
The Battle of the Zab took place on the banks of the Great Zab river in what is now Iraq on January 25, 750. It spelled the end of the Umayyad Caliphate and the rise of the Abbasids, a dynasty that would last until the 13th century.-Background:A serious rebellion had broken out in 747 against...
(also known as the Abbasid Revolution). Abu al-'Abbas al-Saffah and his forces marched into Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
and founded a new dynasty. Abu al-'Abbas al-Saffah sent his armies to Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
, Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
, Arabia, Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
, his forces confronted many regional powers and consolidated the realm of the Abbasid Caliphate.
Abu al-'Abbas al-Saffah spent all his wealth on warfare and his forces were known to the Chinese as the Black Robed Ta-Shih. He died in the year 752 AD. His brother who succeeded him as the second Abbasid Caliph Abu Jafar al-Mansur
Al-Mansur
Al-Mansur, Almanzor or Abu Ja'far Abdallah ibn Muhammad al-Mansur was the second Abbasid Caliph from 136 AH to 158 AH .-Biography:...
(r.754-775 AD) (A-p’uch’a-fo) helped the Chinese Emperor Suzong of Tang
Emperor Suzong of Tang
Emperor Suzong of Tang , personal name Li Heng , né Li Sisheng , known as Li Jun from 725 to 736, known as Li Yu from 736 to 738, known briefly as Li Shao in 738, was an emperor of the Tang Dynasty and the son of Emperor Xuanzong...
after he appealed for help in regaining control of his capital Chang'an
Chang'an
Chang'an is an ancient capital of more than ten dynasties in Chinese history, today known as Xi'an. Chang'an literally means "Perpetual Peace" in Classical Chinese. During the short-lived Xin Dynasty, the city was renamed "Constant Peace" ; yet after its fall in AD 23, the old name was restored...
from the treacherous commander, An Lu-Shan. Abu Jafar al-Mansur responded by sending 4,000 men who recaptured the city and were well rewarded by the Chinese Emperor.
Start of battle
On July 751, the Abbasid forces joined in combat with the Tang Chinese force, in the geographical vicinity of the Talas river; the Abbasid army met the combined army of Tang Chinese and Karluk mercenaries in a big fight.Troop strength controversy
The numeric quantities of the combatants involved in the Battle of Talas are not exactly known, however various estimates exist.Course of battle
The Karluk forces deserted the Chinese coalition and changed to the Abbasid side during the course of the battle. With Karluk troops attacking the Tang army from close quarters and the main Abbasid forces attacking from the front, the Tang army was subjected to a devastating defeat.Aftermath
Shortly after the battle of Talas, the domestic rebellion of An Lushan (755–63) and subsequent warlordism of the jiedushiJiedushi
The Jiedushi were regional military governors in China during the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. Originally set up to counter external threats, the jiedushi were given enormous power, including the ability to maintain their own armies, collect taxes, and pass their...
(763 onwards) caused the decline of Tang influence in Central Asia by the end of the 700s. The local Tang tributaries
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
then switched to the authority of the Abbasids, Tibetans, or Uighurs and the introduction of Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
was thus facilitated among the Turkic peoples. Well supported by the Abbasids, the Karluk
Qarluq
The Karluks were a prominent nomadic Turkic tribe residing in the regions of Kara-Irtysh and the Tarbagatai Mountains west of the Altay Mountains...
s established a state
Sovereign state
A sovereign state, or simply, state, is a state with a defined territory on which it exercises internal and external sovereignty, a permanent population, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other sovereign states. It is also normally understood to be a state which is neither...
that would be absorbed in the late 9th century by the Kara-Khanid Khanate
Kara-Khanid Khanate
The Kara-Khanid Khanate was a confederation of Turkic tribes ruled by a dynasty known in literature as the Karakhanids or Ilek Khanids, . Both dynastic names represent titles with Kara Kağan being the most important Turkish title up till the end of the dynasty.The Khanate ruled Transoxania in...
.
With the successful cooperation of Arabs and Turkic peoples
Turkic peoples
The Turkic peoples are peoples residing in northern, central and western Asia, southern Siberia and northwestern China and parts of eastern Europe. They speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family. They share, to varying degrees, certain cultural traits and historical backgrounds...
