The next dynastic history, the Hou Han Shu, or Continuation of the Han Shu, of which parts were not published until the fifth century of our era, deals with the period A.D. 1 to 200, but tells us very little of Ki-pin. The five Indo-Scythian kingdoms had now been united into one great empire by one of the five rulers, the prince of Kwei-shwang. This union seems to have taken place before B.C. 100; but although the Chinese of that time knew of the quintuple division, they appear not to have heard of the reunion for at least another century. Moreover, although even then they knew that Kuei-shwang (i.e. Kushan) had become the national designation, they persisted in using the ancient Chinese designation of Yüeh-chï or Ta Yüeh-chï (Great Yüeh-chï). About a hundred years after the union the Kushan ruler invaded Parthia, and took from it Kao-fu.[1] All south-west of Kao-fu to the sea belonged to India. The people of Kao-fu; says the record, were in most respects like those of India, but very unmanly, though rich and good traders. The conqueror, who is identified by orientalists with Kadphises I, then went on to annex the rest of Ki-pin, and his son (supposed to be Kadaphes) extended his sway over India. The Chinese had now become well acquainted with India, and a few years later (A.D. 65) Buddhism was introduced thence into China by way of the Indo-Scythians and Khoten.[2] A stray passage in the Wei Lioh, as quoted in the Wei Chï (a production of the fifth century which deals with the years 220–264), states that in A.D. 2 an Indo-Scythian king had busied himself with teaching the tenets to a certain Chinese. The Hou Han Shu adds that Kao-fu, or Cabul, being so unwarlike, used to fall alternately into the hands of Parthia, India, or Ki-pin, whichever had happened to be the strongest; so that, until the Kushans of Bactria and Tokhara conquered considerable parts of all the three states enumerated, there were no other 'powers' at hand capable of annexing Cabul.
For a couple of centuries (200–400) Chinese influence in the Western Regions hardly existed. China had split up into the northern, or Tartar-ruled, and southern, or native-ruled, rival empires. The latter only concerned itself with foreign intercourse by sea. The former only consented after mature deliberation to reopen what were characterised as the dangerous and compromising relations with the west. The period from 400 to 600 was, however, particularly rich in Buddhistic travel and missionary work. Large numbers of Hindoo, Indo-Scythian, Ki-pin, and other mixed western bonzes or peripatetic philosophers wandered over China; and almost equally numerous Chinese religious adventurers prowled about Tartary, 'Turkey' (i.e. the comparatively fertile Hunnish and Scythian strip between Siberia and the Chinese empire, after the name 'Turk'
