Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c10.68

v2.c10.68

**First half of the 20ᵗʰ Century CE** The literary interaction between India and China began to revive over these 50 years. Since the beginning of the century, Chinese intellectuals started to pay attention to world literature, including Indian literature. As early as 1889, Liang Qichao (1873-1929) started to pay attention to Indian issues, and later was devoted to Buddhist studies and attached great importance to literary works in Buddhist classics. In 1907, Lu Xun (1881-1936) began to pay close attention to Indian literature, praising the “magnificence and grace” of the four Vedas. In addition, he also complimented the “wonder” of *Mahabharata* and *Ramayana*, and Kalidasa’s amazing the world through his stories and lyrics. He praises Indian fables saying that they are rich like remote forests and deep springs, and the art and literature of other countries tend to be influenced by it”, and contributed money to publish *The Hundred Parables Sutra*. In 1908, Su Manshu (1884-1918) published his translated novel by Indian writer Kusha. This may have been the herald of China’s modern translation of Indian novels in new style. In the same year, he published the *Cause of Literature* in Tokyo that especially mentioned the grace of Indian Sanskrit literature, of the two epics and *Sakuntala*. In 1909, Su Manshu studied Sanskrit and read the *Mahabharata* in Tokyo. In 1911, he translated Kalidasa’s poetic drama of *Sakuntala* and Indian poetess Taru Datt’s poems.