| In the Middle Ages,the ethnic origins of the Zhai’s clans were complex,including the Han surname Zhai clan,the Dingling-Gaoche clan of Zhai,and the Sogdian clan of Zhai.The Dingling-Gaoche Zhai’s family was a branch of the Dingling-Gaoche ethnic groups that migrated from the northern grasslands during the Han and Jin dynasties.After entering China,the Dingling-Gaoche Zhai’s family sought survival among multiple political regimes in the northern region during the Sixteen Kingdoms period and gradually developed and grew,establishing independent political power for a time.The Zhai’s family,which had prominent authority in the Western Qin Dynasty,also belonged to the Dingling-Gaoche ethnic.Its descendants likely moved to Dunhuang after the demise of the Western Qin Dynasty.After the Sui and Tang dynasties,the Zhai’s family of the Dingling-Gaoche ethnic was no different from the Zhai’s family of the Han family in terms of social interaction or cultural identity.Unearthed literature,epitaphs,and many tombs remain from Dunhuang and Turpan and other places indicate that some Zhai clans exhibited Sogdian attributes in various aspects such as faith,marriage,and communication during the Middle Ages.This article analyzes the Sogdian clan of Zhai during the Middle Ages based on materials such as historical records,tomb epitaphs,and the writings from Dunhuang and Turpan.The Sogdian clan of Zhai also gradually integrated into the Chinese culture during their development. |
