The legendary benevolent Leshan once said: "The truth is often hidden in the fog of history." This sentence is quite philosophical. We modern people always have a certain fascination and curiosity about history, hoping to find some traces of a long time in it. Just recently, a confusing artifact from France, a state seal from Persia, engraved with Chinese characters, has been the subject of much controversy. Could it be that Iran was once a vassal state of our Motherland? How did this national seal end up in a foreign land? What exactly is the secret? Let's find out!
The Silk Road that has lasted for thousands of years
Since ancient times, the Silk Road has been like a majestic river, connecting the treasures of Eastern and Western civilizations along the vast deserts and mountains. This long-standing trade route not only carries countless precious goods shuttle, but more importantly, it has built a bridge for cultural exchanges between countries.
According to historical records, the origin of the Silk Road can be traced back to 138 B.C., when Zhang Qian of the Western Han Dynasty sent an envoy to Dawan. Since then, continuous caravans have been shuttling along the rugged roads, injecting new vitality into the ancient civilizations of the East and the West. The Silk Road developed from the initial opening of the Western Han Dynasty to the full prosperity of the Sui and Tang dynasties, and became the most prosperous international channel at that time.
The scenery along the way is picturesque, and there are magnificent colors everywhere. The hospitable camel bells are constantly ringing, and the magical oasis is like a rainbow hanging in the sky. Rich city-states stand in the middle of the yellow sand, becoming an oasis for business travelers. Among them, Persia is the most dazzling pearl on this winding Silk Road.
Footprints of the Mongol army on its westward expedition
Time flies, when the Mongolian iron horse rises from the depths of the steppe, the entire Eurasian continent trembles. As the most powerful nomadic people in history, their iron hooves have trodden the vast land, expanding their territory to the west.
At the beginning of the thirteenth century, Genghis Khan unified Mongolia and established the spectacular Mongol Empire. His successor, Ogedei, conquered the northern steppes, and after Kublai Khan unified China, the Yuan Dynasty spread across the Eurasian continent. Iron hooves are invincible.
In 1256, Kublai Khan personally led a large army to the west, advancing all the way to the west and conquering the countries of West Asia. In this way, Persia was incorporated into the Mongol territory. At the time, the people called it the Ilkhanate, which was a vassal state of the Yuan Dynasty.
After several baptisms of war, none of the local indigenous princes and nobles were spared, and they could only bow down to the Mongols. Since then, the Ilkhanate has become an important outpost for the Mongols in the Western Regions, and has been responsible for maintaining the frontier.
It is worth mentioning that although the Ilkhanate was once conquered by the Mongols, it has a long history with the culture of the Central Plains. As early as the Han Dynasty, the Chinese called Persia the "resting" country, meaning that they could rest their feet here. To this day, the traces of the fusion of the two cultures are still clearly visible.
Kublai Khan, as a generation of Ming monarchs, attached great importance to vassal states. He not only personally inspected the frontier army, but also frequently exchanged messengers with his subjects to learn about local realities. It is rumored that the Yuan Dynasty once gave a jade seal to the Ilkhanate to demonstrate its special status.
The anecdote behind a national seal
The miraculous creations of nature are often inadvertently displayed in front of the eyes of the world. Just like the seal of the Ilkhanate in France, the long-sealed history has resurfaced because of it, allowing us to glimpse the beautiful picture of the fusion of Eastern and Western civilizations.
According to research, the age of this unearthed cultural relic can be traced back to the Yuan Dynasty. The seal is engraved with ten large seal Chinese characters of "the treasure of all things in Tianshun", the strokes are strong and powerful, the style is elegant and solemn, and it fully demonstrates the unique charm of the imperial seal of the Yuan Dynasty.
Even more striking is the line of Arabic text engraved above the seal. From this point, it can be judged that this seal should be the national seal of the Ilkhanate given by the emperor of the Yuan Dynasty, witnessing the integration and interweaving of Eastern and Western cultures at that time.
