Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c11.s2.t2: Cao Miaoda
Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c11.s2.t2
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Cao Miaoda
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Cao Miaoda (late 6^th century CE), a pipa player from Northern Qi to early Sui Dynasty, was born in a pipa sarcar in the state of Cao in the Western Regions (present-day Northeast Samarkand of Uzbekistan). At the end of Northern Wei, his grandfather Cao Brahman and his father Cao Sengnu had been living in the Central Plains. Cao Brahman used to study Kucha pipa from a merchant, therefore, his son Cao Sengnu and grandchildren Cao Miaoda and his sister were all good at playing Kucha pipa. Cao Miaoda’s offspring Cao Bao and his son, Cao Shancai and grandson, Caogang were all outstanding pipa players and impressive from Northern Qi to Tang Dynasty.
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Cao Miaoda’s pipa acting skills received high appreciation from Gaoyang, the Emperor Wenxuan in Northern Qi (dominated in 550-559 CE). Every time when Cao Miaoda played the pipa, Gao Yang always joined by beating the Hu drum. Gao Wei (dominated in 550-559 CE), emperor of late Northern Qi, who was very fond of the Western Regions music, favoured Cao Miaoda even more, granted him the high post with a salary equal to the ministers, and even granted him the infanta. People at that time said that, “the musician who was granted the rajah is only Cao Miaoda.” After Northern Qi was abolished, Cao Miaoda went to Sui and was the royal musical officer. According to the records of *Sui Book • Music Collection*, Emperor Wen of Sui, Yang Jian (dominated in 581-604 CE) ordered him to teach Qing temple songs and Northern Zhou songs as Taichang. During the period of the first emperor of Sui (581-600 CE), he and Wang Changtong, Li Shiheng, Guo Jinle and An Jingui were “wonderful in orchestral music, updated and changed songs all the time, showing their musical talent to royals, and were adored all over the country. *Sui Book •Biography of Wan Baochang* recorded that Cao Miaoda et al, “could compose, studies the Zheng music and made the music wonderful.” This indicated that he absorbed the essence of folk music of the Central Plains to enrich his performance and creation, while inheriting the tradition.
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(*Zhao Jiazi*)