The Han Dynasty's War of the Heavenly Horses
In 104 BCE, Emperor Wu of Han sent a massive army across 4,000 kilometers of desert and mountain to capture a herd of horses from the kingdom of Dayuan (Ferghana). This episode unpacks the War of the Heavenly Horses — a conflict that nearly bankrupted the Han treasury but secured the 'blood-sweating' horses that would transform Han cavalry. We follow General Li Guangli's disastrous first campaign, his remarkable second attempt with 60,000 men and a support army of 100,000, and the siege of the city of Ershi (Alexandria Eschate). Along the way, we explore the geopolitics of the Tarim Basin, the role of the Xiongnu in pulling strings, and the cultural mystique surrounding these fabled horses. How did Emperor Wu's obsession reshape Han foreign policy? What did Sima Qian think of the whole affair? And why did the Chinese continue to trade for Ferghana horses for centuries after? This is the story of a war fought for an animal — and the empire it helped to build.
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