Tocharians

From Metapedia

Also see Indo-Europeans

The Tocharians were an ancient people who spoke an Indo-European language called Tocharian. They migrated from Europe to the Tarim Basin in West China.

[edit] Archeology

The Tarim Mummies suggest that the Tocharians may have occupied the region since 1800BC. There is extensive evidence from the remains of the mummies themselves as well as a selection of remaining Chinese texts from the region that the Tocharians had European characteristics. Of these, red hair and blue eyes are included.

[edit] Language

The Tocharians have their own Linguistic group named after themselves: Tocharian. It is distinct from other Indo-European languages but containes very many similarities which, in conjunction to the physical characteristics, led researchers to believe that they must have migrated from Europe. A hypothesis has been formed that the reason the Tocharian language shares few commonalities with other Indo-European languages is because of how early the people migrated and the isolation they remained in for quite along time. This restricted them from adapting the Proto-Indo-European languages in to their own language like most other Indo-European languages.

[edit] History

The Tocharians had contact with various other nomadic tribes including non Indo-European speakers. Those who remained in the basin eventually adopted Buddhism. It is unclear what Religions they followed prior to the conversion but it is suggested that it was, like many other peoples of the time, a form of polytheism.

The Tocharians are recorded to have introduced better clothing and agricultural techonology to the local Chinese peoples.