Gao Xianzhi, (died in 756) also known as Go Seonji, was general of the Chinese Tang Dynasty. He is known for taking part in multiple military expeditions to conquer the Western Regions over the infamous Pamir Mountains, all the way to the Aral Sea and the Caspian Sea, and later to expand the Tang empire's territory once more, all the way to the reaches of Central Asia. In 751, he was the commander of the Tang forces during the Battle of Talas, fighting against the Arabs under the command of Abbasid Caliphate, which was ultimately a decisive battle that helped transmit eastern culture and technology, including paper and compass. Gao was an ethnic of was an ethnic of Goguryeo, (One of the three kingdoms of Korea). Traditional Chinese characters refers to one of two standard sets of printed Chinese characters. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Standard Mandarin, also known as Standard Chinese, Modern Standard Chinese or Standard spoken Chinese, is the official modern Chinese spoken language used by the Peoples Republic of China, the Republic of China (Taiwan), and Singapore. ... Pinyin, more formally called Hanyu Pinyin (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; Pinyin: ), is the most common variant of Standard Mandarin romanization system in use. ... Wade-Giles, sometimes abbreviated Wade, is a Romanization (phonetic notation and transliteration) system for the Chinese language based on Mandarin. ... Jamo redirects here. ... Hanja is the Korean name for Chinese characters. ... The Revised Romanization of Korean is the official Korean language romanization system in South Korea. ... McCune-Reischauer romanization is one of the two most widely used Korean language romanization systems, along with the Revised Romanization of Korean, which replaced (a modified) McCune-Reischauer as the official romanization system in South Korea in 2000. ... Events Abd-ar-rahman I conquers Iberia and establishes a new Umayyad dynasty. ... China under the Tang Dynasty (yellow) and its sphere of influence Capital Changan (618–904) Luoyang (904-907) Language(s) Chinese Religion Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism Government Monarchy Emperor  - 618-626 Emperor Gaozu  - 684, 705-710 Emperor Zhongzong  - 684, 710-712 Emperor Ruizong  - 904-907 Emperor Ai History  - Li Yuan... The Western Regions (西域) is a historical region of Central Asia which corresponds roughly with the modern Chinese province of Xinjiang. ... A photograph of Ismail Samani Peak (then known as Peak Communism) taken in 1989. ... The Aral Sea (Kazakh: Арал Теңізі (Aral Tengizi), Uzbek: , Russian Аральскοе мοре) is a landlocked endorheic sea in Central Asia; it lies between Kazakhstan in the north and Karakalpakstan, an autonomous region of Uzbekistan, in the south. ... The Caspian Sea (Russian: Каспийское море; Kazakh: Каспий теңізі; Turkmen: Hazar deňizi; Azeri: XÉ™zÉ™r dÉ™nizi; Persian: دریای خزر Daryā-ye Khazar) is the largest lake on Earth by area[2], with a surface area of 371,000 square kilometers (143,244 sq mi) and a volume of 78,200 cubic kilometers (18... Tang could refer to: Tang Dynasty of China Tang (Shang dynasty ruler) A transliteration of Chinese family names such as 唐,湯,鄧,é‚“,滕 Tang Clan of Hong Kong, the first inhabitants to leave China and settle in Hong Kong. ... Map of Central Asia showing three sets of possible boundaries for the region Central Asia located as a region of the world Central Asia is a vast landlocked region of Asia. ... Events Pippin the Short is elected as king of the Franks by the Frankish nobility, marking the end of the Merovingian and beginning of the Carolingian dynasty. ... Combatants Abbasid Caliphate Tang Dynasty Commanders Ziyad ibn Salih (Persian)[3][4] Gao Xianzhi (Goguryeo)[3] Li Siye (Chinese)[3] Duan Xiushi (Chinese)[3] Strength The number of troops from Arab protectorates was not recorded by either side. ... An Arab (Arabic: ) is a member of a complexly defined ethnic group who identifies as such on the basis of one or more of either genealogical, political, or linguistic grounds. ... Abbasid provinces during the caliphate of Harun al-Rashid Abbasid was the dynastic name generally given to the caliphs of Baghdad, the second of the two great Sunni dynasties of the Muslim empire, that overthrew the Umayyid caliphs. ... A blank sheet of paper Paper is a commodity of thin material produced by the amalgamation of fibers, typically vegetable fibers composed of cellulose, which are subsequently held together by hydrogen bonding. ... A compass (or mariners compass) is a navigational instrument for finding directions on the Earth. ... Goguryeo was an ancient kingdom located in southern Manchuria (present-day Northeast China), southern Russian Maritime province, and the northern and central parts of the Korean peninsula. ... The Three Kingdoms Period of Korea (hangul: 삼국시대) featured the three rival kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla, which dominated the Korean peninsula and parts of Manchuria for much of the 1st millennium CE. Historians claim that the Three Kingdoms period ran from the 1st century BCE (specifically 57 BC) until...

