Blog Entry 3: Devastation and the Beginning of a Life Outside of China

               It has been a month since I last wrote in my journal. I had to wrap my head around too many things these past few months. It is only now that I have had the courage to write about these haunting memories.

               It occurred shortly after I wrote my conflicting thoughts about the Han. As the empire was continually expanding, the job at the frontier became increasingly difficult; we got closer and closer to Xiongnu territory, and I was continually placed further west to guard the frontier, therefore seeing my family less frequently. The last straw was when I learned I did not receive a full stipend that month (1). The administration argued it was the result of a poor harvest, but it was the third month in a row this happened. My negative feelings against the Han kept growing.

               It turns out, however, that I was not the only one. A sudden revolt occurred led by the soldiers stationed in Dunhuang. The first target was the market place as soldier sought to ransack goods and obtain their rightful payment. Taken over by anger, I partook in this revolt, threatening innocent merchants for coins and silks of any kind. Soon after, I instantly regretted my actions. Upon this savage pillaging, I came across two dead bodies. Those bloodied faces will never leave my memory. They were my son’s and wife’s bodies. My anger turned into complete sadness, regret, devastation, guilt…

               I was demented. I hated the Han, and for so long awaited such a revolt. But I hated the revolt because it killed my family. I did not know what to do, and so I just ran. I ran for hours trying to escape what I had just witnessed.

               Eventually I collapsed somewhere in the Gobi Desert. I thought it was the end of me. But that was when I met An Qian. He was a Chinese merchant heading back to Dunhuang. Upon seeing my wretched condition, he gave me food and water, and took care of me through the first night. When morning came, I regained a bit of strength and sanity, and I explained my situation. Upon listening to my distress, he decided to change course and head towards Niya, rather than back to Dunhuang.

               His kindness shocked me, and I had to ask him why he was being so kind. Trying to mollify his kindness, he answers:

-        - I’m not doing this entirely out of kindness. Based on what you told me, the situation in the frontiers is unstable, and soon the Emperor will withdraw troops from there and back to the center where he can have greater control of them. Therefore, it’s no use to do business in the frontiers if only a handful of soldiers are there. After all, they are merchants’ best customers. See my act of kindness as a ‘thank you’ for letting me know the unprofitable situation in Dunhuang. (2)

I saw through his attempt to cover up his kindness, trying to live up to the stereotype of greedy merchants. Still, being a border guard, and knowing the importance of travel documents, I was worried we would get rejected upon our arrival at Niya. An Qian was very knowledgeable however, and explained that Niya was exceptionally welcoming of Chinese merchants, and that he would be able to arrange something for me there. (3)

He was right. We managed to get in, and for a month I have been acting as his ‘bodyguard’ in the market of Niya. He does not plan on staying he for long. Once spring time comes, he plans on heading out towards Turfan. Because he trades silk and paper, he knows he will be able to make a profit in Turfan, who apparently bury their dead in clothes made with paper (4). But for now, we focus on making a profit in Niya. Everyday, I am in charge of installing our booth, and keeping record of transactions for market supervisors (5). Although technically his bodyguard, I feel more like his personal assistant. But I did not mind. This is my situation now. The regrets have not faded, and I try to keep myself busy constantly, fearing what I might do to myself if I were to contemplate what I did to my family.

(1)   Hansen explains that it was relatively common for soldiers to not obtain full payment for their services, sometimes even less than half.
Valerie Hansen, “The Silk Road – A New History,” (New York: Oxford University Press), p.42.

(2)   Hansen also explains soldiers’ significant impact on trade.
Valerie Hansen, “The Silk Road – A New History,” (New York: Oxford University Press), p.9.

(3)   Niya tablet #35 (or Kharoshthi document #35) shows that there were not many Chinese merchants in Niya, but that they were sought after because of their knowledge in silk. 

Burrow, T. A Translation of the Kharoshthi Documents from Chinese Turkestan, retrieved from https://depts.washington.edu/silkroad/texts/niyadocts.html

(4)   Based on Aurel Stein’s finds from the Astana Grave, Hansen explains that people from Turfan used recycled paper to dress the deceased.

Valerie Hansen, “The Silk Road – A New History,” (New York: Oxford University Press), p84.

(5)   Hansen explains that in the 6^th-7^th centuries CE, in Sogdiana, there were market supervisors who recorded transactions in the market. Although this is much later in time, the goal was to show a plausible depiction of what market organization may have seemed like.

Valerie Hansen, “The Silk Road – A New History,” (New York: Oxford University Press), p.106.

Note on Sources

In this blog entry, I try to do a lot of things. First of all, I want to push my character at his limit concerning his loyalty for the Han. Therefore, I decided to use the nuisance of not receiving a full stipend, based on Hansen’s text, as a spark for rebellion. Second of all, I wanted to integrate this week’s topic of trade with my blog, so I decided to make the person that ultimately saves his life a merchant. Their interaction allows me to hint at the importance of soldiers when it comes to trade. As stated by Hansen, “when the soldiers made many purchases at local markets, trade boomed. But when rebellion threatened the emperor and he summoned all the troops back to central China, trade fell off markedly” (9).

               As for primary sources, I use the Niya tablets, written in Kharoshthi script, to show that Chinese merchants were welcomed in Niya, and even sought after because of their knowledge of silk. It also served to explain how An Qian (the merchant) and Fei Cheng (the soldier) managed to get into the city. I also use Aurel Stein’s finds from the Astana Grave to propel An Qian’s desire to want to go to Turfan. These finds show that people from Turfan dressed their deceased in recycled paper, some of them having writing, and since An Qian sells paper, he is keen on going to Turfan.