The Broken Promise Behind Talas (751)

Why did Tang China and the Abbasid Caliphate meet at Talas in 751? A broken promise at Chach was one thread in a much larger story of trade, conquest and alliances. The Road to Talas follows the Silk Road's Sogdian merchants, the rise of Islam and the Abbasids, Tang China's expansion, Tibet's struggle for influence, and Gao Xianzhi's extraordinary mountain campaign. Part 1 takes us to the eve of the Battle of Talas. The battle itself is the next chapter. Subscribe to Vestige for history told through original animated maps and illustrated stories. History. Context. Consequence. CHAPTERS 00:00 Why Talas? 00:37 The Silk Road, the Sogdians and the steppe 02:43 The West: Persia, Islam and revolution 06:46 The East: the rise of Tang China 08:55 Tibet and the struggle for Central Asia 10:22 Gao Xianzhi's mountain campaign 12:25 The broken promise at Chach 13:34 Two armies converge on Talas 14:29 Next: the Battle of Talas SELECTED SOURCES AND FURTHER READING Old Book of Tang, chapter 104 — Gao Xianzhi: https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/舊唐書/卷104 Zizhi Tongjian, chapter 216 — Chach and Talas: https://zh.wikisource.org/wiki/資治通鑑/卷216 Ibn al-Athir, al-Kamil, year 133 AH — the Arabic account of Talas: https://www.islamicbook.ws/tarekh/alk... Valerie Hansen, The Silk Road: A New History (2012). Christopher I. Beckwith, The Tibetan Empire in Central Asia (1987). Étienne de la Vaissière, Sogdian Traders: A History (2005). Historical portraits and scenes are illustrative reconstructions. Chinese and Arabic accounts sometimes disagree; the film identifies the differing accounts where they matter. Narration, music and some artwork were produced with AI tools. #Talas #SilkRoad #HistoryDocumentary