At the beginning of July, I entered Tajikistan from Uzbekistan via Panjakent.
Zeravshan.
Because I didn't know the exact name, it was quite difficult to go to the ruins of the ancient city of Pengikent. I searched for an iconic ** on the Internet and asked while navigating. Walk through suburban villages, enter mountain passes, and climb up a pile of castle-like ruins. Feeling that the area is too small, I continue to move forward. Half an hour later, I finally saw the "Old Pengikent Excavation Archaeological Museum" surrounded by half-ripe wheat fields.
Next to the museum is the ruins of the ancient city.
The museum is very small, and the full moon flowers are planted in front of the door, and the style is swaying, which makes people happy. The curator sat on the ridge and talked to people, and only opened the door to greet him when he saw a distant visitor visiting. The temple is too small to keep the big gods, and there are only some fragments of clay pots and replicas of important cultural relics. However, the curator still explained carefully, from cloth coins to mural fragments, from Zoroastrian bone urns to "Sogdian dancers", from Arabs to young Soviet archaeologists. Obviously, the most important artifacts excavated from the ancient city are fragments of frescoes from the fifth century, followed by the "Sogdian Dancers" from the seventh and eighth centuries. The "Sogdian Dancer" is a fragment of a woodcarved piece charred by fire, perhaps the Tang Dynasty's "Hu Xuannu", which is now the symbol of the ancient city of Pengikent.
The murals found in the ruins of the rice country, the scene of the Sogdians crying and mourning.
The Sogdian region was ravaged by Arabs and Mongol cavalry, and there are few relics that show the glory days of the Sogdia. The frescoes are particularly rare, with the exception of Avrosiab in Samarkand, which is of great importance. There is a small part of the Rudaki Museum, the others in Dushanbe and the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. Although the murals are incomplete, they are rich in content, from the Sogdian nobles' conquests, safaris, feasts and religious stories, reflecting the social landscape and traditional culture of the time. Obviously, Pengikent in the Middle Ages was not only an important ** city, but also a center where various civilizations converged.
Murals found at the site of the rice country.
At the entrance to the ancient city is the tomb of the archaeologist Boris Marshak. The Soviet Union began archaeological excavations of Old Pengikent in 1946, and in 1954, 21-year-old Marshak, a student of archaeology at Moscow University, came to Penjikent. He did this for more than 50 years, dedicated his life to Pengikent, and finally rested at the entrance of the ancient city. There are also a few signs, pasted with a map of the restoration of the ancient city, which can see the former style.
The murals found in the ruins of the rice country, the battle.
As the "City of Merchants", Old Pengikent was once one of the most prosperous cities on the Silk Road, amassing a great deal of wealth by dealing in goods from China to the Mediterranean coast**. It is said that in its heyday, there were thousands of camel inns in the ancient city of Pengikent, and merchants from nearby countries would come here to catch the market. Therefore, a large number of coins unearthed in the ancient city, in addition to the country, there are also currencies from Kang, An, and Shi countries.
Murals found at the site of the rice country.
In fact, it is difficult to understand the prosperity and commercial status of Pengikent based on words alone. If you climb over the Turkestan Mountains and go to the Fergana Basin, you will understand the importance of the Sala suborder and Pengikent. Someone exaggeratedly sighed: "It's like a bachelor looking at a beautiful girl jumping happily around him, but he can't get a little rain and dew, what a heart-rending torment is that?" This torment came to an abrupt end after crossing the Turkestan Mountains, and the valley of the Zeravshan River suddenly opened up, moistening the land into fertile and rich land, and Pengikent was the luckiest city. "I later crossed the Turkestan Mountains and was deeply moved by this passage.
Zoroastrian bone vessels.