Early life

Gao was the son of Go Sagye, a general from the Korean kingdom of Goguryeo. After the capitulation of Goguryeo, Go Sagye was captured by Tang forces and later surrendered, and there, he was given a post in their army. Gao was born during his duty in Tang's western regions. Go Sagye (고사계) (?) was a general of the Goguryeo, castle-lord (성주) of Yodong Fortress. ...

Unlike most soldiers of his day, historical records say Gao was not muscular or extraordinarily strong like other army officers; Go Sagye always worried about his son's poor health. However, he demonstrated great courage from an early age; he possessed skills in cavalry and archery.

Although Gao was an ethnic minority, his loyalty and bravery allowed him to be promoted to the position of general in the Tang Army at the age of 20, serving in Central Asia near Kashgar, in the Taklamakan Desert along with his father. Although he was considered an extraordinary tactician, the military Governors of the Kashgar province resented him and did not recognize his skills as commander, until a new governor recognized his skills and promoted him to a deputy. Location of Kashgar Kashgars Sunday market Kashgar (also spelled Cascar[1]) (Uyghur: /; Chinese: ; pinyin: , ), is an oasis city in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Dust storm in Taklamakan Desert from space, June 25, 2005 The Taklamakan Desert (also Taklimakan) is a desert of Central Asia, in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the Peoples Republic of China. ... The Jiedushi (T: 節度使 S: 节度使) were regional military governors in China during the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. ...

First Western Campaign

Gao established his name in a battle against the combined forces of Qiang and Muslims. He defeated a combined attack from th Qiangs and Saracens in 747, and led his army of 10,000 cavalry on a massive counterattack, pursuing the enemy across the Hindu Kush and Pamir Mountains, reaching local Hindu and Persian kingdoms of present-day Afghanistan. As a result of Gao's first campaign, The Tang Dynasty ended up with a hostile relatiohship between Umayyad Caliphate and Qiang. About 72 local Indian and Sogdian kingdoms became Tang vassals, ending the Qiang dominion of the Pamir Mountains. Until 755, he was the military governor, placing Tokmak, Kucha, Kashmir, under the Jurisdiction of his headquarters. The Qiang people (羌族; Pinyin: qiāng zú) are an ethnic group. ... There is also a collection of Hadith called Sahih Muslim A Muslim (Arabic: مسلم, Persian: Mosalman or Mosalmon Urdu: مسلمان, Turkish: Müslüman, Albanian: Mysliman, Bosnian: Musliman) is an adherent of the religion of Islam. ... The Qiang people (羌族; Pinyin: qiāng zú) are an ethnic group. ... In older Western historical literature, the Saracens were the people of the Saracen Empire, another name for the Arab Caliphate under the rule of the Umayyad and Abbasid dynasties. ... Events Abu Muslim unites the Abbasid Empire against the Umayyads. ... The Hindu Kush or Hindukush (هندوکش in Persian) is a mountain range in Afghanistan as well as in the Northern Areas of Pakistan. ... A photograph of Ismail Samani Peak (then known as Peak Communism) taken in 1989. ... A Hindu ( , Devanagari: हिन्दु), as per modern definition, is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, and the religious, philosophical and cultural system that originated in the Indian subcontinent. ... For information about all peoples of Iran, see Demographics of Iran. ... The Sogdians were an ancient people of Central Asia, who inhabited the region known to the West as Sogdiana. ... Events Abd-ar-rahman I lands in Spain, where the next year he will establish a new Umayyad dynasty. ... The Jiedushi (T: 節度使 S: 节度使) were regional military governors in China during the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. ... The city of Tokmok in Kyrgyzstan is often also spelt Tokmak. ... Kucha/Kuchar (Chinese Simplified: 库车; Traditional: 庫車; pinyin KùchÄ“; also romanized as Chiu-tzu, Kiu-che, Kuei-tzu. ... Kashmir (or Cashmere) may refer to: Kashmir region, the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent India, Kashmir conflict, the territorial dispute between India, Pakistan, and the China over the Kashmir region. ...

