Some wars in the history of mankind are military confrontation between different civilizations. Talas battle, which took place in 751 AD. e., - one of such clashes. Although the scale of the battle was small and the number of soldiers on each side barely exceeded 30,000 people, and there were no great achievements in the art of warfare, it was still one of the ten most important battles in the history of the world: as a result, the development of civilization changed its direction.
Background
The Battle of Talas in 751 is so important because two of the most powerful civilizations of that period met here: the Chinese and the Muslim Arabs. The epic clash came at a time of peak expansion for both sides. By that time, the Arabs had been successfully advancing towards the east for more than a century, swallowed up Iran and began to invade Central Asia, reaching the Indus River. As a result, they created a powerful and almost indestructiblesuperstate - caliphate. At this time, the Chinese army was advancing towards. After conquering the northern steppes and southern highlanders, China under the rule of the Tang Dynasty turned its gaze to the west.
Both forces intended to extend their power to the entire expanse of the mainland, so sooner or later they were forced to face each other. Potentially, the place of the battle could be the territory of India or Afghanistan, but by coincidence, the meeting took place near the small river Talas, which flows on the border of modern Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
In the early 8th century, the Chinese empire extended its influence to the Great Silk Road. As a result, the Kucha, Kashgar, Khotan oases were annexed, the Dzungar Khanate was conquered, and the Turkic Khaganate was completely defeated. Then the Chinese reached the Fergana Valley, to which the Arabs had already claimed their rights. In 749, a Chinese commander named Gao Xianzhi took Tashkent, but made the biggest mistake of his life: he executed the Turkic ruler Shash, and this decision caused a wave of indignation among the rulers of Central Asia. Up to this point, they considered the Arabs a more serious threat, but after the execution of a high-ranking gentleman, they changed their minds.
When the governor of the Arab caliph Abu Maslim sent a detachment of soldiers towards the Chinese army, the Turkic troops joined this similar. The arrogant and short-sighted Gao Xianzhi did not attach any importance to this fact. In 751, thirty thousand Chinese soldiers entered the valleythe Talas river, and the army of Arabs rushed here from the south-western direction.
Track of battle
Descriptions of the battle are contradictory, it is known for certain only in what year the Talas battle took place - in 751. According to one version, both armies lined up against each other and stood motionless for four days, waiting for the orders of the commanders. On the fifth day, the Turkic cavalry hit the rear of the Chinese, causing the troops to retreat.
The second version of events seems more plausible. The Talas battle between Arab and Chinese troops lasted three days. However, the forces were equal and neither side achieved superiority. On the fourth day, the cavalry detachment of the Turks entered the battle, bypassing the Chinese from the rear, and the Yemeni Arab troops at the same time broke through the formation on the first line of battle. The Chinese army found itself between two fires and was soon defeated. Commander Gao Xianzhi, together with a small detachment of bodyguards, managed to escape to Dzungaria. The battle was fierce and only the intervention of the Turks changed the course of events. As a result, the Arab army suffered significant losses, but managed to win.
Troop strength and casu alties
The size of the Arab army was 40-50 thousand people, and the Chinese - about 30-40 thousand. More than 20,000 Arabs and 8,000 Chinese were killed and wounded in the Battle of Talas, and about 20,000 more Chinese soldiers were captured.
Consequences
As a result of the battle, the advance of the Tang Empire to the west wasstopped. However, the Chinese managed to inflict serious damage on the Arab troops and slow down their expansion of the eastern territories. The Talas battle became a decisive factor in the Islamization of the Central Asian lands. Captured Chinese craftsmen revealed to the Arabs the secret of making paper, and active production of this most valuable product began in the city of Samarkand. The Turks formed an independent state and Central Asia achieved independence from conquerors from both the east and the west.
Meaning for history
If not for this battle, the development of the entire human civilization could have taken a completely different path. After the defeat of the Chinese in the Battle of Talas, the creation of a world empire under the control of the Tang dynasty became impossible. But the Arabs also suffered such significant losses that they could not continue moving east. Soon civil wars and uprisings began in the caliphate, which undermined the forces of the Arab state. As a result, equilibrium reigned in the Middle East and lasted for almost 500 years: until the moment when Genghis Khan came to power.
