Who are the Tanguts and why do they matter? Writing, Religion, and Cultural Exchange in the Xia Kingdom


The Tangut Xia kingdom flourished in the Ordos region and the Gansu Corridor between the eleventh and thirteenth centuries. This talk will provide an introduction to the Tangut Xia kingdom, its unique writing system, and its dynamic religious traditions, highlighting the complex Chinese and Tibetan cultural interactions that shaped its historical development.

Thursday, March 5, 2026
4:00 PM - 5:30 PM (Pacific Time)
Royce Hall, Room 243
Los Angeles, CA
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By integrating elements of Chinese and Tibetan cultures, the Tanguts forged a unique religious and cultural amalgam.


The Tangut Xia kingdom flourished in the Ordos region and the Gansu Corridor between the eleventh and thirteenth centuries. Despite its relatively brief existence, it developed a distinctive literary culture and produced a rich textual heritage that deserves thorough and sustained academic study. During the early stages of state formation, Tangut emperors actively adopted and adapted elements of Chinese-style governance and bureaucratic institutions. At the same time, the Tangut rulers sponsored the acquisition, translation, and dissemination of the Chinese Buddhist canon. By integrating elements of Chinese and Tibetan cultures, the Tanguts forged a unique religious and cultural amalgam.

By the twelfth century, the introduction of Tibetan Buddhist texts further expanded the kingdom’s intellectual and religious horizons, bringing Tangut culture into close contact with Tibetan civilization. This talk will provide an introduction to the Tangut Xia kingdom, its unique writing system, and its dynamic religious traditions, highlighting the complex cultural interactions that shaped its historical development.

Nikita Kuzmin is a historian of the Middle Period China. He joined Elling Eide Center in August 2025 as a visiting scholar after graduating from a Ph.D. program from the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilization at the University of Pennsylvania in 2023. Prior to coming to UPenn, Nikita have lived and studied in Russia, China, Germany, Nepal, and Japan. He has a strong research interest in the history of the Tangut period (11th-13th centuries) of the greater Dunhuang area, as well as circulation of people, books, and thoughts along the Silk Roads.