泥孰攷

Abstract

The word Nezak and the appellations containing it are considered to be a clue for elucidating the complicated political circumstances of East Iran and Central Asia after the collapse of the Sasanian Empire. Two Chinese words have been assumed as transcriptions of Nezak, one of which is Na-sai and the other is Ni-shu. The validity of the identification of the latter with Nezak is discussed in this paper through the consideration of the way of composing titles and appellations in Pre-Islamic Central Asia together with the analysis of the political landscape of the western part of Central Asia in the 7th century. It is concluded that Ni shu and Nezak might be different transcriptions of the same word, which will help us to consider how the minor tribal groups and city-states had survived under the hegemony of powerful empires or confederations such as the Hephthalites and Western Turks.