Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c11.s1.t1: Kucha Music
Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c11.s1.t1
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Kucha Music
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Music of ancient Kucha during the period of Northern and Southern Dynasties, and Sui and Tang Dynasties. Kucha was a large country in the Western Regions and also called Qiuci, Kizil, Koutcha, Kutsi or Kucina, located in today’s Kuqa, Shaya, Sinwa, Baicheng and Luntai of the Sinkiang area. Ancient Kucha people were good at singing and dancing, and had a long history of colourful musical culture. According to *Buddhist Records of the Western World*, “Kucha characters derived from India and changed slightly, its kangen and gigaku were especially great among other countries.
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According to *Sui Book · Music Collections*, in the 18ᵗʰ year of Jianyuan Period (382 CE) of Former Qin, “Lü Guang and Juqu Mengxun occupied Liangzhou, changed the Kucha music and called it Qin and Han Music; Taiwu of Wei occupied Hexi and called it Xiliang Music; and up to Wei and Zhou, it was called national music”. Therefore, even though in original Chinese music such as “National Music” and “Xiliang Music”, Kucha music elements were also integrated. With regard to the music of Boukhara, Sulaq, Samarkand and Chotscho, they were apparently derived from Kucha music or “adapted from Kucha music”. There were two possibilities why music works were named by state names, one was because those musicians came from those countries, the other was because the music styles of those countries were retained in the related music works to some extent.
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Kucha music had extensive impacts on China palace music in Sui and Tang Dynasties. The *Seven Music Works* was enacted in the early Kaihuang (581 CE) of Emperor Wen of Sui, the *Nine Music Works* was established in Daye seven years (611 CE) of Emperor Yang of Sui followed in early Tang. *Ten Music Works* was established in the 16th year of Zhenguan Period (642 CE) during the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang. They all had music departments for “Kucha Musician” or “Kucha Music”. Those historical facts indicated that Kucha music played an important role in Sui and Tang palace music. After “Hu Department” was set up in the Tang court, Kucha music was actually listed as
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*Mural painting on music preserved in the grottoes of the Kezil caves of a thousand Buddhas, of the Xinjiang Province of China. It is the scene of a musical performance by a music team at Kucha.*
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the first over other types of music. Due to the Tang music system was inherited in the early Northern Song (960 CE), the Kucha music was one of the four great works in Royal Academy which still retained its specific musical instruments and chapters.
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In Sui Dynasty, Kucha music was divided into three parts of Western country Kucha, Qi Dynasty Kucha and Tu Kucha according to the elements integrated in the local folk music. Up to Tang Dynasty, musicians from various countries of the Western Regions had settled down in China for several generations. Therefore, they were gradually chinesised and their music was also integrated into Chinese native music little by little. The *Ten Music works* was changed to “Standing Play” and “Sitting Play” in the era of Emperor Xuangzong of Tang. However, *Longevity*, *Devadatta*, *Song of Longevity* and *Small Triumphal Music* belonging to “Sitting Play” had apparently mixed with Kucha music elements, while *Peace*, *Peaceful*, *Triumphant March*, *Great Tranquility*, *Holy life* and *Shining Holy Music* belonging to “Playing Instruments in Standing Positions” had also mixed with tones and styles of Kucha music.
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*Wooden figures of female musicians, dating from the 15ᵗʰ year of the founder of the Sui Dynasty (595 CE), excavated from the Zhangsheng grave at Anyang, Henan Province.*
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Ancient Kucha had various kinds of instruments such as kugo, pipa, five strings, flute, Sheng, Xiao, Hichirki, Maoyuan drum, Duyun drum, Dala drum, waist drum, Kakko, Jilou drum, bronze drum, cowry, Tan zither, Houti drum, Qi drum, Yan drum etc, among which Kakko was a special traditional percussion instrument in Kucha music. In the 10th year of Kaihuang Period (591 CE) of Emperor Wen of Sui, Kucha music was popular in the palace and folk and even people from emperors to common people in Tang Dynasty were all fond of playing the Kakko. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang often composed Kakko music and played by himself. He could perfectly play 92 Kakko songs of Kucha music including *Yeposeji* and *Kucha Dawu*.
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There were 20 instrumentalists and four dancers in various kinds of special costumes when performing the Kucha music. Instrumentalists were wearing the black silk headscarves, dark red silk gowns, brocade sleeves and dark red pants while the dancers were wearing the red forehead ribbons, dark red jackets, white silk pants and black leather boots. From some of today's Kucha grotto murals in the areas of Kuqa and Baicheng City, we can still see the performance reality of Kucha music and the various kinds of instruments they used.
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The chapters of Kucha music preserved up to now include *Longevity*, *Hiding Hooks*, *Qixi Meeting*, *Touhu*, *Dancing Mat*, *Truelove Knot*, *Teenage Girl Toasting*, *Stay with Immortal*, *Throw a brick for Long life*, *Play with a Stork*, *Play with all Kinds of Flora*, *Row the Dragon Boat*, *Back to the Old Palace*, *Changle Flower*, *Twelve Hours*, *Good Mani*, *Bhagavat Son*, *Small Heaven*, *Sulaq Salt* etc.
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(*Zhao Jiazi*)