Then again, if you have money, you are afraid of thieves. The Arabs invaded Sogdia in the 7th century, and in 706 A.D., the famous Arab general Qutaybah led an army to Pengikent. After hearing the news, the nine countries surnamed Zhaowu sent troops to besiege the Arab army for two months. Qudibo finally defeated the Sogdian coalition and besieged Pengikent for 50 days. After the first breach of the city, the Pengjikent asked for surrender, and Qu Dibo agreed to send his lieutenant general to lead his troops to stay. But before he could go far, the news came that all the remaining troops had been killed. It is said that the lieutenant general was tyrannical and robbed the daughter of a wealthy merchant, which caused public outrage. Qudibo again attacked Pengikent, killed all the resisters, plundered, and after stipulating the amount of tribute, continued to attack the other Sogdian cities.
Sogdian dancer. After Qudibo left, he was succeeded by the Sogdian nobleman Divashtich. He initially submitted to Arab rule, even sending his own children as hostages. In 720 A.D., Divastic and several Sogdian leaders launched a war against the Arabs, and in 722 he was defeated and captured. The Arabs set fire to Pengikent, beheaded Divashtić, nailed his body to the public in front of a Zoroastrian temple, and his head was taken to Iraq. Divaštić was the last Sogdian leader to resist the Arab invasion and was revered as a national hero by later generations.
Divaštić.
After Divaštić's death, Penjikent gradually declined and was completely abandoned at the end of the 8th century, leaving only these ruins for archaeological excavation. Later people were on the west side 15 kilometers away to rebuild the new city, which is now Pengikent.
Tajik girls.
Excavations have shown that Pengikent was founded in the 5th century and flourished in the 7th and 8th centuries. "New Tang Dynasty Book" cloud: "Rice, or Mimo, Mi Mohe." North 100 miles away from Kang. Its monarch ruled the bowl of Decheng, and Yonghui was broken by the big food. In the third year of Xianqing (658), he took his place as Nanmizhou, and awarded his king Zhaowu to open a clumsy history of thorns, and he was an endless tribute. At the beginning of the Yuan Dynasty, the dedication, the dance feast, the master, and the Hu Xuannu. In the eighteenth year, the great leader Sueno Gate came to the court. At the beginning of Tianbao, he named his king as the king of Gongshun, and his mother was the lady of Kedunjun. ""Bo Xi De" or is it a counterpoint to Pengi Kent and Penchigan? In the 10th century, the Arab geographer al-Istakhri recorded two "m ymurgh", one of which was near Samarkand, which was recorded in the New Tang Dynasty as the country of Mi, Mimo, and Mimohe, which was once the state of the Tang Dynasty.
It is also recorded in the "Shufu Yuan Turtle" that in May of the fifth year of Yonghui (654), "the Great Food led troops to attack Persia and the United States, and they were all broken." The fifth (king) of Persia, the Marquis of Isi, was killed by the Great Eclipse, and the son of the Marquis of Isi, Beloshi (Si), went to Tocharian and sent an envoy to tell him about the trouble. The road to Israel is far from being able to save it. Hunt for the big food soldiers to retreat. Tocharian sent troops to his aid and returned. "From the point of view of time, Da Shi conquered Persia, entered the river, and sacked the rice country along the way. But the city remained, and it was not until the Umayyad period that the ancient city was completely destroyed by the Arabs.
The ruins of the ancient city of the United States.
There are various indications that this ancient city is the "City of Bowls" in the "New Tang Dynasty Book". Walk up a section of newly renovated stairs to the southeast corner tower. Standing here, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the surrounding scenery, the ancient city is divided into three parts: the outer city, the inner city and the castle (ark), and the inner city is inside the city wall. The castle was in the westernmost part and had a palace and walls, where the rulers lived, and was once connected to the inner city by a small bridge. It turned out that the ruins I had just climbed on were the castle. The inner city is lined with sleek neighborhoods, with the main road three to five meters wide and flanked by houses (shakhristan), shops (rabad) and workshops, as well as two Zoroastrian temples. The wealthy lived in a small two-story building with a storage room and a spiral staircase to the second floor on the first floor; The second floor is a hall decorated with frescoes, supported by beautifully carved wooden columns.
The ruins of the ancient city of the United States.
The frescoes are the most important artifact of the ancient city of Pengikent and have been found in more than 50 chamber ruins, some of which are well preserved. Usually the frescoes on the main wall of the hall depict the patron saint, and the other three walls are depicted with images of festivals, expeditions, Sassanid heroic epics and folklore, and even Rostam from the Persian epic "The Book of Kings", Shiva from the Hindu epic "Mahabharata", and the Mesopotamian goddess Nanaya.
