Iran is located in the Middle East. Pakistan and Afghanistan to the east and Iraq to the west are the most unstable regions today. The fighting has hardly stopped. Perhaps for most people, Iran is a remote, mysterious, backward and turbulent country. But in fact, this country has been inextricably linked with China thousands of years ago, and it can even be said that it has been in love. If you only say the name "Iran", it is hard to think of any special relationship with China. That is, the establishment of diplomatic relations with China on August 16, 1971. However, the predecessor of Iran has two resounding names, "Persia" and "Rest", which are high-frequency names that appear in historical documents and film and television works. The Persians (the predecessors of the Iranians) are also a highly developed nation among many ancient civilizations. They are a country with a long history and rich cultural heritage, and have the title of "Persian Empire". Now Iran, Iraq, and Afghanistan once belonged to the territory of the ancient Persian Empire.
The powerful Persian Empire
That was inconvenient in ancient times. Many people have never left the prefectures and counties where they live in their lives. All kinds of wars also took place in the land of China. Is there any friendship with other Western Asian empires? This can't help but talk about the ancient Silk Road. In fact, the communication between ancient China and Persia dates back to the Western Zhou Dynasty more than 3,000 years ago. After the dynasties, various silks, porcelains, teas and other items from the rich ancient Oriental countries appeared in the upper class in Central Asia, West Asia, and even Europe through Persian merchants. The ancient Silk Road has gone through thousands of years, and the Persian country and the Persians have contributed to it. In 119 BC, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty ordered Zhang Qian to go to the Western Regions for the second time and contacted the Wusun Kingdom of the Western Regions to resist the Huns. Zhang Qian sent his deputy envoy to the Kingdom of Anxi. The King Anxi received the envoys of the Han Dynasty with a very grand etiquette. There is a large and civilized and prosperous country in the East. Later, the Han Dynasty experienced the prosperity of the Han Dynasty, the rule of Wenjing, and the prosperity of Guangwu. During the Han Dynasty, the national power was strong and the people of Lebanon were prosperous. The emperor of the Han Dynasty sent a large number of envoys to Central Asia. West Asia deepened the economy and culture of this region. communicate with. The number of rest people learning Chinese has gradually increased. Many people began to yearn for this great eastern country. The fame of the Han Dynasty was so great, and the state of the kingdoms coming to the kingdom caused a great sensation in the kingdom of peace. After returning to China, Anxi merchants described the prosperity of the big man to their people. Some people began to travel long distances with their families to see the holy land in their hearts. By the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Prince Anxi was full of yearning for this great eastern country, but the prince believed in Buddhism and was already a Taoist monk who brought Buddhist scriptures to Chang'an, Luoyang and other places in order to spread Buddhism. He also preached throughout China and learned Chinese for many years. He helped Chinese scholars translate the Sanskrit Buddhist scriptures and made important contributions to the rapid spread of Buddhism in China.
Iranian Mosque
As more and more Persians came to the great eastern countries and the extension of the ancient Silk Road, the exchanges between China and ancient Iran became more frequent, during the Tang Dynasty At its peak, in the 7th century AD (Chinese Tang Dynasty), the Persian dynasty was invaded by Arabs. Out of trust in the Tang Dynasty, the Persian king sent envoys to China for assistance three times, and his prince came to China twice after the king's death. After coming to China in 674 AD to live in Chang'an, Tang Gaozong awarded him General Youwuwei.
Tang Dynasty-Wu Zetian (Great Zhou) A large number of Persian immigrants came to China for long-term residence, and some entered the court and were promoted to generals. Some cast Western utensils for the royal family in the inner courtyard of the imperial palace. According to the "New Tang Book" records, Li Yuanliang, a descendant of the Parthians, went to the Jiedu Envoy of the Zhenguo Army, and some other Persians engaged in business, medicine, and some preaching. Some operate stores in important trading ports. This is prominently displayed in various film and television works. The city of Chang'an in the Tang Dynasty set up the South City specifically to exchange commodities with the Western Regions and Persia countries. With the Silk Road as the link, the two peoples have overcome all kinds of difficulties and dangers, and have stubbornly carried out extensive material and spiritual and cultural exchanges. This equal two-way interaction has enriched the material and cultural life of the two peoples. , Broaden each other's horizons, build a bridge of understanding and friendship.
