Battle of Talas

The Battle of Talas in AD 751 was a conflict between the Arab Ummayad Caliphate and the Chinese Tang Dynasty over the control of Central Asia. Chinese infantry were routed by Arab cavalry near the bank of the River Talas after the supporting Qarluq mercenaries defected to the Abbasids and cut off the infantry from the rest of the Chinese troops. The commander of the Tang forces, Gao Xianzhi, escaped.

Due to this defeat and the domestic rebellion of An Lushan and subsequent warlordism, the Tang ceased to be influential in Central Asia. The local Tang tributaries then switched to the authority of the Abbasids, and the introduction of Islam was thus facilitated among the Turkic peoples. Well supported by the Abbasids, the Qarluqs established a state that would be absorbed in late 9th century by the Kara-Khanid Khanate.

In the long run, the battle is significant because it marked the western limit of Chinese cultural and political influence, thereby determining that Central Asia would be more influence by Islamic culture than by Chinese culture. The technology of paper making was also spread to the Central Asia and the Middle East as the skilled Chinese POWs were ordered to produce paper in Samarkand.

The exact location of the battle has not been confirmed but is believed to be in Kyrgyzstan, southeast of Taraz (once named Zhambyl) in present day Kazakhstan.

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