Second Campaign and Battle of Talas

In 750, Gao led another campaign against the Sogdian kingdoms, conquering Samarkand and Tashkent, sending captured Sogdian king to the Tang capital Chang'an. However, the politicians in the Tang capital executed the king of Tashkent, which outraged Sogdians and Turks of Central Asia. The Arabs, supported by the Persians from Khorasan, attacked Chinese territories with a large army of about 100,000.^[1] Gao led his forces of about 30,000 men to Talas to confront Arab advance. Events Last Umayyad caliph Marwan II (744-750) overthrown by first Abbasid caliph, Abu al-Abbas al-Saffah Bold textItalic textLink title GARY CANT SWIM GARY CANT SWIM GARY CANT SWIM GARY CANT SWIM GARY CANT SWIM GARY CANT SWIM GARY CANT SWIM... Samarkand (Tajik: Самарқанд, Persian: ‎ , Uzbek: , Russian: ), population 412,300 in 2005, is the second-largest city in Uzbekistan and the capital of Samarqand Province. ... Tashkent (Uzbek: , Russian: ) is the capital of Uzbekistan and also of the Tashkent Province. ... For an automobile manufacturer in the Peoples Republic of China, see Changan Motors. ... An Arab (Arabic: ) is a member of a complexly defined ethnic group who identifies as such on the basis of one or more of either genealogical, political, or linguistic grounds. ... For information about all peoples of Iran, see Demographics of Iran. ... Khorasan (Persian: خراسان) (also transcribed as Khurasan and Khorassan; Horasan in Turkish) is a region located in eastern Iran. ...

Gao was beaten at the hands of the Abbasid Caliphate at the Battle of Talas in 751. The Karluk mercenaries defected to Abbasid side while the battle was ongoing. Despite losing the battle, he did deal substantial damage to the Arabs. As a result of his defeat, the Tang Empire lost much of their influence in Central Asia, even though no territorial changes were made just yet. Paper making technology was transmitted westward through the Tang prisoners of war that were captured in Talas. Gao planned a swift counterattack, but his subordinates persuaded him that there was not enough manpower to mount a succesful attack, and the plan was aborted. Combatants Abbasid Caliphate Tang Dynasty Commanders Ziyad ibn Salih (Persian)[3][4] Gao Xianzhi (Goguryeo)[3] Li Siye (Chinese)[3] Duan Xiushi (Chinese)[3] Strength The number of troops from Arab protectorates was not recorded by either side. ... Events Pippin the Short is elected as king of the Franks by the Frankish nobility, marking the end of the Merovingian and beginning of the Carolingian dynasty. ... The Qarluq (Karluk) were originally a nomadic turkic tribe based on the transoxania steppes (roughly east and south of the Aral Sea) in Central Asia. ...

Arrest and Execution

Four years later, a rebellion of An Lushan broke out. The Tang court was desperate for reinforcements, so they ordered the withdrawal of key garrisons in the western frontier, leaving the gateway open to a Qiang invasion which could have cut off the Tang's western garrisons. Subsequently, Chinese influence diminished and Central Asia was affected by the Muslim culture pushing eastward. An Lushan (Simplified Chinese: 安禄山; Pinyin: ) (703 - 757) was a military leader of Sogdian origin during the Tang Dynasty in China. ... The Qiang people (羌族; Pinyin: qiāng zú) are an ethnic group. ...

