从后波斯到怛罗斯——The war to end war?From Late Persia to Talas: The War to End War?

The Battle of Talas is a regular on clickbait accounts, but how does it look from the perspective of the Arabs and the city-states of Central Asia? What was the process by which the Arab empire penetrated and conquered Central Asia? What role did China play in eighth-century Central Asia? As the (only) clash between ancient China and the Arab empire at its height, the Battle of Talas in AD 751 is often brought up by all kinds of clickbait accounts. However, the battle actually took place in rather special circumstances, and it is questionable how far it represents the attitude and policy of the Tang court towards Central Asia. Rather, the rapid warming of relations between the Arab empire and the Tang after the battle may deserve more attention. This session aims to describe from several angles how the Arab empire penetrated and conquered Central Asia, trace some threads of Central Asian history, and talk about the diplomatic environment and choices of the Central Asian city-states surviving between the great powers.