Born c 160 B.C.
Died 114 B.C.

When Wu-Ti, a member of the Han dynasty, became the emperor of China in 140 B.C., the country was threatened on its northern border by the Hsiung-nu “barbarians,” known in the West as the Huns. The new emperor tried to deal with this threat by organizing military alliances against the Hsiung-nu. He asked for volunteers to carry out a diplomatic mission to the Yüeh-chih nomads in central Asia. His challenge was accepted by Chang Ch’ien, a young court official from the city of Hanzhong. The Yüeh-chih were Indo-Scythian tribesmen, ancestors of modern Afghans and Tajiks, who had taken over control of central Asia after the disintegration of the empire of Alexander the Great (see entry).

Held captive by the Hsiung-nu

In 138 B.C. Chang Ch’ien...