Gao was later recalled to duty during the rebellion by An Lushan, and was in charge of defending the capital Chang'an. However, he disregarded the initial imperial order and moved his forces to Tong Guan, the gateway to the capital with strategic importance. He also brought all the supplies from Taiyuan, one of the major cities in the North, which eventually caused it to fall to the rebels. An Lushan (Simplified Chinese: 安禄山; Pinyin: ) (703 - 757) was a military leader of Sogdian origin during the Tang Dynasty in China. ... For an automobile manufacturer in the Peoples Republic of China, see Changan Motors. ... Location within China Taiyuan (Chinese: ; pinyin: Tàiyuán; Wade-Giles: Tai-yüan) is a prefecture-level city in China, capital of the Shanxi province. ...

Tang court, under Emperor Xuanzhong, began to fear the growing power of many of its Military governors, particularly after An Lushan who was also a military governor, rebelled against the empire. After the rebellion broke out, the Tang court reduced the administrative powers of its military governors, including Gao and Geshu Han. Emperor Tang Xuanzong (唐玄宗) (September 8, 685 - May 3, 762), born Li Longji (李隆基), was the sixth emperor of the Tang dynasty of China, reigning from 712 to 756. ... The Jiedushi (T: 節度使 S: 节度使) were regional military governors in China during the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. ...

One of his Subordinates, who had a personal vendetta against Gao, secretly reported Gao's actions as going against imperial orders, charging him of corruption and embezzlement of supplies. Such a report from an officer of low rank only managed to reach the Tang emperor's ears because it was deliberately exaggerated and specially introduced to the emperor by the racist inner circle of the Tang Government, who sought to use any small reason to cleanse Tang of non-Chinese officers. Emperor Xuanzhong finally gave the order to arrest Gao and execute him for treason. Gao was immediately arrested; most of his deputies wanted to prove his innocence but Gao allegedly refused to receive any help from them, and was subsequently beheaded along with another general Feng Changqing. Feng Changqing (Chinese: ; Pinyin: ; Wade-Giles: Feng Changching, d. ...

Legacy

The success of Gao (surname), who was ethnic Goguryeo and was born as a subject of the Tang empire, is perceived as extraordinary by many Koreans. At the time, people with various ethnic background from all over the east and central Asia lived under the power of the mighty Tang Dynasty; they were forced to become Tang subjects when their kingdoms were conquered by the Tang empire. After defeating Goguryeo, Tang divided many of its people into small groups and trafficked them throughout the empire. For the majority of those people, the only way to escape the harsh life was to enlist in the army, and Gao was such an example. Gao (chinese:高) is a chinese family name. ... Goguryeo was an ancient kingdom located in southern Manchuria (present-day Northeast China), southern Russian Maritime province, and the northern and central parts of the Korean peninsula. ...

His tactics, which helped him to defeat many Sogdian troops with superior power, was well recoginized among Koreans. Many Korean historians praised him as one of the greatest military commanders in both Korean and Chinese history.

He is also considered historically important by many Koreans since he led the Tang army in the Battle of Talas. Despite being the commander of the losing side, the battle helped spread paper and compass to the rest of the world. With the help of paper, which was introduced to Europe around the 1300s, made much foreign knowledge available to more Europeans, and ultimately bringing the Renaissance in Europe. The compass, which spread to Europe through the Muslim World, became an important tool in navigation and led the way to the Age of Exploration. Combatants Abbasid Caliphate Tang Dynasty Commanders Ziyad ibn Salih (Persian)[3][4] Gao Xianzhi (Goguryeo)[3] Li Siye (Chinese)[3] Duan Xiushi (Chinese)[3] Strength The number of troops from Arab protectorates was not recorded by either side. ... The Renaissance (French for rebirth, or Rinascimento in Italian), was a cultural movement in Italy (and in Europe in general) that began in the late Middle Ages, and spanned roughly the 14th through the 17th century. ... Nations with a Muslim majority appear in green, while nations that are approximately 50% Muslim appear yellow. ... The so-called Age of Exploration was a period from the early 15th century and continuing into the early 17th century, during which European ships were traveled around the world to search for new trading routes and partners to feed burgeoning capitalism in Europe. ...

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