历史：三个比亚历山大帝国更大的不为人知的帝国
3 Lesser-Known Empires Which Were Larger Than Alexander’s
译文简介
我小时候，母亲给我买过几本阿斯特里克斯漫画书，一个有着超自然力量的高卢村落，把罗马帝国挡在海湾之外，这个故事立刻吸引了我，这是我第一次接触罗马帝国，从那以后，古代和中世纪的帝国总是能激起我的好奇心。
正文翻译
3 Lesser-Known Empires Which Were Larger Than Alexander’s
They were not built by the Romans, Persians, Mongols, or Chinese
三个比亚历山大帝国更大的不为人知的帝国
它们不是由罗马人、波斯人、蒙古人或中国人建立的
They were not built by the Romans, Persians, Mongols, or Chinese
三个比亚历山大帝国更大的不为人知的帝国
它们不是由罗马人、波斯人、蒙古人或中国人建立的
Golden stag with eagle head possibly belonging to the Xiongnu 4th-3rd century BCE, Shaanxi History Museum.
图：鹰头金牡鹿，可能属于公元前4 -3世纪的匈奴，陕西历史博物馆
My mother bought me several Asterix comic books when I was a child. The idea of a Gaulish village with supernatural strength keeping the Roman Empire at bay appealed to me right away. It was my first encounter with the Roman Empire. Since then, ancient and medi empires have always sparked my curiosity.
After decades, I realized many empires had escaped historians’ recognition. They are rarely honored in most history books or pop culture that is focused on history.
我小时候，母亲给我买过几本阿斯特里克斯漫画书，一个有着超自然力量的高卢村落，把罗马帝国挡在海湾之外，这个故事立刻吸引了我，这是我第一次接触罗马帝国，从那以后，古代和中世纪的帝国总是能激起我的好奇心。
几十年后，我意识到许多帝国都逃过了历史学家的眼睛，它们很少在大多数历史书籍或关注历史的流行文化中受到尊重。
原创翻译：龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
After decades, I realized many empires had escaped historians’ recognition. They are rarely honored in most history books or pop culture that is focused on history.
我小时候，母亲给我买过几本阿斯特里克斯漫画书，一个有着超自然力量的高卢村落，把罗马帝国挡在海湾之外，这个故事立刻吸引了我，这是我第一次接触罗马帝国，从那以后，古代和中世纪的帝国总是能激起我的好奇心。
几十年后，我意识到许多帝国都逃过了历史学家的眼睛，它们很少在大多数历史书籍或关注历史的流行文化中受到尊重。
原创翻译：龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
Julius Caesar, Alexander, Cyrus, Atilla, and Ashoka are among the ancient world’s A-list celebrity empire builders.
But what if I told you there was an Empire forged a century after Alexander, which was twice the size of his? In fact, in the ancient era, there were three empires that were larger than Alexander’s.
Imagine a tribe that was so powerful that it conquered India and Persia.
Is it possible for a ragtag group of blacksmiths to construct an empire?
This story is a tale of three underdogs deemed worthless by their families and overlords but defied the odds to forge vast empires.
尤里乌斯·凯撒、亚历山大、赛勒斯、阿提拉和阿育王都是古代世界知名的帝国缔造者。
但如果我告诉你，在亚历山大之后一个世纪，有一个帝国诞生了，其面积是压力山帝国的两倍呢？事实上，在古代，有三个帝国比亚历山大的还要大。
想象一下，一个征服了印度和波斯的部落有多么强大。
一群乌合之众的铁匠有可能建立一个帝国吗？
这个故事讲述的是三个被家族和领主视为毫无价值的无用之人却在逆境中建立起一个庞大帝国的故事。
But what if I told you there was an Empire forged a century after Alexander, which was twice the size of his? In fact, in the ancient era, there were three empires that were larger than Alexander’s.
Imagine a tribe that was so powerful that it conquered India and Persia.
Is it possible for a ragtag group of blacksmiths to construct an empire?
This story is a tale of three underdogs deemed worthless by their families and overlords but defied the odds to forge vast empires.
尤里乌斯·凯撒、亚历山大、赛勒斯、阿提拉和阿育王都是古代世界知名的帝国缔造者。
但如果我告诉你，在亚历山大之后一个世纪，有一个帝国诞生了，其面积是压力山帝国的两倍呢？事实上，在古代，有三个帝国比亚历山大的还要大。
想象一下，一个征服了印度和波斯的部落有多么强大。
一群乌合之众的铁匠有可能建立一个帝国吗？
这个故事讲述的是三个被家族和领主视为毫无价值的无用之人却在逆境中建立起一个庞大帝国的故事。
They arose from the vast grasslands of the Steppes. Their exploits were repeated centuries later by another nomadic tribe, resulting in the world’s largest contiguous land empire. They were the Mongols, the dreaded Mongols.
The actions of the descendants of these three empires would alter the course of history in both Europe and Asia.
Let’s examine their rise, fall, and effect on human culture.
他们起源于广阔的大草原，几个世纪后，另一个游牧部落重复了他们的壮举，形成了世界上最大的、连续的陆地帝国，他们便是蒙古人，可怕的蒙古人。
这三个帝国的后裔的行动改变了欧洲和亚洲的历史进程。
让我们来看看它们的兴衰以及对人类文化的影响。
The actions of the descendants of these three empires would alter the course of history in both Europe and Asia.
