嚈哒汗国与拜占庭帝国的交往——兼论其对丝路经贸往来的重要推动作用

The Contact between the Hephthalite Khanate and the Byzantine Empire:It’s Important Influence on the Exchange along the Silk Road

嚈哒汗国是5到6世纪突厥兴起前的中亚霸主,因其时、其地,对丝绸之路上的经济、文化交流影响极大。本文依据东西方史料记述,阐释嚈哒汗国与拜占庭帝国的政治互动以及民间联系;通过考古发现,论证嚈哒汗国在拜占庭帝国与中国间经济、文化联系中发挥的重要作用。5世纪晚期嚈哒汗国的政治与军事胜利,不仅改变了周边的政治格局,还推动大量西方金银币向东传播,促进了东西方经济、文化交流的兴盛。

The Hephthalite Khanate was the powerful regime of the Central Asia from the end of 5th to the middle of 6th century before the rise of Turks. It had a strong impact on the economic and cultural exchange along the Silk Road due to the time and its location. This article represents the political contact between the Hephthalite Khanate and the Byzantine Empire, and also their commercial,cultural contact, based on the historical records on one hand, and points out the Hephthalites’ important role on the communication between the Byzantine Empire and China on the other. It is concluded that the military and political triumph of the Hephthalites at the end of 5th century, not only changes the political situation of Eurasia, but also promotes greatly to the eastwards of Byzantine gold coins and Persian silver coins, that is, promotes greatly to the prosperous of the exchanges between the East and the West along the Silk Road.