332 west turkestan
In 658,^20 Emperor Kao-tsung created the imaginary Kuei-shuang
Area Command and appointed the king of Ho as its Military Governor
(Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 338:48a).
Kish.
Kish, in Chinese Shih,^21 was situated directly south of Samarkand.
Between 605 and 617, envoys from Kish to the Sui court offered
regional objects (Sui shu 83:13b; T’ung-tien 193:18a; Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei
p.5023;Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 338:48a).
In the 1st month (Feb./Mar.) of 642, Kish offered gifts to the T’ang
court (Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei p.5024; Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 338:48a).
In 658, Emperor Kao-tsung created the imaginary Ch’ü-sha Area
Command and appointed the king of Kish as its Military Governor^22
(T’ang hui-yao 99:21b; Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 338:48a).
In the 9th month (Sep./Oct.) of 659, Kao-tsung gave the unreal-
istic order to establish Chinese commanderies and prefectures out of
Kashgar, Tashkent, Kabådh§n, Kish, M§imargh, Bukhara, Tokharia,
Yi-ta, etc. (Tzu-chih t’ung-chien p.6317).
In the 7th month (July/Aug.) of 727, the king of Kish presented
barbarian (hu) twirling girls and a leopard (Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei p.5028;
Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 338:48a).
In 739, Emperor Hsüan-tsung recognized the king of Kish (T’ang
hui-yao 99:22a).
In 741, Kish offered gifts (T’ang hui-yao 99:22a).
Between 742 and 756,^23 Hsüan-tsung changed the Chinese name
of Kish from Shih to Lai-wei (Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 338:48a).
In the 7th month (Aug./Sep.) of 744, envoys from Kish presented
horses and valuables (T’ung-tien 193:18a; Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei p.5030).
In the intercalary month (Nov./Dec.) of 746, envoys from Kish
were received at the T’ang court (Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei p.5030).
(^20) Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao gives the date of 650-656. But is has been seen that this text
makes the same mistake about Samarkand. Emperor Kao-tsung established other
Area Commands in 658, so that this date should also apply to Ho.
(^21) In transliteration, Tashkent and Kish have the same name. This shih, however,
is written with the character for clerk, historian or history.
(^22) I emend Inspector to Military Governor.
(^23) This must have been before the battle at the Talas River in 751.