Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c4.s2.132

v1.c4.s2.132

From the early years of the 20ᵗʰ century CE, a consciousness of the oneness of Asia and the virtues of eastern civilisation developed, particularly among intellectuals in India and China. This was part of the awakening of the peoples of this part of the world who were languishing under colonial or imperialist domination. On the Chinese side, Sun Yat-sen, Zhang Taiyan, Liu Shipei, Liang Qichao, Li Dazhao and other personalities sought to build this kind of consciousness of Asian unity in their speeches and writings. On the Indian side, Jawaharlal Nehru and exiled Indian nationalist Raja Mahendra Pratap were among those who fervently espoused the cause of Asian solidarity. However, the most notable Indian personality in this respect was the great poet Rabindranath Tagore. His visit to China in 1924 was part of his quest to revive the ancient links between the two great Asian civilisations India and China, as was his decision to set up an institute for Chinese studies in the international university that he set up in India called Visva-Bharati. The discourse on Asia and Asianism helped to stimulate interest and awareness among Chinese and Indians about each other’s countries.