Kūčia

Куча (также Кучэ и Кучар) — древнее буддийское государство, протягивавшееся вдоль северной кромки пустыни Такла-Макан по северному маршруту Великого шёлкового пути между Карашаром к востоку и Аксу к западу.

Конец существованию этого политического образования положило расширение Танской империи на запад в VII веке. Результатом стала ассимиляция индоевропейцев тюркоязычными соседями. 

В китайской хронике «Ханьшу» сообщается, что Куча — самое крупное из тридцати семи государств запада.

Изображение жителей Кучи на фреске в Кызылских пещерах.

A specific style of music developed within the region and "Kuchean" music gained popularity as it spread along the trade lines of the Silk Road. Lively scenes of Kuchean music and dancing can be found in the Kizil Caves and are described in the writings of Xuanzang.

[T]he fair ladies and benefactresses of Kizil and Kumtura in their tight-waisted bodices and voluminous skirts recall--notwithstanding the Buddhic theme--that at all the halting places along the Silk Road, in all the rich caravan towns of the Tarim, Kucha was renowned as a city of pleasures, and that as far as China men talked of its musicians, its dancing girls, and its courtesans.^[11]

Kuchean music was very popular in Tang China, particularly the lute, which became known in Chinese as the pipa.^[12] For example, within the collection of the Guimet Museum, two Tang female musician figures represent the two prevailing traditions: one plays a Kuchean pipa and the other plays a Chinese jiegu (an Indian-style drum).^[13] The "music of Kucha" was transmitted from China to Japan, along with other early medieval music, during the same period, and is preserved there, somewhat transformed, as gagaku or Japanese court music.^[14]