Let’s examine their rise, fall, and effect on human culture.
他们起源于广阔的大草原，几个世纪后，另一个游牧部落重复了他们的壮举，形成了世界上最大的、连续的陆地帝国，他们便是蒙古人，可怕的蒙古人。
这三个帝国的后裔的行动改变了欧洲和亚洲的历史进程。
让我们来看看它们的兴衰以及对人类文化的影响。
The Xiongnu Empire (209 BCE- 300 CE)
Xiongnu Empire at its greatest extent. Image source and licensing: Wikimedia commons Origins
At its peak, the Xiongnu empire was nearly twice the size of Alexander’s, covering nine million square miles. Mongolia and Northern China were the birthplaces of the Xiongnu Empire, the first Eurasian Steppe Empire.
We depend on Chinese sources to learn about the Xiongnu’s history and rulers since they did not have written records of their rule.
One theory suggests the Xiongnu were the descendants of China’s first dynasty, the Xia dynasty.
Although the Xiongnu’s origins are debatable, it is clear that they were a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual tribal confederation.
#1 匈奴帝国 ( 公元前209-300年 )
图：匈奴帝国最辉煌的时候 地图略
在其巅峰时期，匈奴帝国的面积几乎是亚历山大帝国的两倍，占地900万平方英里。
蒙古和中国北方是匈奴帝国的发源地，这是第一个欧亚草原帝国。
我们得靠中国的史料来了解匈奴的历史和统治者，因为他们没有关于其统治的文字记录。
有一种说法认为，匈奴人是中国第一个王朝——夏朝的后裔。
虽然匈奴的起源尚有争议，但很明显，他们是一个多民族、多语言的部落联盟。
Xiongnu Empire at its greatest extent. Image source and licensing: Wikimedia commons Origins
At its peak, the Xiongnu empire was nearly twice the size of Alexander’s, covering nine million square miles. Mongolia and Northern China were the birthplaces of the Xiongnu Empire, the first Eurasian Steppe Empire.
We depend on Chinese sources to learn about the Xiongnu’s history and rulers since they did not have written records of their rule.
One theory suggests the Xiongnu were the descendants of China’s first dynasty, the Xia dynasty.
Although the Xiongnu’s origins are debatable, it is clear that they were a multi-ethnic, multi-lingual tribal confederation.
#1 匈奴帝国 ( 公元前209-300年 )
图：匈奴帝国最辉煌的时候 地图略
在其巅峰时期，匈奴帝国的面积几乎是亚历山大帝国的两倍，占地900万平方英里。
蒙古和中国北方是匈奴帝国的发源地，这是第一个欧亚草原帝国。
我们得靠中国的史料来了解匈奴的历史和统治者，因为他们没有关于其统治的文字记录。
有一种说法认为，匈奴人是中国第一个王朝——夏朝的后裔。
虽然匈奴的起源尚有争议，但很明显，他们是一个多民族、多语言的部落联盟。
Rise to power
Bronze plaque of a Xiongnu warrior, British Museum. Image source and licensing: Wikimedia commons.
In 209 BCE, Modu became the Chanyu (Emperor) of the Xiongnu after assassinating his father Touman.
Touman didn’t want Modu to succeed him, preferring the son of another wife instead. He sent Modu to a rival tribe called the Yuezhi as a hostage. Touman then attacked the Yuezhi, hoping they will kill Modu.
But Modu fled from his captivity and trained a group of obedient followers who would carry out any order he issued. This helped him unite several feuding Xiongnu nobles, and he took power by assassinating his father and then killing other potential heirs.
崛起
Bronze plaque of a Xiongnu warrior, British Museum. Image source and licensing: Wikimedia commons.
In 209 BCE, Modu became the Chanyu (Emperor) of the Xiongnu after assassinating his father Touman.
Touman didn’t want Modu to succeed him, preferring the son of another wife instead. He sent Modu to a rival tribe called the Yuezhi as a hostage. Touman then attacked the Yuezhi, hoping they will kill Modu.
But Modu fled from his captivity and trained a group of obedient followers who would carry out any order he issued. This helped him unite several feuding Xiongnu nobles, and he took power by assassinating his father and then killing other potential heirs.
崛起
图：匈奴武士铜牌，大英博物馆
公元前209年，冒顿在刺杀了父亲头曼后，成为了匈奴的单于（皇帝）。
头曼不想让冒顿继位，他属意的是另一个妻子的儿子，他把冒顿送到了一个叫月氏的敌对部落作为人质，于是头曼攻击月氏族，希望他们能杀死冒顿。
但冒顿逃出了囚禁，并训练了一批听话的追随者，他们会执行他发布的任何命令，这帮助他团结了几个争斗不休的匈奴贵族，他通过刺杀自己的父亲，然后杀死其他潜在的继承人，夺取了权力。
This tale seems uncannily similar to Genghis Khan’s rise 1400 years later. The Xiongnu under Modu crushed their rivals, the Yuezhi, Wusun, and Donghu, who were rival nomadic kingdoms.
At the Battle of Baideng in 200 BCE, Modu ambushed and defeated the Han Chinese emperor. They forced the Chinese into a humiliating treating of providing tribute, silk, and Han princesses in marriage to the Xiongnu nobility. The silk gained from the Chinese was traded with settled civilizations in the West.
The rise of Emperor Wu of Han in 141 BCE would change the dynamics of the relationship between the Han and Xiongnu.
