Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s9.t7: Liang Qichao
Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s9.t7
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Liang Qichao
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Liang Qichao 梁启超 (February 23, 1873 – January 19, 1929) was one of the most influential intellectuals of early 20th century China. A disciple of the famous late Qing reformer, Kang Youwei, he later parted ways with his mentor on the path for the political advancement of China. He was a multi-faceted personality and a man of many talents, who can be considered as the father of both modern journalism and modern historiography in China. In the history of India-China cultural contacts in the modern era, his importance lies mainly in his role as the host of the Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore during his visit to China in 1924.
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There are two phases in Liang Qichao’s understanding of India, which correspond to the different phases of his thinking about the nature of Western civilisation, and the challenge posed to countries like China and India by the West. In the early years of the 20^th^ century, Liang was an admirer of Western civilisation. At this time there was extensive discussion among Chinese intellectuals about the ‘ruined countries’ (*wangguo*亡国), which had been completely subjugated or extinguished by external powers, and about how China could avoid a
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*Liang Qichao*
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similar fate. India was considered as one of the most prominent examples of a ‘ruined country’, whose weaknesses had allowed it to come completely under the domination of a ‘handful’ of British. That Liang Qichao was a participant in this discussion can be seen from the fact that his mentor Kang Youwei, who had spent a couple of years in exile in India, titled one of his notable pieces of writing on India as “Essay for Fellow Scholar Liang Qichao and others Discussing the Destruction of India due to its Fragmentation”.
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However, later in his life, and particularly after witnessing the terrible destruction wrought by World War I, Liang Qichao became disillusioned about Western civilisation and what he saw as its emphasis on material progress at the cost of great destruction and of spiritual wellbeing. He wrote that “of the methods of relieving spiritual famine, I recognise the Eastern – Chinese and Indian – to be, in comparison, the best.” His changed stance brought him into conflict with many young Chinese intellectuals of the May Fourth generation (participants in May 4, 1919 demonstrations and the radical New Culture movement of the time). This formed the background to Liang Qichao’s role during Rabindranath Tagore’s visit to China.
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As President of the Beijing Lecture Association (Jiangxueshe 讲学社), Liang formally invited Tagore to China to deliver a series of lectures. As his host, Liang accompanied Tagore during much of his visit. His speech welcoming Tagore provides one of the most eloquent statements by a Chinese intellectual in modern times of the spiritual and cultural debt that China owed to its 'nearest and dearest brother' India. Liang said: "Across our south-western boundary, there was a great and cultured country, India. Both in character and geography, India and China are like twin brothers. Before most of the civilised races became active, we two brothers had already begun to study the great problems that concern the whole of mankind. We had already accomplished much in the interests of humanity. India was ahead of us and we, little brother, followed behind. But nature had not been kind. She had placed between us a vast area of unfeeling desert and two great ranges of cruel snowy peaks, which separated us for thousands of years. It was not until 2,000
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Rabindranath Tagore (2ⁿᵈ from left) and Liang Qichao (2ⁿᵈ from right) at Beihai Park, Beijing in 1924
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Liang Qichao
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years ago that we were given gradually to know that we had a very good elder brother on the earth." In a similarly lyrical vein, he went on to say: "India has taught us to embrace the idea of absolute freedom, that fundamental freedom of mind, which enables us to shake off all fetters of past traditions and habits as well as the present customs of a particular age. India also taught us the idea of absolute love, that pure love towards all human beings which eliminates all obsessions of jealousy, anger, impatience and disgust, which expresses itself in deep pity and sympathy for the foolish, the wicked and the sinful, that absolute love, which recognised inseparability between all beings." Elaborating what China had learned from India in various spheres of art and culture, literature, science and medicine, and religion and philosophy, Liang concluded that "Indian thought has been entirely assimilated into our own world of experience and has become an inalienable part of our consciousness."
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Liang Qichao is also credited with having given the Indian poet his Chinese name Zhu Zhendan on his 64ᵗʰ birthday. Explaining the significance of the Chinese characters which made up this name, Liang went on to say: "I wish the revival of the old friendship between the Indian and the Chinese people in this person whose name is Zhu Zhendan." Liang's warm sentiments for Tagore and his wholehearted avowal of the virtues of Indian civilisation were sharply attacked by several other intellectuals at the time. Nevertheless, he gave eloquent expression to the idea of the ancient spiritual and cultural ties between India and China.
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*(Madhavi Thampi)*