Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c11.s2.t3: Sujiva
Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c11.s2.t3
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Sujiva
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Sujiva (6^th century CE) is a pipa player and a renowned royal musician in Northern Dynasty, born in Kucha of the Western Regions (now in Kuqa area of China Sinkiang). Generations of his family were all working as instrumentalists. In the third year of Tianhe Period (568 CE) during the rein of Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou (dominated in 561-578 CE), Sujiva joined the Northern Zhou, following Turkic Queen, Ashinas, being good at playing pipa and music melodies.
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According to *Sui Book* • *Music Records*, Sujiva “joined the Northern Zhou following Turkic Queen and was good at playing the pipa. When he was playing, people heard seven tones in the octave and asked why. He replied that his "father was a musician in the Western Regions; and seven melodies were studied through the generations". Using seven melodies to collate the seven sounds
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*Five-stringed pipa with spiral shaped cowrie shells in red sandalwood as Tang Dynasty treasure product. It originated in the Western Regions of the ancient times, and entered the central plains of China during the northern Wei Dynasty. It obtained its determining features during the Tang Dynasty. Later, it was kept at Shōso-in treasure house, belonging to the Tōdai-ji and Nārā, Japan.*
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seemed practical.” Sujiva explained the Kucha music theory of “Five Rhymes and Seven Melodies” derived from India, and the Western Regions dancing was represented by Kucha music, which had a great influence on the later music of the Central Plains, and became an important turning point in the history of Chinese ancient music. Yan music’s 28 melodies in Sui and Tang Dynasties were evolved from this and the same in Song Dynasty were related. Musician Zheng Yi in the Northern Zhou and Sui Dynasty used to study the theories of Kucha pipa and Kucha music melodies from Sujiva, and was inspired by Kucha prosody and skills, ad thereby evolved the 48 melodies theory. Kucha music and dance taught by Sujiva became one of the important palace music works in the three generations of Northern Zhou, Sui and Tang Dynasty.
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The five-string pipa Sujiva used played an important role in the development of musical art in the flourishing Tang Dynasty, which was popular for 500 years from Northern and Southern Dynasties to Sui and Tang Dynasties. It was the main instrument for the Xiliang, Kucha, Hindustan, Sulaq, Boukhara and Goryeo music works among nine and 10 music works of Sui and Tang. From then on, pipa became one of the most important national instruments of China.
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Kucha prosody of “Five Rhymes and Seven Sounds” taught by Sujiva was also called “Five Rhymes and Seven Melodies”, and was a mode of Kucha music. “Dan” means rhyme. “Five Rhymes and Seven Melodies” were established over five different types of pitches. *Sui Book* • *Music Records* stated that “its sounds should be five rhymes of Huangzhong, Taicu, Linzhong, Nanlv and Guxian.” They formed seven melodies based on a heptachord. Each rhyme has seven melodies and “Five Rhymes” have total 35 melodies. “Seven melodies” means Gong, Shang, Jue, Bianzhi, Zhi, Yu and Biangong”. If being ordered according to musical scale, those melodies will be “5 6 b7 1 2 3 4”. They are also the tonic of 28 melodies and seven Gong of Yan music: Huangzhong Gong, Zheng Gong, Gao Gong, Zhonglv Gong, Daodiao Gong, Nanlv Gong and Xianlv Gong.
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After Sujiva joined Northern Zhou, he had used the Han name and made a name for himself in the court. Chinese musicologist Shen Zhibai stated that Sujiva’s Han name was Bai Zhitong in his book *Outline of Chinese Music History*.
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Sujiva’s Gong melody theory significantly influenced not only Chinese ancient music such as gagaku and folk music, as well as Song iambic verse and Yuan drama, but also promoted the development of musical dance in South Korea, North Korea, Japan, Vietnam and Burma.
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(Zhao Jiazi)