Decline and impact
这个故事似乎与1400年后成吉思汗的崛起惊人地相似，冒顿领导下的匈奴打败了他们的对手，月氏、乌孙和东胡，这些都是相互竞争的游牧王国。
公元前200年，白登之围，冒顿伏击并击败了汉朝皇帝，他们迫使中国人向匈奴贵族提供贡品、丝绸，汉朝公主和亲，并用中国人那里获得的丝绸与西方的文明进行贸易。
At the Battle of Baideng in 200 BCE, Modu ambushed and defeated the Han Chinese emperor. They forced the Chinese into a humiliating treating of providing tribute, silk, and Han princesses in marriage to the Xiongnu nobility. The silk gained from the Chinese was traded with settled civilizations in the West.
The rise of Emperor Wu of Han in 141 BCE would change the dynamics of the relationship between the Han and Xiongnu.
Decline and impact
这个故事似乎与1400年后成吉思汗的崛起惊人地相似，冒顿领导下的匈奴打败了他们的对手，月氏、乌孙和东胡，这些都是相互竞争的游牧王国。
公元前200年，白登之围，冒顿伏击并击败了汉朝皇帝，他们迫使中国人向匈奴贵族提供贡品、丝绸，汉朝公主和亲，并用中国人那里获得的丝绸与西方的文明进行贸易。
The Han and Xiongnu fought a long war which ended with the Xiongnu’s defeat. The war had fascinating consequences, including the birth of the Silk Road, a land-based trade route that exists even today. I have covered the details of the birth of the Silk Road and the Han-Xiongnu War in another story.
The War Over Blood Sweating Horses
How a Greco-Chinese conflict gave birth to the Silk Road and changed international trade.
汉朝和匈奴进行了长期的战争，最终以匈奴的失败而告终。
这场战争产生了引人入胜的结果，包括丝绸之路的诞生，这条陆上贸易路线至今仍存在，我在另一个故事中讲述了丝绸之路的诞生和汉匈战争的细节：
链接：《血汗宝马的战争：希腊和中国的冲突如何催生丝绸之路并改变国际贸易》
The War Over Blood Sweating Horses
How a Greco-Chinese conflict gave birth to the Silk Road and changed international trade.
汉朝和匈奴进行了长期的战争，最终以匈奴的失败而告终。
这场战争产生了引人入胜的结果，包括丝绸之路的诞生，这条陆上贸易路线至今仍存在，我在另一个故事中讲述了丝绸之路的诞生和汉匈战争的细节：
链接：《血汗宝马的战争：希腊和中国的冲突如何催生丝绸之路并改变国际贸易》
The Xiongnu’s influence never recovered, and later they became Han tributaries. The empire split into Northern and Southern Xiongnu. Another nomadic group called the Xianbei defeated the Northern Xiongnu and chased them to the Altai mountains. The Chinese assimilated the Southern Xiongnu into various kingdoms.
Although the Xiongnu’s power waned, their descendants, the Huns, rose a few centuries later to wreak havoc in Europe, Persia, and India.
An important impact of the Xiongnu was the construction of the Great Wall of China. To hold the Xiongnu at bay, the Chinese built the fortifications which would later become the Great Wall. And today, millions of tourists from all over the world visit this impressive ancient creation.
匈奴的影响再也没有恢复，后来他们成为汉族的支流，帝国分裂为北匈奴和南匈奴，另一个叫鲜卑的游牧民族打败了北匈奴，把他们赶到了阿尔泰山，中国人将南匈奴同化为多个王国。
尽管匈奴的势力衰落，但他们的后代“匈人”在几个世纪后崛起，对欧洲、波斯和印度造成了巨大的破坏。
匈奴的一个重要影响是使中国修筑了长城，为了牵制匈奴，中国人建造了防御工事，这就是后来的长城，今天，无数来自世界各地的游客参观这一令人印象深刻的古老建筑。
Although the Xiongnu’s power waned, their descendants, the Huns, rose a few centuries later to wreak havoc in Europe, Persia, and India.
An important impact of the Xiongnu was the construction of the Great Wall of China. To hold the Xiongnu at bay, the Chinese built the fortifications which would later become the Great Wall. And today, millions of tourists from all over the world visit this impressive ancient creation.
匈奴的影响再也没有恢复，后来他们成为汉族的支流，帝国分裂为北匈奴和南匈奴，另一个叫鲜卑的游牧民族打败了北匈奴，把他们赶到了阿尔泰山，中国人将南匈奴同化为多个王国。
尽管匈奴的势力衰落，但他们的后代“匈人”在几个世纪后崛起，对欧洲、波斯和印度造成了巨大的破坏。
匈奴的一个重要影响是使中国修筑了长城，为了牵制匈奴，中国人建造了防御工事，这就是后来的长城，今天，无数来自世界各地的游客参观这一令人印象深刻的古老建筑。
The Hephthalite ( White Hun) Empire ( 440 CE-570 CE)
#2 白匈奴（Hephthalite）帝国 ( 公元440 -570年 )
#2 白匈奴（Hephthalite）帝国 ( 公元440 -570年 )
Mural from Balalyk Tepe depicting Hepthalite ruling class enjoying a banquet.
图：Balalyk 山丘上的壁画，描绘了白匈奴统治阶级享受宴会的情景
Atilla is the first name that comes to mind when we think of Huns. While Atilla may have been the MVP of the Hunnic Empire that controlled Europe, his lesser-known relatives, the White Huns, ruled Asia.
