Table of Contents
What was Kashgar known for?
The historical importance of Kashgar has primarily been linked to its significance as a trading centre. Located at the foot of the Pamirs Mountains between a vast desert and immense mountain range, Kashgar was once an isolated oasis on the long trade route across the Asian continent.
What is Kashgar called now?
Kashgar (Uighur: قەشقەر) or Kashi (Chinese: 喀什) is an oasis city in the Tarim Basin region of Southern Xinjiang. It is one of the westernmost cities of China, near the border with Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Pakistan. Kashgar showTranscriptions Chinese name Chinese 喀什 Hanyu Pinyin Kāshí.
When did Kashgar become part of China?
Kashgar was incorporated into the People’s Republic of China in 1949. During the Cultural Revolution, one of the largest statues of Mao in China was built in Kashgar, near People’s Square. On October 31, 1981, an incident occurred in the city due to a dispute between Uyghurs and Han Chinese in which three were killed.
Is Kashgar Indian?
Apart from the first half of its name, Kashgar shares with Kashmir its fragile celestial beauty. Again like Kashmir, it is strategically located – surrounded by Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India – causing successive generations of men to lose their heads and hearts over it.
Who was involved in Kashgar?
After 752 the Chinese were again forced to withdraw, and Kashgar was successively occupied by the Turks, the Uighurs (in the 10th and 11th centuries), the Karakitai (12th century), and the Mongols (in 1219), under whom the overland traffic between China and Central Asia flourished as never before.
Why was Kashgar an important trading city?
For two millenniums or more, Kashgar was the greatest market city on one of the major trade routes of ancient times. Caravans of a thousand camels each traveled along it, transporting silk, spices, gold and gemstones between Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey) and the central Chinese city of Xian, then the capital.
What religions were in Kashgar?
Kashgar has seen other religions like shamanism, Zoroastrianism, Nestorianism, Buddhism, and Islam flourish. Different cultures and customs coexisted and influenced one another. Since the 10th century, as the Uygur community gradually took shape and Islam expanded to the region, the Buddhism gradually faded out.
Where is Khotan and Kashgar?
The Kingdom of Khotan was an ancient Iranian Saka Buddhist kingdom located on the branch of the Silk Road that ran along the southern edge of the Taklamakan Desert in the Tarim Basin (modern Xinjiang, China).
What did Kashgar import?
Kashgar traded in silk, spices, gold, and gemstones. It was one of the biggest trading centers on the Silk Road.
What language do they speak in Kashgar?
The Western Yugur language, although in geographic proximity, is more closely related to the Siberian Turkic languages in Siberia. Robert Dankoff wrote that the Turkic language spoken in Kashgar and used in Kara Khanid works was Karluk, not (Old) Uyghur.
Is it safe to travel to Xinjiang?
Yes, Xinjiang is safe to visit. The Uyghur people are some of the most friendly you’ll ever come across. Most visitors feel it is totally safe in the main tourist areas, though there may be an elevated police presence.
When was the city of Kashgar founded?
In 60 BC a Han Dynasty emperor ordered to build a military governor residence there. A new milestone in the city’s history begins with the IV century BC, when the territory of East Turkestan was peopled by Turkic tribes (including the Uyghurs), who subsequently founded the Turkic Khaganate there.
How long is the Silk Road?
The Silk Road extended approximately 6,437 kilometers (4,000 miles) across some of the world’s most formidable landscapes, including the Gobi Desert and the Pamir Mountains. With no one government to provide upkeep, the roads were typically in poor condition.
Which city is the easternmost city on the Silk Road?
The Silk Road network is generally thought of as stretching from an eastern terminus at the ancient Chinese capital city of Chang’an (now Xi’an) to westward end-points at Byzantium (Constantinople), Antioch, Damascus, and other Middle Easterncities.
What is the strategic importance of Kashgar?
Kashgar is an important derives from its strategic position and located on the foot of Pamir Mountain, commanding access to the highest glacial pass on the ancient Silk Road into Central Asia, India and Persia. The weary trade caravans plodding west on the northern and southern routes merged in Kashgar.
Did Marco Polo go to Kashgar?
Marco Polo was attracted by beautiful Kashgar and Hetian famed for its jade. Then they traversed Taklimakan Desert, arrived in Dunhuang and visited the Mogao Grottoes, noted for Buddhist sculptures and frescos.
What cities did the Silk Road go through?
Here are 10 key cities along the Silk Road. Xi’an, China. The Xi’an City Wall. Merv, Turkmenistan. Camels grazing in front of the Kyz Kala fortress in Merv, Turkmenistan. Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Registan Square, Samarkand. Balkh, Afghanistan. Constantinople, Turkey. Ctesiphon, Iraq. Taxila, Pakistan. Damascus, Syria.
What did the Han dynasty trade on the Silk Road?
Merchants in the Han Dynasty depended on the Silk Road which was where they traded for luxury items. Merchants that originated from the west, traded horses, furs, ivory, and jade. This west silk route enabled them to acquire new items like cucumber, sesame, and alfalfa.
What goods did Kashgar trade?
With a market area of over a square mile, Kashgar was a major trading post on the Silk Road. Thousands of caravans on camels passed through here transporting silk, gold, spices, and gemstones.
How did traders overcome the challenge of the desert?
How did traders overcome the challenge of the desert? They used a special type of camel, traveled in groups, and planned their trips to oases.
What is the significance of Samarkand?
Samarkand derived its commercial importance in ancient and medieval times from its location at the junction of trade routes from China and India. With the arrival of the railway in 1888, Samarkand became an important centre for the export of wine, dried and fresh fruits, cotton, rice, silk, and leather.
