The Yuezhi Migration to Bactria: analysis of historical concepts
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24852/2587-6112.2026.1.67.79Keywords:
archaeology, the Yuezhi, Bactria, Kushan Empire, migration, urbanization, cultural transformation, ethnical and cultural synthesis, Tokharistan, historiographyAbstract
The paper examines the migration of the Yuezhi tribal confederation in the II–I centuries BC from East Asia to the Bactria region (Tokharistan) and its consequences, focusing on archaeological evidence, cultural transformations, power evolution and material heritage. It analyzes written sources such as Chinese chronicles and accounts by ancient authors, alongside different historiographical perspectives. The views of scholars on the ethnical and cultural identity of the Yuezhi and the nature of their state are discussed, including opinions by E.V. Rtveladze, L.A. Borovkova, E.A. Davidovich, A.M. Mandelstam, G.A. Pugachenkova, H. Falk and others. Archaeological findings from Northern Bactria (Dalverzin Tepe, Zar Tepe, Khalchayan, Beshkapa) reveal processes of urbanization and the settling down of the Yuezhi elites, a fusion of nomadic and indigenous traditions, and the emergence of the Kushan Empire. Special attention is given to how the nomadic Yuezhi, being originally nomads, absorbed the Greek-Bactrian cultural legacy, contributed to ethnic and cultural integration and urban development, and transformed the political structure of the region. In conclusion, the article emphasizes the significance of the Yuezhi migration as a crucial factor in shaping Central Asian civilization and the need for an integrated historical and archaeological approach to its study.
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