The Horse That Shaped Han China: Wudi's Heavenly Horses
Om avsnittet
In 104 BCE, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty sent a massive expedition across the Pamir Mountains to seize a herd of 'heavenly horses' from the kingdom of Dayuan (Fergana). The journey was brutal—deserts, hunger, and a failed first siege—but the horses they brought back were more than war machines. They were symbols of cosmic legitimacy, fuel for an expanding empire, and the driving force behind the Silk Road's most valuable trade. This episode follows the story from the first rumors of these 'blood-sweating' horses to the siege of Ershi, the fall of a general, and the strange afterlife of the horses in Han art and ritual. Lucas and Luna unpack how a single animal could spark a war, shift the balance of power in Central Asia, and leave a mark on Chinese culture that lasted for centuries. With fresh eyes on familiar territory, they explore what the horses meant to the Han—and what they still mean today.
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The Han Dynasty: China's First Golden Age — Fexingo History med Fexingo finns tillgänglig på flera plattformar. Informationen på denna sida kommer från offentliga podd-flöden.