Procopius, a Byzantine scholar, misidentified White Huns as “Caucasian” Huns, as opposed to the Mongoloid or Turkic Huns of Europe. Hunnic color codes corresponded to their migration directions: north (black), east (blue), west (white), and red (south). Black and Blue Huns enjoyed seniority over the White and Red Huns.
While scholars disagree on the exact origins of the Huns, it is widely agreed that they were descendants of the Xiongnu.
Climate change and the emergence of the Rouran Khaganate (also known as Juan-Juan or Avar Khaganate), a proto-Mongol Empire, forced white Huns to flee.
Yup, they were the same Rourans from the film Mulan!
Breaking away from the Rouran influence, a branch of White Huns, the Hephthalites forged the largest empire of their time.
提起匈人，我们首先想到的就是阿提拉这个名字，阿提拉可能是匈奴帝国最广为人知的一位，他控制着欧洲，而他鲜为人知的亲戚白匈奴则统治着亚洲。
拜占庭学者普罗科皮乌斯（Procopius）误将白匈奴（Hephthalite）定义为“高加索”匈人，与欧洲的蒙古人种或突厥人种的匈人相反，匈人的颜色代码与其迁徙方向相对应：北（黑）、东（蓝）、西（白）、红（南），黑匈人、蓝匈人比白匈人、红匈人资历更老。
虽然学者们对匈人的确切起源存在分歧，但普遍认为他们是匈奴的后裔。
气候的变化，以及原始蒙古帝国，柔然的出现，迫使白匈奴开始逃亡。
没错，他们就是电影《花木兰》中的柔然 ！
匈奴的一个分支，（Hephthalite）摆脱了柔然的影响，铸造了一个当时最大的帝国。
Procopius, a Byzantine scholar, misidentified White Huns as “Caucasian” Huns, as opposed to the Mongoloid or Turkic Huns of Europe. Hunnic color codes corresponded to their migration directions: north (black), east (blue), west (white), and red (south). Black and Blue Huns enjoyed seniority over the White and Red Huns.
While scholars disagree on the exact origins of the Huns, it is widely agreed that they were descendants of the Xiongnu.
Climate change and the emergence of the Rouran Khaganate (also known as Juan-Juan or Avar Khaganate), a proto-Mongol Empire, forced white Huns to flee.
Yup, they were the same Rourans from the film Mulan!
Breaking away from the Rouran influence, a branch of White Huns, the Hephthalites forged the largest empire of their time.
提起匈人，我们首先想到的就是阿提拉这个名字，阿提拉可能是匈奴帝国最广为人知的一位，他控制着欧洲，而他鲜为人知的亲戚白匈奴则统治着亚洲。
拜占庭学者普罗科皮乌斯（Procopius）误将白匈奴（Hephthalite）定义为“高加索”匈人，与欧洲的蒙古人种或突厥人种的匈人相反，匈人的颜色代码与其迁徙方向相对应：北（黑）、东（蓝）、西（白）、红（南），黑匈人、蓝匈人比白匈人、红匈人资历更老。
虽然学者们对匈人的确切起源存在分歧，但普遍认为他们是匈奴的后裔。
气候的变化，以及原始蒙古帝国，柔然的出现，迫使白匈奴开始逃亡。
没错，他们就是电影《花木兰》中的柔然 ！
匈奴的一个分支，（Hephthalite）摆脱了柔然的影响，铸造了一个当时最大的帝国。
Rise to power
The Hephthalites encountered their cousins the Kidarites as they moved south. The Kidarites were a White Hun state that overthrew the Kushan Empire and established a buffer between India and Persia. This allowed them to control the lucrative Silk trade between East and West.
Kidarites were a thorn in the side of both Sassanid Iran and Northern India’s Gupta Empire. They occupied large swathes of the territory of both empires.
A Sassanid-Hephthalite coalition eventually defeated the Kidarites. However, the Persians could not reclaim their lost lands, as the Hephthalites conquered them.
崛起
白匈奴人在南迁时遇到了他们的表兄弟寄多罗人（Kidarites），寄多罗是一个白匈奴国家，他们推翻了贵霜帝国，在印度和波斯之间建立了一个缓冲区，这使得他们能够控制东西方之间利润丰厚的丝绸贸易。
寄多罗人是波斯萨珊王朝和北印度笈多王朝的眼中钉，他们占据了两个帝国大片的领土。
萨珊和笈多联军最终打败了寄多罗人，然而波斯人无法收回他们失去的土地，因为白匈奴人征服了他们。
The Hephthalites encountered their cousins the Kidarites as they moved south. The Kidarites were a White Hun state that overthrew the Kushan Empire and established a buffer between India and Persia. This allowed them to control the lucrative Silk trade between East and West.
Kidarites were a thorn in the side of both Sassanid Iran and Northern India’s Gupta Empire. They occupied large swathes of the territory of both empires.
A Sassanid-Hephthalite coalition eventually defeated the Kidarites. However, the Persians could not reclaim their lost lands, as the Hephthalites conquered them.
