#sogdians

[lilithsaintcrow]

"Sogdians were skilled in commerce, diplomacy, literacy, art and entertainment, and were involved in the spread of several religions, as well as establishing their own religious traditions. They also played a crucial part in moving silk along the Silk Roads."

Who were the Sogdians?

If you'd travelled the Silk Roads between AD 500–800, you'd have probably encountered the Sogdians. But who were these enigmatic people?

[tetrachromate]

Sogdians in the Indian Ocean ⁉️⁉️

[fresherbrine]

6/12/2019 Science Magazine: Oldest evidence of marijuana use discovered in 2500-year-old cemetery in peaks of western China

Photo: https://sogdians.si.edu/nara-to-nancy/

[gwydionmisha]

Heart Wrenching Letters Reveal the Traumatic Life of Miwnay, A Sogdian Woman in China 1,700 Years Ago

History rarely remembers the little people. Our history books are full of stories of kings, queens, and conquerors; of influential men and wealthy people who lived in gilded castles. But the rest of us are forgotten.

[comtedemoney]

How to Recreate 1,300-Year-Old Cookies

Found in an empty tomb, these sweets have staying power.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/how-to-make-ancient-cookies

Sogdian-type jam tarts found in a tomb in Xinjiang.

I'm thinking that a half-millet flour/half-wheat flour dough might work well for ancient Sogdian-type flavor with modern dough performance. (Keep in mind that millet has no gluten, so it won't make a dough by itself.)

[bunnyneverdies]

As soon as he reached Gaza, without pause or further preparation Alexander signalled an immediate attack on the wall (which was an earth-wall of no great height). He told his troops to bring their ladders up against it on every side of the circuit, and this assault by the infantry was accompanied by a barrage of fire at the defenders on the wall by his slingers, archers, and javelin-men, as well as volleys of missiles from the catapults: this intensity of fire quickly cleared the wall of defenders, and it was short work for the Macedonians to place their ladders and scale the wall. On Alexander's orders they killed all the men and took the women and children as booty, with all else they could plunder.

The Anabasis, Arrian, translation by Martin Hammond

[thefabricpath]

What is Identity?

I found the Sogdians incredibly fascinating and briefly considered looking into something related to them for my final project before settling on something else.  Learning about this group of people really brings to mind the concepts of identity, ethnicity, and culture, connecting somewhat back to my second post here.  The Sogdians were rather spread out with their city states, practiced multiple religions and ‘conflicting’ funeral rituals (Marshak, 233), had influences from different cultures in their art... who were they really?  A merchant group, as Juliano and Lerner outline, but as we discussed in class, how biased is this view of them?  I do not doubt that they were merchant based necessarily, but I wonder about the opinions other cultures had of them, if they were really seen as money-greedy as a quote from that particular reading implied.

Why did the Sogdians choose to decorate their homes with art so heavily influenced from other cultures?  I am curious if this comes about due to the fact that Sogdiana “capitals” lay on the silk route.  Perhaps it is inevitable that when a group is in contact with those passing through from many other places, some of their culture is left behind.  The conquests that came from interactions with some did not diminish the Sogdian importance, as Lerner says.  If the Sogdian identity was abstract, or at least may appear so to us now, how did they retain it with conquests?  It seems, from what knowledge I gained from this week’s readings, that they were a relatively easygoing people.  

Honestly, within the three selections this week, I can’t see much to pick apart and look at deeper.  I do find Sogdiana, from this superficial view, to be puzzling however do not know much of what to say about them.  I am aware this post is rather lacking, but my main question is of what signifies identity.  Was the Sogdian identity distinct because of their hybridity, and was it this that shaped them?  How did they manage to maintain their identiy through the conquests by other groups?  I am left with many questions and few answers from this week’s readings.  The Sogdians are a people who I would love to study at length in the future.

Sources used:

Learner, Judith. "The Merchant Empire of the Sogdians." Monks and Merchants: Silk Road Treasures from Northwest China. New York: Abrams, 2001. 221-227. Print found online.

Marshak, Boris. "The Sogdians in Their Homeland." Monks and Merchants: Silk Road Treasures from Northwest China. New York: Abrams, 2001. 231-237. Print found online.

Feng, Luo. "Sogdians in Northwest China." Monks and Merchants: Silk Road Treasures from Northwest China. New York: Abrams, 2001. 231-237. Print found online.  

[virtuteetarmis]

Tajik  is a general designation for a wide range of Persian-speaking people of Iranian origin, with traditional homelands in present-day Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. Historically they were known as Arians, Ancient Persians, Sogdians and Bactrians.  Historically, the ancestors of the Tajiks lived in a larger territory in Central Asia than now.