Local sheep herders.
Some people believe that the Sogdians were in Hu, and in China, although they had faith, they were not very religious. In other words, what is believable is a typical example of medieval secularism. Tang Xuanzang is "Bole", the best at looking, he said that the Sogdians: "Describe greatness, ambition and cowardice; The customs are deceitful, there are many deceitful, most of them are greedy, the father and son are profitable, the wealth is expensive, and there is no difference between the good and the low. Although he is rich, he is rude in his food. The profit-seekers in Litian are mixed. In a word, it speaks to the bones of the Sogdians.
Local sheep herders.
The Sogdians were shrewd, sophisticated, business-minded, and mercenary. However, I still think that they only have small wisdom, not great wisdom. The calculating Jews and Sogdians were nothing more than "refined egoists". Judging from the development trend of the whole nation, they are indeed a little short-sighted, and in the end they are only left with a palm-sized land, and they are embattled. Looking at the Russians who have accumulated a lot of money, they have grabbed vast lands at any cost, which is the real wealth.
The ruins of the ancient city of the United States.
During the Tang Dynasty, a large number of Zhaowu nine surnames poured into China, and even a wealthy family such as An Lushan appeared, who claimed to be the "incarnation of the god of light" of the Sogdians, which once turned the Tang Dynasty upside down. The murals of the ancient city of Pengikent show that the Sogdians, although they were mainly Zoroastrians, were tolerant of religion. Some people who study Sogdian art say that the world in Sogdian paintings is far from the real life they know; They are proud of their wealth, but ashamed to show it.
The ruins of the ancient city of the United States.
The current streets of the United States are in ruins. But the ancient city has also found the ruins of wine troughs, ironware shops and glass workshops. The Sogdians were good at metallurgy, and were famous for making armor, and even presented it as a national gift to Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty. In the sixth year of Kaiyuan (718), "Kang Guo sent envoys to contribute chain mail, water essence cups, horse brain bottles, ostrich eggs and Yuenuo. ”
The ruins of the ancient city of the United States.
Since the Arab invasion, Kang, An, Shi, Tocharo, Kumi and other countries have written to the Tang Dynasty for help. In the fifteenth year of Kaiyuan (727), the Tocharian Ye escort said: "The slave body is now eaten and taxed heavily, and the deception is deep. If the Khan can't save him, the slave body will not be able to live on his own, and the land will be scattered. Ask for the defense of the heavenly khan Ximen can't, look at the mercy of the heavenly khan, and how much strength the slave body has, so that the way to live. He also punished the Turgist Shi Khan: 'If there is something entrusted to you in the west, you must send troops to get rid of the Great Eclipse.' ’”
The ruins of the ancient city of the United States.
It's just tears, and the people of iron and stone are also tempted, but the Tang Dynasty doesn't allow it. Historian Bai Shouyi said: "The Tang Dynasty did not allow it, which shows that the Tang Dynasty can no longer have hegemony and protect the Tibetan state. In fact, the Tang Dynasty was also in action until the tenth year of Tianbao (751) when Gao Xianzhi defeated Talas.
The ruins of the ancient city of the United States.
Maidian Kwai Hill, the barren platform is defeated, and the deer and pigs are withered. The tide is hitting the lonely city, and the lonely sun is in the shadow. "The ancient city occupies the entire hill, and although it is easy to defend and difficult to attack, it cannot stop the fire of the Arabs. Walk through waist-deep weeds and climb the north wall of the ancient city to see the Zeravshan River flowing like a clear ribbon through the edge of the new city. A few Tajik herdsmen drove their flocks through the barren hills of the ancient city, eager to have a few words, but they could only say hello with their dancing hands.
The sunset fades the grass, and the cattle and sheep want to fall. This kind of situation is the so-called "dogs and horses in front of the door at that time, cattle and sheep on the hills today". Thinking of the past, it makes people want to cry.