崛起
白匈奴人在南迁时遇到了他们的表兄弟寄多罗人（Kidarites），寄多罗是一个白匈奴国家，他们推翻了贵霜帝国，在印度和波斯之间建立了一个缓冲区，这使得他们能够控制东西方之间利润丰厚的丝绸贸易。
寄多罗人是波斯萨珊王朝和北印度笈多王朝的眼中钉，他们占据了两个帝国大片的领土。
萨珊和笈多联军最终打败了寄多罗人，然而波斯人无法收回他们失去的土地，因为白匈奴人征服了他们。
In the Sassanian succession wars, the Hephthalites played an important role. This came at a price. Persian kings paid regular tribute and sent their princesses to the Hephthalites for marriage.
Piroz, the Sassanian ruler was supported by the Hephthalites to succeed Yazdegerd II. But he had to give the Hephthalites a significant portion of Persian territory in the east.
He would later attack the Hephthalites in three wars, losing two and being captured on both occasions. But he was unlucky the third time, as he died in combat.
Piroz’s successor, Kavad, became a Hephthalite tributary, and the Hephthalites seal appeared on Sassanian coins.
在萨珊王朝的继承战争中，白匈奴发挥了重要作用，但对萨珊人来说这是要付出代价的，波斯国王必须定期向白匈奴进贡，并把他们的公主送到白匈奴举行婚礼。
萨珊统治者皮罗兹得到了白匈奴的支持，继承了叶兹德格尔德二世的王位，但他不得不把波斯东部的一大块领土割让给白匈奴。
他后来发动了三次战争进攻白匈奴人，两次战败被俘，但第三次不幸战死沙场。
皮罗兹的继任者是卡瓦迪，这时候的萨珊成为白匈奴了附庸国，白匈奴的印记出现在了萨珊硬币上。
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Piroz, the Sassanian ruler was supported by the Hephthalites to succeed Yazdegerd II. But he had to give the Hephthalites a significant portion of Persian territory in the east.
He would later attack the Hephthalites in three wars, losing two and being captured on both occasions. But he was unlucky the third time, as he died in combat.
Piroz’s successor, Kavad, became a Hephthalite tributary, and the Hephthalites seal appeared on Sassanian coins.
在萨珊王朝的继承战争中，白匈奴发挥了重要作用，但对萨珊人来说这是要付出代价的，波斯国王必须定期向白匈奴进贡，并把他们的公主送到白匈奴举行婚礼。
萨珊统治者皮罗兹得到了白匈奴的支持，继承了叶兹德格尔德二世的王位，但他不得不把波斯东部的一大块领土割让给白匈奴。
他后来发动了三次战争进攻白匈奴人，两次战败被俘，但第三次不幸战死沙场。
皮罗兹的继任者是卡瓦迪，这时候的萨珊成为白匈奴了附庸国，白匈奴的印记出现在了萨珊硬币上。
原创翻译：龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
Meanwhile, the Hephthalites declared a sub-king to rule over Northern and Central India. His name was Toramana.
Toramana and his son Mihirakula wreaked havoc throughout India, according to Buddhist accounts. They demolished many Buddhist monasteries, universities, and persecuted monks, finally putting an end to the declining Gupta Empire.
In a Gupta counter-offensive, the Indians drove Mihirakula back to the North-Western regions of India. Despite the losses, the Huns cemented their rule over Punjab, Kashmir, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh in India.
与此同时，白匈奴宣布任命一位亚王来统治印度北部和中部，他的名字叫托拉马纳。
根据佛教典籍记载，托拉马纳和他的儿子摩酰逻矩罗在整个印度大肆破坏，他们拆毁了许多佛教寺院、大学，迫害僧侣，终结了衰落的笈多帝国。
在笈多的一次反攻中，印度人将摩酰逻矩罗赶回了印度西北部地区，尽管遭遇失败，匈人还是巩固了他们对印度旁遮普邦、克什米尔、拉贾斯坦邦和北方邦的统治。
Toramana and his son Mihirakula wreaked havoc throughout India, according to Buddhist accounts. They demolished many Buddhist monasteries, universities, and persecuted monks, finally putting an end to the declining Gupta Empire.
In a Gupta counter-offensive, the Indians drove Mihirakula back to the North-Western regions of India. Despite the losses, the Huns cemented their rule over Punjab, Kashmir, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh in India.
与此同时，白匈奴宣布任命一位亚王来统治印度北部和中部，他的名字叫托拉马纳。
根据佛教典籍记载，托拉马纳和他的儿子摩酰逻矩罗在整个印度大肆破坏，他们拆毁了许多佛教寺院、大学，迫害僧侣，终结了衰落的笈多帝国。
在笈多的一次反攻中，印度人将摩酰逻矩罗赶回了印度西北部地区，尽管遭遇失败，匈人还是巩固了他们对印度旁遮普邦、克什米尔、拉贾斯坦邦和北方邦的统治。
Coin of Toramana, Hepthalite ruler of India. Image Source and licensing: Wikimedia commons.
图：托拉马纳硬币，印度的白匈奴统治者
By 522 CE the Hephthalites had conquered most of Tarim Basin, including the kingdom of Khotan. Their erstwhile masters, the Rouran Khaganate, fled to seek refuge in the Hepthalite court.
For a brief period in the early 6th century CE, the Hephthalites forged the largest Empire in the world. They controlled the landmass from Mesopotamia and Syria through their Sassanian vassals in the West to the Tarim Basin in the East and up to Central India in the South.
