Ruoqiang 婼羌

The state of Ruoqiang 婼羌 was located on the southern route of the Silk Road, in the area of modern Ruoqiang, Xinjiang. Its inhabitants were pastoral nomads and often relied on grain imports from Shanshan 鄯善 or Qiemo 且末. Yet there were iron ores in the region, and the blacksmiths of Ruoqiang were famous for their weapons. During the Former Han period 前漢 (206 BCE-8 CE) Ruoqiang had only 1,750 inhabitants.