Zhang Qian

A man from the Western Han Dynasty in China. In response to Emperor Wu's plan to attack the Xiongnu from both sides by forming an alliance with the Yuezhi, who had been driven from the Hexi (Gansu) region to the Ili River area, he left Chang'an as an envoy around 139 BC. He was held prisoner by the Xiongnu in Gansu for about 10 years, but escaped and reached Dayuan (Fergana) via the Western Regions Northern Road. However, the Yuezhi had already settled in the Amu Darya area, and were content with the prosperity of the Great Yuezhi state, with no intention of traveling east. He saw and experienced the Bactria region (northern Afghanistan) and other places, and was captured and detained by the Xiongnu again near Qaidam on his way back via the southern road, but took advantage of the civil war and returned home in 126 BC. The group, which had been over 100 people at the time of departure, was now just two people, including Ganfu, a Xiongnu attendant who was his guide. In 119 B.C., he served as an envoy to Wusun in Ili and sent deputy envoys to various places in the west. This time too, he was unable to form an alliance to attack the Xiongnu, but after this, the countries of the Western Regions began to visit China actively. With Zhang Qian's two envoys, information about the Western Regions and West Asia, as well as products from the Western Regions such as grapes, began to be brought to China in large quantities.

[Umemura Tan]

"Zhang Qian's Expedition" (included in "Kuwabara Jitzo Complete Works, Volume 3", 1968, Iwanami Shoten)" ▽ "Zhang Qian and the Silk Road by Nagasawa Kazutoshi (1972, Shimizu Shoin)" ▽ "World History and Culture: China, supervised by Chin Shunshin and Ozaki Hideki (1993, Shinchosha)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中国、前漢時代の人。匈奴(きょうど)によって河西（甘粛(かんしゅく)）地方からイリ川方面に追われていた月氏(げっし)と結ぶことにより匈奴挟撃を図った武帝の策に応じ、使者として紀元前139年ごろ長安を出発。甘粛で10年ほど匈奴の捕虜となったが脱出、西域(せいいき)北道経由で大宛(だいえん)（フェルガナ）に至る。しかし月氏はすでにアムダリヤ方面に定住し、大月氏国として繁栄に甘んじて、東行の意志はなかった。彼はバクトリア地方（アフガニスタン北部）などを実地に見聞し、南道を通って帰国の途中、ツァイダム付近でふたたび匈奴に捕らえられて抑留されたが、内乱に乗じて前126年帰国。出発時に100余人だった一行はこのとき道案内の匈奴人従者甘父との2人だけになっていた。前119年、彼はイリの烏孫(うそん)へ使節として至り、副使を西方各地に派遣した。このときも匈奴挟撃同盟はできなかったが、これ以後西域諸国は活発に来漢するようになった。西域・西アジアの情報や、ブドウなど西域の物産も張騫の二度の使節行を契機として大量に中国へもたらされるようになった。

［梅村　坦］

『『張騫の遠征』（『桑原隲蔵全集　巻3』所収・1968・岩波書店）』▽『長澤和俊著『張騫とシルク・ロード』（1972・清水書院）』▽『陳舜臣・尾崎秀樹監修『世界の歴史と文化　中国』（1993・新潮社）』

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