The battle at Talas in Central Asia, fought between the Chinese army of T'any dynasty and the Arab and Iranian troups of Abbassid Caliphate in 751 A.D., was not only significant from political and military standpoints, but it produced various interesting effects on the history of cultural intercourse between the West and the East. But the Chinese sources concerning this event are comparatively poor and the Arabic sources astonishingly scarce. The researches into the history of Heart of Asia in this period are admirably executed by E. Chavannes, W. Barthold, H.A.R. Gibl and other scholars. However, we cannot find any monograph which treats particularly this serious encounter. In my opinion, there still remain considerable parts to complement the studies of the predecessors. In this preliminary chapter, I wish to re-examine the relations and contacts between T'any dynasty and the Caliphate from the beginning to the day of Talas. As to the direct causes of the incident and the relating circumstances, I intend to publish my opinion shortly in the SHIGAKU, historical quarterly of Keio University.

慶應義塾創立百年記念論文集