Kucha

Kucha 龜茲
2nd century BCE–648 CE
Show map of Continental Asia Show map of Xinjiang Tarim Basin in the 3rd century
Location of Kucha within Xinjiang with the county of Kucha in pink and the prefecture of Aksu in yellow
Religion	Buddhism
Demonym(s)	Kuchean
History
• Established	2nd century BCE
• Conquered by the Tang dynasty	648 CE
Population
• 111 CE	81,317
Currency	Kucha coinage
Succeeded by Protectorate General to Pacify the West
Today part of	China

Kucha or Kuche (also: Kuçar, Kuchar; Uyghur: كۇچار, Кучар; Chinese: 龜茲; pinyin: Qiūcí, Chinese: 庫車; pinyin: Kùchē; Sanskrit: 𑀓𑀽𑀘𑀻𑀦, romanized: Kūcīna)^[1] was an ancient Buddhist kingdom located on the branch of the Silk Road that ran along the northern edge of what is now the Taklamakan Desert in the Tarim Basin and south of the Muzat River.

The former area of Kucha now lies in present-day Aksu Prefecture, Xinjiang, China. Kuqa town is the county seat of Aksu Prefecture's Kuqa County. Its population was given as 74,632 in 1990.