, Islam began to exert its influence on the Turkic culture.
Historical significance
Among the earliest historians to proclaim the importance of this battle was the great Russian historian of Muslim Central Asia, Vasily BartoldVasily Bartold
Vasily Vladimirovich Bartold was a Russian and Soviet historian and turcologist.-Biography:Bartold was born in Saint Petersburg.Bartold's lectures at the University of Saint Petersburg were annually interrupted by extended field trips to Muslim countries...
, of 20th century according to whom, "The earlier Arab historians, occupied with the narrative of events then taking place in western Asia, do not mention this battle; but it is undoubtedly of great importance in the history of (Western) Turkestan
Turkestan
Turkestan, spelled also as Turkistan, literally means "Land of the Turks".The term Turkestan is of Persian origin and has never been in use to denote a single nation. It was first used by Persian geographers to describe the place of Turkish peoples...
as it determined the question which of the two civilizations, the Chinese or the Muslim, should predominate in the land (of Turkestan)."
The loss of 8000 troops to the Tang empire can be compared to a troop strength of more than 500,000 before the Anshi rebellion According to Bartold, for the history of the first three centuries of Islam, al-Tabari
Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari
Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari was a prominent and influential Sunni scholar and exegete of the Qur'an from Persia...
was the chief source (survived in Ibn al Athir's compilation), which was brought down to 915. (Unfortunately, this important work was only compiled and published by a group of Orientalist
Oriental studies
Oriental studies is the academic field of study that embraces Near Eastern and Far Eastern societies and cultures, languages, peoples, history and archaeology; in recent years the subject has often been turned into the newer terms of Asian studies and Middle Eastern studies...
s in 1901.) It is only in Athir that we find an accurate account of the conflict between the Arabs and the Chinese in 751. Neither Tabari nor the early historical works of the Arabs which have come down to us in general make any mention of this; however, Athir's statement is completely confirmed by the Chinese History of the Tang Dynasty. It must be noted that in all Arab sources, the events which occurred in the eastern part of the empire are often dealt with briefly. Another notable informant of the battle on the Muslim side was Al-Dhahabi
Al-Dhahabi
Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn `Uthman ibn Qaymaz ibn `Abd Allah, Shams al-Din Abu `Abd Allah al-Turkmani al-Diyarbakri al-Fariqi al-Dimashqi al-Dhahabi al-Shafi`i , known as Al-Dhahabi , a Shafi'i Muhaddith and historian of Islam.-Biography:...
(1274–1348).
The Battle of Talas was key event in the history of paper
History of paper
Paper was invented by the Chinese by 105 AD during the Han Dynasty and spread slowly to the west via Samarkand and Baghdad. Papermaking and manufacturing in Europe started in Spain and Sicily in the 10th century by the Muslims living there at the time, and slowly spread to Italy and South France...
- the technological transmission of the paper-making process. After the battle of Talas, knowledgeable Chinese prisoners of war were ordered to produce paper in Samarkand
Samarkand
Although a Persian-speaking region, it was not united politically with Iran most of the times between the disintegration of the Seleucid Empire and the Arab conquest . In the 6th century it was within the domain of the Turkic kingdom of the Göktürks.At the start of the 8th century Samarkand came...
, or so the story goes. In fact, high quality paper had been known – and made – in Central Asia for centuries; a letter on paper survives from the fourth century to a merchant in Samarkand. But the Islamic conquest of Central Asia in the late seventh and early eighth centuries opened up this knowledge for the first time to what became the Muslim world, and so by the year 794 AD, paper manufacturing could be found in Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
, modern-day Iraq. The technology of paper making was thus transmitted to and revolutionised the Islamic world, and later the European West. The paper production was a state secret, and only some places and Buddhist Monks knew the technology. Of course, the paper was transported many kilometers as a Chinese luxury product, and as it was traded, the finding of paper in several places is not proof of production, but of use.
