The Trade Contacts of the Han Empire Based on Epigraphic Materials from Post Stations of the Hexi Corridor

Ekaterina Girchenko

Numerous bamboo and wooden slips (Chin. hanjian) have been found at excavations of post stations along the ancient Great Silk Road. They are mostly dated to the Western Han Dynasty (202 BCE – 9 CE), when the Silk Road had just begun to function. At that time, Emperor Wu-di established four new northwestern commanderies on territories conquered from the Xiongnu, and one of the main tasks of the commanderies was not only to secure the northwestern borders from nomads but also to ensure the safe movement of foreign merchants along the Great Silk Road. Hanjian found at post stations often contain information about the caravans that stopped there for lodging and the names of the various kingdoms that they came from, what goods, new for Han empire, they were transporting, which allows us to understand the scale of trade relations during the Western Han period. For example, texts on bamboo slips mention Loulan, the Yuezhi people, Dayuan, Jingjue, Khotan, Xiaowan (or Xiaoyuan), Puli (or Danguo), Yarkand, Guma, Qule, Cherchen (later Shanshan) and many other kingdoms. These daily reports from the post stations on bamboo slips talk more about the routine of their inhabitants, information which cannot be found in official historical chronicles. (This investigation is supported by the RSF, Project No. 22-78-10121-P.).