The Sino-Persian Relationship in Ancient Times
The Beginning of Sino-Persian
Relationship in Parthian Era
In ancient times, China and Persia were linked by the Silk Road, the ancient famous trade route from East to West and by sea-routes (Water Ways), which extended from China Sea to the Persian Gulf. Therefore, the old friendly relations between the two countries dates back to more than two thousand years.
Judging from ancient Chinese sources, the political relations between Persia and China began in the epoch of Mithridat the Second (Ashk the Ninth), entitled "the Great", who, as a great Parthan King, reigned at the time of the Emperor Leoche, from Han dynasty. Owing to the simultaneity of Parthan rule, Chinese called the Persia of that time "the Parthan Country".
As suggested by historians, even before the establishment of official political relations between the two countries, the two peoples of China and Persia had started mutual trade contacts with each other. They were already familiar with each others' culture and arts, and, for this reason, had opened ways and built roads which made possible this cultural familiarity and commercial relations.
In 116 b.c., the Chinese Emperor , Evu sent for the second time Jan Chian as the head of a 300-men delegation on a good-will mission to the West, accompanied by a great deal of merchantile including gold and silver object and silk cloth and dresses, Chian made visits to many lands and countries and sent his successor to Parthan territory, where he was welcomed with cordiality and it was in that time that official relations between Western Han government and Parthan administration were established.
The Parthan country was the trade link in those times between East and West, because the Silk Road stretching from East to West passed through Parthan country. So, Persian territory was a crucial and vital point on the way between West and East. For this reason, Persian and Chinese governments were the guardian of this trade route and their guardianship contributed to the solidarity and strengthening of Western countries relations and their cultural and economic exchanges.
As a result, political growth and development converged with economic ones. At the epoch of Western and Eastern Han empires, which lasted for a few centuries, the bilateral exchanges and trip between the two countries were abundant and the two nations influenced each other positively in various fields and aspects. Those types of associations laid down solid foundations for the development of political, economic and cultural relationships and consolidation of friendly ties between the two governments.
Ancient arts in Persia and China have had mutual direct and even indirect influences on each other and on their concepts and thoughts. in excavations made in China, archeologists found two tombs dating from Han dynasty, in which were laid stone tablets inscribed with images in bas-rilief forms. According to archeoligists the discovery indicated to an extraneous, non-native concept imported into China. Most of the works of art were created in the era of China's political and commerical relationships with Parthan government. Meanwhile, the existence of a stone lion in one of those tombs threw a light on the extensive relations between Partha and China in ancient times. Lion has never lived in China and before the creation of that statue, Chinese people had never seen such a savage beast.
Once a lion had been sent as a precious gift from a Parthan king to one of the Han emperors, the artists were encouraged to build a stone sculpture in the image of that animal. In Sassanid era, relations between China and Persia were developed even further. It should be pointed out that the period covering the late Parthan rule and the early Sassanid reign marked, owing to Chinese civil wars, a lapse of relations between the two countries for almost two hundred years. During the late part of Sassanid era, however, the relations were gradually resumed, mainly because of the confusion of the situation in Persia, where the successors to Khosrow - Parviz, owing to their weakness of strategy, their lack of political skills and their inefficiency, could not keep the control of their country's affairs. During the rule of Yazdgerd the Third the Arabs began to invade Persia. He saw no option except to ask for help from China, which, to his dismay, did not respond.
In the 5th century A.D., political and cultural relations between the two countries began to improve. In 455 A.D., the first Sassanid ambassador was received in Chinese imperid court. During Sassanid era, the close relations between China and Persia had improved very much. That epoch could be called "the Golden Era" in which the manifestation of Pesian culture and literature in China was prominent. In 439, the Vi government brought the whole northern China under its control. At the same time, Zoroastrianism was introduced into China by Persian and Soghdi merchants. The religion spread throughout China and even found its way into Chinese imperial court, where it was welcomed with warmth. The first Zoroastrian fire-temple was built and started to operate in China in 62. The Silk
Road and Trade through that Road
Not a very long time ago, the Silk Road linked Asia to Europe like a very long river. It stretched from East to Japan and, to the west, as far as the Mediterranean. It's minor branches providedd its Northern and Southern regions with cultural and economic life. The Iranian plateau was the main source of that important historic Road. The name Silk Road, under which that road became famous, was called so because of the fact that silk textiles from Chinese cities passed through it to European destinations. These routes were viewed as the Roads to Friendship, which linked the people in China, Persia and various Western and Eastern countries to one another. Owing to the importance and significance of this road, the governments of China and Persia took care to guarantee the satety of it and is passengers.
The most important material in the ancient world was silk, which linked its source, China, to Europe. So the road through which silk was carried, among other goods, came to be known as the Silk Road. The traffic along that road caused it not only to be a connecting bridge for carrying of all sorts of materials, but also to become a route for the exchanges of cultures, customs, traditions, arts, religions and ideologies.
Based upon historical evidence, mutual traffics between China and Persia during the rule of Mink dynasty at the time of Tamourids and Safavids were abundant, and mutual trips between the two countries were innumerable. The destination of travellers and merchants who left China for West was mostly Persia, especially Homoz port. Although the Silk Road was no longer available to big caravans carrying commercial goods between East and west, the sea-lanes and water-ways, despite many dangers and challenges, had become operative in a unique and unprecedented way during the early Islamic era.
With the end of Sassanid rule and the spread of Islam in Iran, the trade process resumed after a period of relaps, in the first and the second century of Islamic Hegira and towards the end of the Sixth century of Hegira, Hormoz in the Persain Gulf started to play an active role in international commerce. But since the late 9th century of Hegira, this commorcial process began to slow down and its connection routes started to lose their intensified trade operations. Thus, after a long period of glorious operation and splendid function, the Silk Road began to lose its significance.
(continued.....)