Other than the transfer of paper, there is no evidence to support a geopolitical or demographic change resulting from this battle. In fact it seems that Tang influence over Central Asia even strengthened after 751 and that by 755, Tang power in Central Asia was at its zenith. Several of the factors after the battle had been taken note of prior to 751. Firstly, the Karluks never in any sense remained opposed to the Chinese after the battle. In 753, the Karluk Yabgu Dunpijia submitted under the column of Cheng Qianli and captured A-Busi, a betrayed Chinese mercenary of Tongluo (Tiele
Tiele people
The Tiele or Tele , were a confederation of nine Turkic peoples living to the north of China and in Central Asia, emerging after the disintegration of the Xiongnu confederacy...
) chief (who had defected earlier in 743), and received his title in the court on 22 October. Furthermore, at the same time that Talas took place, the Tang also sent an army from Shibao city in Qinghai to Suyab and consolidated Chinese control over the Turgesh. Chinese expansion in Central Asia did not halt after the battle; the Chinese commander Feng Changqing
Feng Changqing
Feng Changqing was a general of the Chinese dynasty Tang Dynasty. Feng was described as ugly in his appearance, and when he first met Gao Xianzhi and asked to be a guard for Gao, Gao initially rejected him, but eventually agreed to take Feng as a soldier under his command...
, who took over the position from Gao Xianzhi through Wang Zhengjian, virtually swept across the Kashmir
Kashmir
Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
region and captured Gilgit
Gilgit
Gilgit is a city in northern PakistanGilgit may refer to other terms related with the area of the city:* Gilgit River* Gilgit Valley* Gilgit District* Gilgit Agency * Gilgit Airport...
shortly two years later. Even Tashkent reestablished its vassal status in 753, when the Tang bestowed a title to its ruler.
The Chinese influence to the west of the Pamir Mountains
Pamir Mountains
The Pamir Mountains are a mountain range in Central Asia formed by the junction or knot of the Himalayas, Tian Shan, Karakoram, Kunlun, and Hindu Kush ranges. They are among the world’s highest mountains and since Victorian times they have been known as the "Roof of the World" a probable...
certainly did not cease as the result of the battle; Central Asian states under Muslim control, such as Samarkand, continued to request aid from the Tang against the Arabs in spite of Talas and hence in 754, all nine kingdoms of Western Turkestan again sent petitions to the Tang to attack the Arabs and the Tang continued to turn down such requests as it did for decades. Ferghana, which participated in the battle earlier, in fact joined among the central Asian auxiliaries with the Chinese army under a summons and entered Gansu during An Lushan's revolt in 756. Neither did the relations between the Chinese and Arabs worsen, as the Abbasids, like their predecessors (since 652), continued to send embassies to China uninterruptedly after the battle. Such visits had overall resulted in 13 diplomatic gifts between 752–98. Not all Turkic tribes of the region converted to Islam after the battle either — the date of their mass-conversion to Islam was much later, in the 10th century under Musa.
See also
- Du HuanDu HuanDu Huan was a Chinese travel writer born in Chang'an during the Tang Dynasty. He was one of a few Chinese captured in the Battle of Talas along with artisans Fan Shu and Liu Ci and fabric weavers Le Wei and Lu Li, as mentioned in his writings. After a long journey through Arab countries, he...
- History of Arabs in AfghanistanHistory of Arabs in AfghanistanThe history of Arabs in Afghanistan spans over one millennium, from the 7th century Islamic conquest when Arab ghazis arrived with their Islamic mission until recently when others from the Arab world arrived to defend fellow Muslims from the Soviet followed by their liberation by NATO forces...
- Islam during the Tang DynastyIslam during the Tang DynastyThe History of Islam in China goes back to the earliest years of Islam. According to China Muslims' traditional legendary accounts, eighteen years after Muhammad's death, the third Caliph of Islam, Uthman ibn Affan sent a delegation led by Sa`d ibn Abi Waqqas, the maternal uncle of Muhammad, to the...
- Muslim conquestsMuslim conquestsMuslim conquests also referred to as the Islamic conquests or Arab conquests, began with the Islamic prophet Muhammad. He established a new unified polity in the Arabian Peninsula which under the subsequent Rashidun and Umayyad Caliphates saw a century of rapid expansion of Muslim power.They...
- Talas RiverTalas RiverThe Talas River rises in the Talas Province of Kyrgyzstan and flows west into Kazakhstan. It is formed from the confluence of the Karakol and Uch-Koshoy...