bhchao Posted December 24, 2004 at 05:14 AM Report Posted December 24, 2004 at 05:14 AM The Tang general that led into the battle of Talas was the famous Kao Hsien-chih -- a Korean national from Silla. The Battle of Talas had one other significance besides the ebbing of Tang power in central Asia and the rise of Muslim influence in the region. It actually may have been a good thing that the Chinese lost the battle because the secrets of paper-making were taught by Chinese POWs to the Arabs at Samarkand. It took about 500 years for the knowledge of paper-making to reach Europe from Samarkand. The Chinese had previously kept the secrets of paper-making to themselves. The defeat at the Battle of Talas changed all that. http://www.eastwestculture.org/de/projekte/paperroads_mm1.html http://www.sappi.com/home.asp?pid=677 Quote
bhchao Posted January 20, 2005 at 07:45 PM Report Posted January 20, 2005 at 07:45 PM I wonder why the Xianbei women in early Tang died so early. 長孫氏 was one of them. She died when she was only 36. http://www.womenofchina.com.cn/woc/ShowArticle.asp?ID=1168&BigClassId=8 Li Yuan's daughter, Princess Pingyang, helped her father forge alliances against the Sui and even headed her own army against Sui forces. After Tang dynasty was founded, Li Yuan was grateful for his daughter's deeds and awarded her the rank of marshal. She also died young, at age 23. Quote
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