到公元522年，白匈奴已经征服了塔里木盆地的大部分地区，包括于阗，他们昔日的主人，柔然，逃到白匈奴寻求庇护。
在公元6世纪早期的一段短暂时期内，白匈奴人缔造了世界上最大的帝国，他们控制了西至美索不达米亚、叙利亚（通过萨珊诸侯），东至塔里木盆地，南至印度中部的一大片领土。
For a brief period in the early 6th century CE, the Hephthalites forged the largest Empire in the world. They controlled the landmass from Mesopotamia and Syria through their Sassanian vassals in the West to the Tarim Basin in the East and up to Central India in the South.
到公元522年，白匈奴已经征服了塔里木盆地的大部分地区，包括于阗，他们昔日的主人，柔然，逃到白匈奴寻求庇护。
在公元6世纪早期的一段短暂时期内，白匈奴人缔造了世界上最大的帝国，他们控制了西至美索不达米亚、叙利亚（通过萨珊诸侯），东至塔里木盆地，南至印度中部的一大片领土。
Decline and Impact
Hepthalite swordsmen, Qizil Caves, Tarim Basin. Image source and license: Wikimedia commons
衰落和影响
Hepthalite swordsmen, Qizil Caves, Tarim Basin. Image source and license: Wikimedia commons
衰落和影响
图：白匈奴人，克孜尔石窟，塔里木盆地
For more than a century, the Hephthalites reigned supreme in Central Asia. Being a decentralized empire, they faced constant revolts by their vassals, such as the Indians and Persians.
The expansion of the Göktürks, a new emerging force in Central Asia, presented the Persians with a golden opportunity to form an alliance and overthrow the Hephthalites. The Göktürks assimilated the Hepthalite realm into their empire.
In 570 CE, Hun rule in India also came to an end.
在一个多世纪的时间里，白匈奴在中亚地区称王称霸，作为一个分权的帝国，他们面临着诸如印度人和波斯人等臣民的不断反抗。
一支在中亚崛起的新势力——突厥的扩张，给了波斯人一个结盟并推翻白匈奴的绝佳机会，突厥人将白匈奴王国同化进他们的帝国。
The expansion of the Göktürks, a new emerging force in Central Asia, presented the Persians with a golden opportunity to form an alliance and overthrow the Hephthalites. The Göktürks assimilated the Hepthalite realm into their empire.
In 570 CE, Hun rule in India also came to an end.
在一个多世纪的时间里，白匈奴在中亚地区称王称霸，作为一个分权的帝国，他们面临着诸如印度人和波斯人等臣民的不断反抗。
一支在中亚崛起的新势力——突厥的扩张，给了波斯人一个结盟并推翻白匈奴的绝佳机会，突厥人将白匈奴王国同化进他们的帝国。
Despite the fact that the Hephthalites lost control they would play a role in South Asian politics.
Their descendants, the Turk Shahi dynasty of Afghanistan and the Gujjara Pratihara dynasty of North-Western India, were instrumental in halting Arab expansion into the Indian subcontinent.
Many scholars believe that these acts helped to preserve the Hindu faith in India in the long run.
公元570年，匈人在印度的统治也结束了，但尽管白匈奴失去了控制权，他们仍然在南亚政治中扮演着重要角色。
他们的后裔，阿富汗的突厥沙希 (Turkshahi )王朝和西北印度的瞿折罗-波罗提诃罗（Gujjara Pratihara）王朝在阻止阿拉伯人向印度次大陆扩张方面发挥了重要作用。
许多学者认为，从长远来看，这些行为有助于维护印度的印度教信仰。
Their descendants, the Turk Shahi dynasty of Afghanistan and the Gujjara Pratihara dynasty of North-Western India, were instrumental in halting Arab expansion into the Indian subcontinent.
Many scholars believe that these acts helped to preserve the Hindu faith in India in the long run.
公元570年，匈人在印度的统治也结束了，但尽管白匈奴失去了控制权，他们仍然在南亚政治中扮演着重要角色。
他们的后裔，阿富汗的突厥沙希 (Turkshahi )王朝和西北印度的瞿折罗-波罗提诃罗（Gujjara Pratihara）王朝在阻止阿拉伯人向印度次大陆扩张方面发挥了重要作用。
许多学者认为，从长远来看，这些行为有助于维护印度的印度教信仰。
The First Turkic (Göktürk) Khaganate ( 551 CE–682 CE)
#3 第一突厥(Göktürk) 汗国 (公元551年-公元682年)
#3 第一突厥(Göktürk) 汗国 (公元551年-公元682年)
The Seljuks and the Ottomans are the first names that come to mind when we think of Turkic empires. But long before their rise, the expansion of the Turks to the Middle East and Europe was possible because of the exploits of the Göktürks.
Göktürk means “heavenly Turks” or “blue Turks.” They established the First Turkic Khaganate, a vast empire extending from Mongolia in the east to the Black Sea in the west.
The Turks, like the Hephthalites, were the subjects of the Rouran Khaganate. They were blacksmiths and skilled metalworkers who provided arms and other ferrous and nonferrous metal products to the Rourans.
当我们想到突厥帝国时，我们首先想到的是塞尔柱王朝和奥斯曼帝国，但早在他们崛起之前，突厥人之所以能够向中东和欧洲扩张，是因为Göktürk人的开拓。
Göktürk 的意思是“ 天国的突厥人”或“ 蓝突厥”，他们建立了第一突厥汗国，这是一个东起蒙古，西至黑海的庞大帝国。
突厥人和白匈奴人一样，都是柔然帝国的臣民，他们是铁匠和熟练的冶金工人，为柔然人提供武器和其他有色金属制品。
Göktürk means “heavenly Turks” or “blue Turks.” They established the First Turkic Khaganate, a vast empire extending from Mongolia in the east to the Black Sea in the west.
