List of Tocharian (Agnean-Kuchean) peoples

The Tocharians, also known as Agneans and Kucheans, were an Indo-European people who inhabited the Tarim Basin in Central Asia (present-day Xinjiang, China) from approximately the 3rd century CE to the 8th century CE. While a single, unified "Tocharian" people did not exist in a political sense, the term refers to the speakers of the Tocharian languages, a distinct branch of the Indo-European language family.

Archaeological and linguistic evidence suggests the existence of at least two major Tocharian-speaking groups, differentiated by their languages, Tocharian A (also known as East Tocharian, Agnean, or Turfanian) and Tocharian B (also known as West Tocharian or Kuchean). These labels are modern conventions based on the locations where the languages were best documented. It is important to note that the self-designations used by these people are unknown.

Therefore, instead of a list of distinct "peoples" within the Tocharian sphere, it is more accurate to speak of populations associated with specific oases and kingdoms where Tocharian languages flourished:

• Agnideśa (Tocharian A area): Centered around the city of Agni (modern Yanqi or Karashahr). Inhabitants of this region were speakers of Tocharian A and likely played a significant role in the spread of Buddhism eastward. Their social and political organization remains a subject of scholarly debate, but they appear to have formed relatively independent polities.

• Kucha (Tocharian B area): Centered around the city of Kucha (modern Kuqa). Speakers of Tocharian B were a prominent force in the region, possessing a complex kingdom with its own administrative structure, religious institutions, and literary tradition. Kucha was a major center of Buddhist scholarship and a key node on the Silk Road.

While Agni and Kucha represent the core areas where Tocharian languages were actively used and documented, other settlements and oases within the Tarim Basin also likely housed Tocharian-speaking populations or individuals. However, the extent and nature of their Tocharian linguistic and cultural affiliation remain less well-defined due to limited evidence. Possible locations include Turfan and other areas along the Silk Road trade routes.

It is crucial to remember that the term "Tocharian" is a linguistic and cultural designation. The people who spoke Tocharian languages likely interacted with and integrated with other groups in the Tarim Basin, including Indo-Iranian speakers (Saka), early Turkic groups, and other Central Asian populations. The precise ethnic makeup and self-identification of the people associated with the Tocharian languages remains a complex and debated topic within the field of Tocharian studies.