So, how did this national seal end up in France? According to historical records, in the 17th century, an envoy from Persia visited King Louis XIV of France with a letter of state. As a representative of the Persian king at that time, he naturally also brought a token with the national seal.
Unexpectedly, this envoy was attacked by robbers along the way, and although he was spared, the national letter was lost. In order to recover the letter of return, the King had to send troops to hunt down the bandits. In the end, the bandits were defeated, and the lost letter was collected by the King in the palace treasure hall, and at the same time, the remarkable national seal was left in a foreign land.
Throughout the book, this national seal is undoubtedly a testimony to the integration of Iranian civilization and Chinese culture. It shows the mutual penetration and influence of Eastern and Western civilizations, and it is this extensive cultural exchange that has given birth to a more brilliant new civilization.
The special relationship between the Han Dynasty and the Sabbath Kingdom
Throughout Chinese history, the Han Dynasty was undoubtedly a glorious period. In this era, the Central Plains Dynasty initially went abroad and carried out extensive exchanges and exchanges with the countries of the Western Regions. Among them, as an important post station along the way, the country of rest has a long history with the Han Dynasty.
According to historical records, the Sabbath was actually the ancient Iranian kingdom of Persia. The origin of this name can be traced back to the time of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. At that time, the countries of the Western Regions paid tribute to the Han Dynasty with precious items, and Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty gave them the reputation of "rest" in recognition of their contributions. The literal translation is "here to rest in peace".
Since then, the name of the country of rest has been popular in the Central Plains. The literati of the Han Dynasty also admired this distant country, and they splashed ink to write various legends about this oasis city-state on the Silk Road.
During the Han Dynasty, Zhang Qian was the most frequent person who had the most frequent contact with Anxi. This unborn envoy was sent to Dawan many times, during which he also had to rest and recuperate in the Sabbath country. It can be seen that Anxi is indeed an important town located on the Silk Road.
In addition to Zhang Qian, there are many more envoys who know this place well because they have stayed in the country of rest for a long time. Some people even regard rest as a choke point to the Western Regions, which shows its important position in the Silk Road strategy of the Han Dynasty.
As the two sides come and go more frequently, the cultures are also imperceptibly blending influences. Nowadays, there are indeed many traces of Han culture in Iranian culture, such as decorative patterns and sculptures of Islamic architecture. This phenomenon of integration and interweaving reflects the continuous dialogue and exchange between Eastern and Western civilizations on the Silk Road.
The present life of historical truth is unraveled
Time flies, and after rolling red dust, those precious historical clues that have been buried by the years have finally resurfaced. And the national seal of the Ilkhanate is a ray of light that lifts the fog of history and illuminates the deep relationship between China and Persia.
This national seal, which was unearthed in France, has attracted attention for its unique design. Chinese characters and Arabic are displayed side by side, and Eastern and Western cultures are perfectly blended on them, witnessing the magnificent process of mutual learning between civilizations of countries along the Silk Road.
More importantly, after expert research, this seal should be made when the Yuan Dynasty gave the Ilkhanate. It can be seen that even during the Mongol rule, the culture of the Central Plains had a profound influence on Persia, and the cultural exchanges between the two places were never interrupted.
In fact, the civilizational ties between China and Persia can be traced back to the Han Dynasty. At that time, the foreign visits of Zhang Qian and other envoys greatly promoted the mutual learning between the two sides. The reputation of Persia, the "land of rest", originated from the praise and admiration of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty.
Today, in the once glorious land of Iran, a large number of Chinese cultural imprints can still be seen. From urban architecture to handicraft decoration, the shadow of Han culture can be seen everywhere. This phenomenon of blending shows that Eastern and Western civilizations have maintained an active dialogue and inheritance over the years.
The national seal that has been handed down to other countries is more like a clear mirror, clearly reflecting the deep roots of the two ancient civilizations of China and Persia. It has witnessed the turbulent but indelible road of civilization exchanges, and shows the historical trend of Eastern and Western civilizations learning from each other and moving in the same direction.