Da Yuezhi

The Yuezhi were an ancient people originating from western Gansu province in China. Around the 2nd century BCE, they were displaced by the Xiongnu and migrated westward into Sogdiana and Bactria, ending Greek rule in those areas.

The Yuezhi, also known as the Asi or Tocharians in Western sources, established a kingdom in Bactria. A new dynasty, the Kushan, eventually emerged from among the Yuezhi chieftains, expanding their influence into India and Central Asia. The Yuezhi also played a role in spreading Buddhism into China. Their power eventually declined, with a Yuezhi tribe, the Hephthalites, rising to prominence around 450 CE.12