Are The Green-Eyed Villagers Of Liqian China Truly Descendants Of A Lost Roman Legion? DNA Tests Says So!!

The remote Chinese village of Liqian in the northwest of China was always considered different- unique from the rest of the country for ages. The reason was very simple and apparent. Most of the villagers were physically least Chinese looking. 

The inhabitants of the village have Caucasian features

Many had green eyes and blonde hair and were taller than the national average height in China. This has led to many rumours all across the nation that the villagers living the quaint, quiet life may not be the traditional Chinese populace but descendants of ancient Roman Legions.

Now modern-day science has gone a step ahead and confirmed the age-old suspicion by performing DNA testing. It has proven that almost 2/3rd of the population is of Caucasian origin. These new findings have given rise to many explanations and speculations surrounding its history. 

History refers to a story about a Roman legion that helped establish the Liqian village

The most prominent one is the mission legion of Roman general Marcus Crassus. The story goes way back to 53 BC when the army of Marcus was defeated by the Parthians and beheaded near Iran. Nearly 145 roman soldiers escaped and wandered the regions for years. 

In fact, the Roman links of this village were 1st prompted by professor of Chinese history Homer Dubs in Oxford in the 1950s. Professor Dubs believes these wandering Roman soldiers travelled east and were captured by the local Chinese population. Together they founded the village of Liqian in 36 BC.

The Chinese military “Fish Scale Formation” shares similarities with the Roman army “Tortoise Formation”

According to professor Dubs, they made further entry into the east as mercenary troops with “Fish Scale Formation”, which was finally captured by Chinese armies after 17 years. Many of them even reached Uzbekistan and served under their ruler to rise up against the Han dynasty of China. The “Fish Scale Formation” was the Chinese equivalent of the Roman “Tortoise formation,” which was the phalanx protected by a shield from all the sides as well as the top.

Liqian village was founded by soldiers captured during a war between the Chinese and the Huns

Homer Dubs pulls all the ancient official records which mention that Liqian was founded by the soldiers captured in a war between the Chinese and Huns in 36 BC. In fact, one resident Cai Jun nian is so famous because of his unique facial features that he is nicknamed as Cai the Roman by his friends.

Burial sites and tombs have further bolstered this theory that Romans were actually living in that part of the country. Archaeologists have even dug out a tomb of a man who is 6-foot-tall leading to the belief that roman legionnaires were buried there. 

Alternative theories about Liqian village 

But, there are alternative theories to this as well. Many historians have noted that this region was in the path of the famous silk route, which has people from different nationalities travelling, trading and staying or even dying here. So, it could be the remains of anyone from Europe to the Mediterranean.

Experts have even refuted the theory of Liqian being founded and co-inhabited by Roman soldiers

Many experts have called Dub’s theory unrealistic though provocative, jumping to too many conclusions. Now according to another historian Yang Google of Beijing university, this village was, in fact, established in 104 BC, which was almost 50 years before the arrival of any Romans. He also trashed the “Fish Scale Formation” as a double wooden palisade which might have looked like a phalanx but was commonly used in India and Central Asia for construction purposes.

An Italian historian calls this theory a mere legend

Italian historian goes to the extent of calling the Dubs theory a “Fairy Tale”. Maurizio Bettini, an anthropologist from Siena University, told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica- that if the story needs to hold any water, then material evidence like Roman Weapons or coinage should also have been found in the region. 

Without such evidence, such theories are just legends. Moreover, the historians corroborate the time period as the peak of Roman rule over Europe, Western Africa, and most of the world.

Romans hired local mercenaries to fight battles as part of their military strategy in unknown terrains

It was a Roman military strategy to hire local mercenaries to fight for them in rugged and unknown terrains. Due to this, their legions were usually a mixed bag of fighters and never a bunch of pure-blooded Romans. They were simply local fighters trained to act and fight like Romans.

The theory of the troops who fled and were instrumental in the founding of Liqian village served under Marcus Licinius Crassus 

Marcus Licinius Crassus, alongside Julius Caeser and Pompey the Great, was one of the world’s most powerful and wealthiest men. He was famous for defeating the famous slave uprising of Spartacus from 73 BC to 71 BC, which he did at his own expense when he realized the real danger Rome was in. 

He was elected Consul in 70 BC, where he supported the growth of a young upstart Julius Caeser for his own political ambitions. Crassus was given Syria as his province, from where he led his troops to conquer Partha. Finally, he met his match there, where he suffered defeat, and both his son and himself were beheaded brutally. The legend says that gold was poured into his open mouth to signify his greed.

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