Kingdom of Khotan: Map & History
The Kingdom of Khotan, also called the Kingdom of Yutian, was an ancient Buddhist Saka kingdom located on the branch of the Silk Road that ran along the southern edge of the Taklamakan Desert in the Tarim Basin.
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The Kingdom of Khotan, also called the Kingdom of Yutian, was an ancient Buddhist Saka kingdom located on the branch of the Silk Road that ran along the southern edge of the Taklamakan Desert in the Tarim Basin. The ancient capital was originally sited to the west of modern-day Hotan at Yotkan. From the Han dynasty until at least the Tang dynasty it was known in Chinese as Yutian. This largely Buddhist kingdom existed for over a thousand years until it was conquered by the Muslim Kara-Khanid Khanate in 1006, during the Islamization and Turkicization of Xinjiang.
Modern Countries Once Part of Kingdom of Khotan
At its mapped extent, Kingdom of Khotan covered territory in 1 present-day country. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Kingdom of Khotan's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Kingdom of Khotan in Depth
History
From an early period, the Tarim Basin had been inhabited by different groups of Indo-European speakers such as the Tocharians and Saka people. Jade from Khotan had been traded into China for a long time before the founding of the city, as indicated by items made of jade from Khotan found in tombs from the Shang (Yin) and Zhou dynasties. The jade trade is thought to have been facilitated by the Yuezhi. This trade helped the kingdom hold influence over the surrounding regions. It remained an important supplier of jade to China and the whole of Central Asia.
There are four versions of the legend of the founding of Khotan, the earliest of which date to the 7th century and thus can only be considered a reflection of the tradition present in Khotan at that time.
Location and geography
The geographical position of the oasis was the main factor in its success and wealth. To its north is one of the most arid and desolate desert climates on the earth, the Taklamakan Desert, and to its south the largely uninhabited Kunlun Mountains (Qurum). To the east there were few oases beyond Niya, making travel difficult, and access is only relatively easy from the west.
Khotan was irrigated from the Yurung-kàsh and Kara-kàsh rivers, which water the Tarim Basin. These two rivers produce vast quantities of water, which made habitation possible in an otherwise arid climate.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Kingdom of Khotan (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Kingdom of Khotan: Key Facts
| Capital | Hotan |
|---|---|
| Form of government | monarchy |
| Founded | 56 CE |
| Dissolved | 1006 |
Facts from Wikidata Q914898 (CC0).
Kingdom of Khotan Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Kingdom of Khotan appears, with the other states of the time.
Kingdom of Khotan Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 302,510 km² in 892 CE.
Kingdom of Khotan: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Kingdom of Khotan exist?
The Kingdom of Khotan is dated to 888 CE – 1009 CE, in the Early Middle Ages era.
What was the capital of the Kingdom of Khotan?
The capital of the Kingdom of Khotan was Hotan.
How large was the Kingdom of Khotan at its peak?
At its peak in 892 AD the Kingdom of Khotan covered about 302,510 km².
How did the map of the Kingdom of Khotan change over time?
The Kingdom of Khotan appears on 2 dated world maps in the atlas, from 900 CE to 1000 CE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.
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