Yuezhi

E182903

The Yuezhi were an ancient Indo-European nomadic people of Central Asia who migrated westward, eventually founding the Kushan Empire that played a key role in Silk Road trade and cultural exchange.

All labels observed (6)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (45)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Indo-European people
ancient people
nomadic people
afterDisplacement moved westward through Ili region and Sogdia
alternativeName Rouzhi
alternativeTransliteration Yüeh-chih
associatedWith Tocharian-related populations (hypothesized)
capitalInBactria Bactra (under their successor Kushans)
chronology Yuezhi self-linksurface differs
surface form: displaced from Gansu by Xiongnu in 2nd century BCE
conflictedWith Xiongnu
contributedTo formation of a cosmopolitan culture in Kushan domains
engagedIn horse-based nomadic pastoralism
long-distance trade
ethnicity Indo-Europeans
surface form: Indo-European
founded Kushan Empire
influenced Gandharan culture
spread of Buddhism along the Silk Road
knownFor founding a major transregional empire
mediating cultural contacts between Hellenistic world, India, and China
languageFamily Indo-European language family
surface form: Indo-European languages
locatedIn Central Asia
mentionedIn Book of Han
Chinese historical sources
Records of the Grand Historian
migratedFrom Northwest China
surface form: northwestern China
migratedTo Bactria
northwestern Indian subcontinent
originalHomeland Gansu Province
surface form: Gansu region

Hexi Corridor
partOf Silk Road routes
surface form: Silk Road network
playedRoleIn Silk Road routes
surface form: Silk Road trade

cultural exchange between East and West
politicalOrganization tribal confederation
predecessorOf Kushan ruling elite
regionOfActivity Bactria
Gandhara civilization
surface form: Gandhara

Tarim Basin
northwestern Indian subcontinent
relatedEvent fall of Greco-Bactrian Kingdom
religion practices including local Iranian, Indian, and possibly Buddhist cults (in later period via Kushans)
subgroup Yuezhi self-linksurface differs
surface form: Greater Yuezhi

Yuezhi self-linksurface differs
surface form: Lesser Yuezhi
successorState Kushan Empire
timePeriod 1st millennium BCE
early 1st millennium CE

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (11)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Kushan Empire follows Yuezhi
this entity surface form: Yuezhi tribal confederation
Kushan Empire ethnicGroup Yuezhi
Yuezhi subgroup Yuezhi self-linksurface differs
this entity surface form: Greater Yuezhi
Yuezhi subgroup Yuezhi self-linksurface differs
this entity surface form: Lesser Yuezhi
Yuezhi chronology Yuezhi self-linksurface differs
this entity surface form: displaced from Gansu by Xiongnu in 2nd century BCE
Kujula Kadphises unified Yuezhi
this entity surface form: Yuezhi tribes