The Colas c30.25

c30.25

At the end of the tenth century, the political situation in China had become normal again, and the Sung government of the day evinced a great interest in the foreign trade of the country. The trade was made a government monopoly, and strenuous efforts were made to increase its volume. ‘A mission was sent abroad by the emperor with credentials under the imperial seal and provisions of gold and piece-goods to induce “the foreign traders of the South Sea and those who went to foreign lands beyond the sea to trade” to come to China. Special licenses to import goods were promised them.’⁶⁷ How eager the Cōḷas were to take advantage of the extended opportunities thus opened to them is evident from the missions sent to China by Rājarāja and Rājēndra. The great distance between the Cōḷa country and China, and the novelty of the direct connection now started, prevented the proud Chinese government from giving adequate recognition to the position and importance attained by the Cōḷas. Their envoys took with them very valuable presents, but they were only ranked with those of a vassal state in Eastern Turkestan.⁶⁸ The Cōḷa embassy which reached China in 1015 after spending over three years on the way must have left the Cōḷa country towards the close of the rule of Rājarāja, Lo-tsa-lo-tsa of the Chinese chronicles. Chau Ju-Kua says of this embassy:⁶⁹ ‘In former times they did not send tribute to our court, but "in the eighth year of the *ta-chung* and *siang-fu* periods (A.D. 1015), its (of Chu-lien) sovereign sent a mission with pearls and like articles as tribute. The interpreters, in translating their speech, said they wished to evince the respect of a distant nation for (Chinese) civilisation." They were ordered by Imperial Decree to remain in waiting at the side gate of the Palace, and to be entertained at a banquet by the Associates in the College of Court Annalists. By Imperial favour they were ranked with the envoys of K'iu-tz'i. It happened to be the Emperor's birthday, and the envoys had a fine opportunity to witness the congratulations in the Sacred Enclosure.' Fewer details have survived of the other embassy from Shi-(lo)-lo-cha yin-to-lo chu-lo (Śrī rāja Indra Cōḷa) which reached China in A.D. 1033. The trade thus started with China appears to have been carried on without interruption in the eleventh century, and in the language of the Annalists of the Celestial court, the Cōḷa kings continued to send 'tribute' to that court. The naval expedition of Rājēndra against Śrī Vijaya and the success achieved by that expedition rendered communication with the 'Southern seas' and the empire of China more easy and regular than it was ever before. The appeal to Vīrarājēndra for help in the settlement of the political affairs of Kaḍāram confirms our view of the relations between the Cōḷas and the kingdoms of the east. Another Cōḷa embassy to China of the year 1077 is also mentioned and the name of the contemporary Cōḷa king, Kulōttunga I, is given in a corrupt form in the Sung annals.⁷⁰