嚈哒帝国钱币及其在丝绸之路上的作用探蠡

The Study on the Coins of the Hephthalite Empire and Their Role on the Silk Road

嚈哒人的崛起和迁徙对整个东西方文明的交流产生了重大影响,其所建立的帝国也是研究丝路贸易领域中不可避免的问题。嚈哒人所造钱币类型多样,不同系列钱币的内部结构较为复杂,一些独立划分的钱币类型之间也存在着较为密切的联系,这是钱币学视角下嚈哒帝国统治范围区域特色与统一性的再现。嚈哒钱币既是政治征服的产物,反映了嚈哒帝国权力及其范围的演变,又是文明互相影响的结果,体现了多元一体的特征。嚈哒帝国发挥着东西方文明交流的重要中介作用,确保了5~6世纪丝绸之路的稳定发展,也为隋唐之际丝绸之路的繁荣奠定了基础。5世纪末6世纪初是嚈哒帝国—波斯联盟和嚈哒帝国东扩至塔里木盆地、南下印度西北部的历史阶段。因此,嚈哒钱币主要是在其统治区域内流通,而入贡嚈哒的萨珊银币则是嚈哒帝国治下粟特人商贸网络东向延伸的主要交换媒介。

The rise and migration of the Hephthalites left a significant impact on the exchange of East-West civilizations,and the empire they established was one of the inevitable problems in the study of Silk Road trade.The internal structures of various types of Hephthalite coins were relatively complex,among which some types independently divided were closely related,which reflected regional characteristic and unity under the domain of Hephthalite Empire from the perspective of numismatics.The coins were the product of political conquest,reflecting the evolution of the power and reign scope of the Hephtalites,and the result of the mutual influences of civilizations,embodying the characteristics of pluralism and unity.The Hephthalite Empire played an important intermediary role in the exchange of East-West civilizations,ensuring the stable development of the Silk Road in the 5th and 6th centuries and laying the foundation for the prosperity of the Silk Road during the Sui and Tang Dynasties.The period from the end of 5th century to the early 6th century was the zenith of Hephthalite Empire when the alliance between Hephthalites and Sasanians was established and the Hephthalites expanded to Tarim Basin and southward to North-West India.Therefore,The Hephthalite coins mainly circulated in the places which the Hephthalites dominated,the Sassanian silver coins that were paid tribute to Hephthalite were the main medium of exchange for the eastward extension of the Sogdian trade network under the rule of the Hephthalite Empire.