Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c4.s2.22

v1.c4.s2.22

From the 3ʳᵈ to 6ᵗʰ century CE, more frequent contacts were made between Chinese and Indian states. In 428 CE, the Emperor Wen of Song (Liu Yilong, reign from 424 to 453 CE) received a letter of credence from Candrapria, the King of Kapilavastu (now in the valley of the Kaveri River in south India). In 502 CE, the Emperor Wu of Liang received an official letter from the Gupta King which was recorded in Chinese official documents. The southern dynasties in China mainly maintained contacts with kingdoms in the south of India via the southern or maritime route. According to *Wei Shu* (the Book of the Wei Dynasty), from 451 to 521 CE, envoys (including some merchants) from across India came to the Northern Wei, at least, 27 times and the Northern Wei also sent envoys to India time and again, mainly to the kingdoms in the north of India through the Western Region route.