The Turks, like the Hephthalites, were the subjects of the Rouran Khaganate. They were blacksmiths and skilled metalworkers who provided arms and other ferrous and nonferrous metal products to the Rourans.
当我们想到突厥帝国时，我们首先想到的是塞尔柱王朝和奥斯曼帝国，但早在他们崛起之前，突厥人之所以能够向中东和欧洲扩张，是因为Göktürk人的开拓。
Göktürk 的意思是“ 天国的突厥人”或“ 蓝突厥”，他们建立了第一突厥汗国，这是一个东起蒙古，西至黑海的庞大帝国。
突厥人和白匈奴人一样，都是柔然帝国的臣民，他们是铁匠和熟练的冶金工人，为柔然人提供武器和其他有色金属制品。
Bumin, the leader of the Göktürks, aided the Rourans in suppressing an internal uprising. He sought the hand of the Khagan’s (Emperor’s) daughter in marriage as a reward. The Rouran overlord laughed at the proposal, suggesting that blacksmith slaves were unworthy of a royal hand.
Enraged, Bumin gathered his troops and defeated the Rouran emperor in 552 CE, becoming the first Turkic Khagan.
突厥人的领袖阿史那土门 ( Bumin )协助柔然人镇压了一次内部起义，他求娶可汗 (皇帝) 之女为妻，以为奖励，柔然可汗对这个提议嗤之以鼻，嘲笑说做铁匠的奴隶不配娶王室之女。
被激怒的阿史那土门集结军队，于公元552年打败了柔然皇帝，建立了第一个突厥汗国。
Enraged, Bumin gathered his troops and defeated the Rouran emperor in 552 CE, becoming the first Turkic Khagan.
突厥人的领袖阿史那土门 ( Bumin )协助柔然人镇压了一次内部起义，他求娶可汗 (皇帝) 之女为妻，以为奖励，柔然可汗对这个提议嗤之以鼻，嘲笑说做铁匠的奴隶不配娶王室之女。
被激怒的阿史那土门集结军队，于公元552年打败了柔然皇帝，建立了第一个突厥汗国。
The Turks are identified as Xiongnu descendants in Chinese sources such as the Chou-Shu. While this is possible, we should approach it with caution. Settled cultures took the liberty of using a common term to refer to all nomadic people. Scythians, for example, were the name given to any tribe that emerged on the Pontic Steppes by the Greeks. Any invader on the Persians’ northern borders was referred to as a Saka. Similarly, every Northern and Western “barbarian” tribe was referred to as Xiongnu by the Chinese.
在《周书》等中国资料中，突厥人被认定为匈奴后裔，虽然这是可能的，但我们应该谨慎看待，定居文明往往擅自用一个共同的名词来指代所有游牧民族。例如，希腊人把大草原上出现的任何部落都称呼为“斯基泰人”，凡是波斯人北部边境的入侵者，都被称为 "塞克人"（塞种），同样，每一个北方和西方的 "蛮族 "部落都被中国人称为匈奴。
在《周书》等中国资料中，突厥人被认定为匈奴后裔，虽然这是可能的，但我们应该谨慎看待，定居文明往往擅自用一个共同的名词来指代所有游牧民族。例如，希腊人把大草原上出现的任何部落都称呼为“斯基泰人”，凡是波斯人北部边境的入侵者，都被称为 "塞克人"（塞种），同样，每一个北方和西方的 "蛮族 "部落都被中国人称为匈奴。
Rise to Power
Gold mask belonging to a Turkic warrior, 5th-6th century CE, Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture Museum. Image source and licensing: Wikimedia commons.
Bumin died soon after establishing the Turkic Khaganate, and his son Muquan succeeded him. Muquan was in charge of the Turkic Khaganate’s eastern half, while Bumin’s brother Istami was in charge of its western expansion.
The Hephthalites, who were allies of the Rourans, were the first enemy the Göktürks faced. The Göktürks formed an alliance with the Persian emperor and defeated the Hephthalites. Later, the Göktürks would fight the Sassanid Persians in three wars, ultimately defeating them with the aid of Byzantine forces. The third Göktürk-Persian war affected Persia. Weakened from fighting with the Turks and Byzantines, the Persians would soon capitulate to the new rising power in the Middle East, the Rashidun Caliphate from Arabia.
崛起
原创翻译：龙腾网 http://www.ltaaa.cn 转载请注明出处
Gold mask belonging to a Turkic warrior, 5th-6th century CE, Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture Museum. Image source and licensing: Wikimedia commons.
Bumin died soon after establishing the Turkic Khaganate, and his son Muquan succeeded him. Muquan was in charge of the Turkic Khaganate’s eastern half, while Bumin’s brother Istami was in charge of its western expansion.
The Hephthalites, who were allies of the Rourans, were the first enemy the Göktürks faced. The Göktürks formed an alliance with the Persian emperor and defeated the Hephthalites. Later, the Göktürks would fight the Sassanid Persians in three wars, ultimately defeating them with the aid of Byzantine forces. The third Göktürk-Persian war affected Persia. Weakened from fighting with the Turks and Byzantines, the Persians would soon capitulate to the new rising power in the Middle East, the Rashidun Caliphate from Arabia.
