Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s9.t6.4

v1.c7.s9.t6.4

At that time, there was an extensive literature in China on the *wangguo* 亡国 or ruined countries, which sought to understand the reason for the apparent decline of countries like India. Like Kang Youwei, Zhang Taiyan tried to ascribe responsibility for certain qualities of the Indian people, which had led to their subjugation, to their environment. As he puts it - “Various objects quickly rot in the heat, and so the (Indian) people have little idea of ownership... Precisely because they lack the idea of ownership, they think that everything is impermanent and they cannot hold on to anything... Since their idea of possession is weak, Indians have generally not cared if their national territory is lost or if their race declines.” At this stage, Zhang was convinced that