The saga continues, and rather exciting it is becoming…the Göktürks, the Sui Dynasty, Buddhism galore, and lots of historic times to groove on.
In this Part 5 episode, the plot thickens and Xinjiang is getting a facelift. In a few hundred years you will hardly recognize it.
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Terms in Episode
| Pinyin/Term | Chinese | English/Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Àixīn Juéluó | 爱新觉罗 | Aisin Gioro Clan, the highest ranking among the Manchu's. All Qing Emperors came from this clan |
| Āshǐnà Tribe | 阿史那 | The leading and highest ranking tribe among the Göktürks |
| Bān Chāo | 班超 | 32-102 BCE, great Eastern Han Dynasty general |
| Bān Yǒng | 班勇 | Youngest Son of Ban Chao |
| Cháng’ān | 长安 | Present day Xian, in Shaanxi province. Capital of the Western Han, the Tang and a few other dynasties |
| Dà Táng Xīyù Jì | 大唐西域记 | “The Great Tang Records on the Western Regions.” |
| Dī | 氐 | One of the Five Barbarian tribes of the Northern Eurasian Steppe. |
| Dōng Tūjúe | 东突厥 | The Eastern Turks |
| Dūnhuáng | 敦煌 | City in western Gansu famous for the Mogao Grottos and the treasures carted away by Air Aurel Stein and others |
| Emperor Yìwǔ | 懿武帝 | Founder of the Later Liáng 后凉 Dynasty 386-403 |
| Former Qín | 前秦朝 | 351-394, One of the Sixteen Kingdom, and a Buddhist loving one at that |
| Fóguó Jì | 佛国记 | “A Record of Buddhist Kingdoms.” |
| Fǎxiǎn | 法显 | Lived 337-402, famous for his pilgrimage to the west between 399 and 412 where he sought out Buddhist scriptures that he might study and bring back to China |
| Gānsù Province | 甘肃省 | Province of Western China. Capital is Lanzhou |
| Gāochāng | 高昌 | Also called Karakhoja, the "Chinese colony" setup where the Jushi Kingdom used to be. Later the site of a Chinese Commandery (郡） |
| Gūzāng | 姑臧 | Capital of the Later Liang Dynasty in Gansu, present day Wuwei |
| Heavenly King Yáo Xìng | 天王姚兴 | Later Qin ruler who reigned 394-416. He preferred to be titled Heavenly King instead of emperor |
| Huò Qùbìng | 霍去病 | 140-117 BCE, Great Han general known for his battles and victories in the west of China |
| Huǒyàn Shān | 火焰山 | Flaming Mountains just to the east of Turpan |
| Héxī Corridor | 河西走廊 | Also known as the Gansu Corridor, the main road from westernmost China to the easternmost Tarim Basin where the northern route of the Silk Road began |
| Jiànkāng | 建康 | Capital of several ancient dynasties, located in and around present day Nanjing |
| Jiūmóluóshí | 鸠摩罗什 | Kumārajīva, lived from 344-413 |
| Jūshī | 车师 | Located in present day Turpan, once a great and ancient kingdom. Also known as Gūshī 姑師. Will be discussed next episode |
| Later Liáng Dynasty | 后凉 | 386-403, One of the Sixteen Kingdoms, founded by Lü Guāng |
| Later Qín Dynasty | 后秦 | 384-417, one of the Sixteen Kingdoms, one that particularly embraced Buddhism |
| Línfén, Shānxī | 山西临汾 | Capital of the Legendary Emperor Yao, located in Shanxi province |
| Lóulán | 楼兰 | Known also as Krorän, an ancient kingdom on the north shores of Lop Nor. Loulan was later renamed Shanshan after China took it over |
| Lǐ Shìmín | 李世民 | Along with his father Li Yuan, this great warrior was also known as Emperor Taizong |
| Lǐ Yuān | 李渊 | Founder of the Tang Dynasty, known also as Emperor Taizu |
| Lǚ Guāng | 吕光 | 337-400, also known as Emperor Yiwu of Later Liang. Before that he was a general in the Former Qin Army |
| Northern Wèi | 北魏 | 386-534, also known as the Tuoba Wei because of the founding Tuoba Clan. |
| Qiūcí | 龟兹 | City in Xinjiang where the Kingdom of Kucha was located |
| Qín Dynasty | 秦朝 | 221-206 BCE, China's first imperial dynasty |
| Qín Shǐhuáng | 秦始皇 | 259-210 BCE, Founder of the Qin Dynasty |
| Róurán | 柔然 | A Donghu 东胡) Xianbei 鲜卑) tribal confederation whose Khaganate lasted from 330 to 555 CE |
| Sūn Wùkōng | 孫悟空 | The Monkey King character from Journey to the West |
| Tang Dynasty | 唐朝 | One of China's greatest dynasties. Lasted 618-907 |
| Tūjúe | 突厥 | The Turks (or Türks) |
| Tǔlǔfān | 吐鲁番 | Turpan (or Turfan) |
| Wèi Qīng | 卫青 | Died in 106 BCE, another great Han general known for his battles and victories in the west of China with Huo Qubing |
| Wǔhú | 五胡 | "The Five Barbarians", name applied to northern steppe nomads who stressed out China from time immemorial |
| Wǔwēi | 武威 | Ancient and historic city in Gansu Province |
| Xiōngnú | 匈奴 | A once powerful confederation of tribes whose empire once stretched from the eastern reaches of the Mongol homeland and into East Central Asia |
| Xuánzàng | 玄奘 | 602-664. Seventh century Buddhist pilgrim and adventurer who traveled to India and back |
| Xī Tūjúe | 西突厥 | The Western Turks |
| Xī Yóu Jì | 西游记 | Journey to the West, one of the four great classical novels of China |
| Xīnjiāng | 新疆 | The area that is now contained in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China. Also known by many names prior to 1884 |
| Xīnjiāng Wéiwú'ěr Zìzhìqū | 新疆维吾尔自治区 | Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region |
| Yáng Jiān | 杨坚 | Founder of the Sui Dynasty. |
| Yèhù | 叶护 | Yabgu, a vassal of the Eastern Turkic Khaganate but for all intents and purposes, the Yabgu was the "Khan" of the Western Khaganate |
| Yīlì Kèhán | 伊利可汗 | Bumin Khagan, founder of the Turkic Khaganate |
| Zhāng Qiān | 张骞 | The great Han adventurer who journeyed to the West between 138-126 BCE and whose story is immortalized in ancient Chinese texts |
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