崛起
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图：突厥武士金面具，公元5-6世纪，哈萨克自治州博物馆
阿史那土门建立突厥汗国后不久就去世了，他的儿子阿史那科罗继承了他的汗位，阿史那科罗负责突厥汗国的东半部，而阿史那土门的弟弟室点密则负责西部的扩张。
白匈奴是柔然的盟友，是突厥面对的第一个敌人，突厥人与波斯皇帝结成联盟，击败了白匈奴。
后来，突厥人与萨珊波斯人反目，双方一共经历了三次大战，最终在拜占庭军队的帮助下突厥人击败了他们。
第三次突厥-波斯之战对波斯影响巨大，波斯由于与突厥和拜占庭的交战而变得虚弱，波斯人很快就屈服于中东崛起的新势力——来自阿拉伯的四大哈里发。（ 四大哈里发指的是先知穆罕默德事业的四位继承人，又称“正统哈里发”）
The Eastern Turkic Khagante would clash with the Chinese. By bribing one Turkic chief against another, the Chinese were skilled at sowing seeds of discord. Emperor Taizong of the Tang dynasty of China eventually defeated the Eastern Turkic Khaganate.China soon made the Göktürk domain a vassal state. The Tang dynasty’s Emperor Taizong became the Khagan of the Göktürks, earning the title of Khan of Heaven. As a result, Taizong became the first Chinese monarch to have direct control over a Steppe nomadic domain.
The Tang Empire surpassed Alexander’s in size. However, since scholars associate the Tang dynasty with China’s golden age, I have left them off this list. Historians have given them due credit.
东突厥汗国与中国人发生冲突，中国人通过贿赂一个突厥人的首领来对付另一个，唐太宗最终打败了东突厥汗国，中国很快就把突厥领地列为其藩属国，唐太宗成了突厥人的可汗，获得了“天可汗”的称号，太宗因此成为中国第一个直接控制草原游牧领地的君主。
大唐帝国的规模也是超过亚历山大帝国的，不过，由于学者们把唐朝与中国的黄金时代联系在一起，我把他们从这个名单中剔除了，历史学家对他们给予了应有的评价。
The Tang Empire surpassed Alexander’s in size. However, since scholars associate the Tang dynasty with China’s golden age, I have left them off this list. Historians have given them due credit.
东突厥汗国与中国人发生冲突，中国人通过贿赂一个突厥人的首领来对付另一个，唐太宗最终打败了东突厥汗国，中国很快就把突厥领地列为其藩属国，唐太宗成了突厥人的可汗，获得了“天可汗”的称号，太宗因此成为中国第一个直接控制草原游牧领地的君主。
大唐帝国的规模也是超过亚历山大帝国的，不过，由于学者们把唐朝与中国的黄金时代联系在一起，我把他们从这个名单中剔除了，历史学家对他们给予了应有的评价。
Legacy, decline, and impact
The Göktürks were the first nomadic people to use the term Turk as a political entity. They also invented the first Turkic scxt.
Bugut inscxtion, Mongolia written during the First Turkic Khaganate. Image Source and licensing: Wikimedia commons
Prior to Göktürks, we had to rely on Chinese, Roman, or Persian sources for the history of nomadic peoples such as the Xiongnu or the Hephthalites.
The Turks’ expansion laid the groundwork for several future Turkic empires that would govern Asian and European politics for a long time. The Uighurs, Seljuks, Ottomans, Ghaznavid, and Mameluke sultanates of Egypt and India were among them.The Steppe empires are often overlooked in history books, but they had a significant influence on human society. It’s impossible to imagine how humanity’s evolution would have unfolded without the Steppe people’s migrations.
遗产、衰落和影响
“蓝突厥”（ Göktürks）是第一个将突厥一词作为政治实体使用的游牧民族，他们还发明了第一种突厥文字。
The Göktürks were the first nomadic people to use the term Turk as a political entity. They also invented the first Turkic scxt.
Bugut inscxtion, Mongolia written during the First Turkic Khaganate. Image Source and licensing: Wikimedia commons
Prior to Göktürks, we had to rely on Chinese, Roman, or Persian sources for the history of nomadic peoples such as the Xiongnu or the Hephthalites.
The Turks’ expansion laid the groundwork for several future Turkic empires that would govern Asian and European politics for a long time. The Uighurs, Seljuks, Ottomans, Ghaznavid, and Mameluke sultanates of Egypt and India were among them.The Steppe empires are often overlooked in history books, but they had a significant influence on human society. It’s impossible to imagine how humanity’s evolution would have unfolded without the Steppe people’s migrations.
遗产、衰落和影响
“蓝突厥”（ Göktürks）是第一个将突厥一词作为政治实体使用的游牧民族，他们还发明了第一种突厥文字。
图：布古特铭文，蒙古，写于第一突厥汗国时期
在“蓝突厥”（ Göktürks）之前，我们不得不依靠中国、罗马或波斯的史料来了解如匈奴人或白匈奴人等游牧民族的历史。
突厥人的扩张为未来几个突厥帝国奠定了基础，这些帝国将长期统治亚洲和欧洲，维吾尔人、塞尔柱人、奥斯曼人、伽色尼人，马穆鲁克苏丹国以及印度都在其中。
草原帝国在历史书中常常被忽略，但是他们对人类社会有着重要的影响，很难想象如果没有草原人的迁徙，人类的进化会是怎样展开的。
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