The Song Dynasty was more open than the Tang Dynasty, and the commercial activities and business atmosphere in the Song Dynasty were unprecedentedly prosperous. The shipbuilding industry began to develop and the compass needle was used one after another. Many Persians came to Guangzhou, Yangzhou, Quanzhou and other places in China to do business by sea, and even settled down. This is what later generations call the "Road of Ceramics" on the sea. During the Tang Dynasty, Chinese businessmen were mainly foreigners, while the Song Dynasty merchants went out.Song dynasty merchants were more active than foreign merchants. Papermaking, gunpowder, and printing were gradually introduced into Persia, and then re-entered Europe through Persia and Arabia. The Persians introduced Zoroastrianism, Nestorianism, and Manichaeism to Chang'an, and the Chinese introduced the Tao of Confucius and Mencius and the dragon and phoenix culture to Persia.
Genghis Khan
The rise of Mongolia brings China and Persia closer together. Mongolia's Western Expeditions wiped out the Central Asian countries and established the Golden Horde. A country called Huarazimia intercepted and killed the caravan sent by Genghis Khan, and the envoys sent were also killed. Became Mongolia's mortal enemy, and was conquered twice. The king fled to Persia and established a new Khwarazim. In order to destroy the new kingdom of Huarazim, Wokutai dispatched General Choermahan to continue the battle. In the end, King Zalandin of Khorizmah was killed. In 1253, Genghis Khan’s grandson Hulagu crossed the Amu Darya, and destroyed the Abbasid dynasty and established a territory from the Khorasan region in eastern Persia. The country extending to Baghdad in Iraq is called the Iraqi Khanate. The period of the Mongols' rule over the Persians began, but with the resistance of the Persians, the Ilkhanate’s ability to control Persia declined rapidly. By the time of Kublai Khan's Yuan Dynasty, the relationship between China and Persia became relaxed and friendly. This relationship not only included normal diplomatic exchanges between ordinary countries, but also maintained the special relationship between the sovereign and the vassal king. The Persian king regarded the Mongolian Great Khan as the suzerain, and the Great Khan had the power of canonization over the Iranian king.
The Persian dynasty and the Yuan dynasty are getting closer.
Zhu Yuanzhang overthrew the Yuan dynasty and established the Ming Dynasty. The initial implementation of the sea policy on the Maritime Silk Road was affected. However, the communication with Persia has never been interrupted. In the Song Dynasty, the land Silk Road was reopened due to the war. From 1368 to 1581, Persia sent more than 50 envoys to China. During the Yongle period, Ming Ting sent envoys to Persia. In 1417, the Ming dynasty sent a mission of more than 300 people, and the return visit mission of the Persian State was even larger. Political influence is very great, even mediating political disputes in Persia. The Ming Dynasty's letter to Persia stated: "Forever to form a good relationship, to interact with each other, one family, to travel through business, each as you wish." In the middle and late Ming Dynasty, the Jiajing Dynasty was overwhelmed with tribute and restricted the Western Regions. After paying tribute, the relationship between China and Persia has become increasingly distant. Compared with the Tang and Song dynasties, the cultural exchanges between China and Persia in the Yuan and Ming dynasties were deeper. Among them, Chinese medicine, ceramics, and painting had a great influence on Persia. Half of the medicines in Persian medicine come from China. Persia also recruited more than a thousand artisans from China to burn porcelain and paintings in Persia to build Chinese-style buildings.
Until the end of the Ming Dynasty, social turmoil, the northern border and the Qing troops fought, the coastal harassment by Japanese pirates, and Li Zicheng's peasant uprising inside. As a result, the country's foreign exchanges were almost interrupted, and most Persian businessmen left China. The Qing army entered the customs and established the Qing Dynasty, and implemented a policy of shutting down the country. The Qing government believed that "the heaven is on top of the country, the land is vast and the resources are abundant" do not need to communicate with the outside world. So far the exchanges between China and Persia and other countries have been interrupted. The humiliation history of the modern century began. After entering modern times, both China and Iran were invaded by Western powers and became semi-colonial and semi-feudal societies. The experiences of the two countries in modern times are also very similar, and they understand each other better. The long history of "Persia" was also officially renamed "Iran" in 1935, so the name of Iran is not long, not as close as Persia sounds. Throughout the millennium history, China has always had a very close relationship with ancient Iran in various periods, and even Iran once existed as a vassal state of China. At present, Iran is also the main supplier of China's oil imports. China still insists on disregarding the intimidation of the United States when other countries stop importing Iranian oil. At the same time, Iran is also an important country along China's Belt and Road Initiative, and continuing to maintain traditional friendship with Iran is of far-reaching significance to the development of the two countries. I am a cigarette. Welcome students who like history to leave a message and communicate.
