Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c11.s3.t2: Triumphant March of Prince of Qin
Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c11.s3.t2
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Triumphant March of Prince of Qin
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*Cīna-Rāja-Vijaya-Gītā*, also known as *Vijaya-Gītā* and later renamed as *Seven Merits*, was gaining widespread popularity among people during the Wude period when Emperor Taizong reigned, Tang dynasty. Later, it was re-compiled into a court dance with music under the order of Emperor Taizong, and was once widely spread in the Western Regions and even brought to Japan.
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Creation and Evolution
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The original version of *Cīna-Rāja-Vijaya-Gītā* was created during the Wude period of Tang. In the 3ʳᵈ year of Wude (620 CE) when Emperor Taizong defeated Liu Wuzhou, people were all singing *Cīna-Rāja-Vijaya-Gītā* to celebrate his success (*Old Books of Tang*, volume XXIX). It was also said that soldiers in armies played *Cīna-Rāja-Vijaya-Gītā*. (*New Books of Tang*, volume XXI). This is the folk version of *Cīna-Rāja-Vijaya-Gītā* which includes lyrics and melody, and takes the form of folk rhyme and probably has no dances or just simple dances available in early times. Yang Xianyi believes that the folk version of *Cīna-Rāja-Vijaya-Gītā* was created by Turks and was then introduced into the Tang armies.
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In the 1ˢᵗ year of Zhenguan (627 CE), Emperor Taizong held a banquet to entertain ministers, in which, he ordered for the first time to play *Cīna-Rāja-Vijaya-Gītā* in the royal palace. During the early stage that Emperor Taizong inherited the throne, *Cīna-Rāja-Vijaya-Gītā* began to become harmonious in melody thanks to Lv Cai, a versatile scholar and was greatly improved and optimised with simple lyrics and dances. In the seventh year of Zhenguan (633 CE), Emperor Taizong created the drawing of *Cīna-Rāja-Vijaya-Gītā* and ordered Lv Cai to teach 120 musicians (or 120 dancers by another saying) to dance in accordance with the drawing, they were all practised in armours with halberds. Several days later, the practice and rehearsal was completed. *Cīna-Rāja-Vijaya-Gītā* was one of the drum dances mixed with the elements of Qiuci music. Later, the emperor issued another order to Wei Zheng to change the lyrics and rename it as Qi De (Seven Merits) Dance. From then on, *Cīna-Rāja-Vijaya-Gītā*, as one of the grand ceremonial classic melodies began to take shape. The production and evolution of *Cīna-Rāja-Vijaya-Gītā* incorporates the music styles of a variety of nationalities and absorbs the talent of royal musicians and it is undoubtedly a masterpiece full of concern and vitality of folk art. This is the root cause that *Cīna-Rāja-Vijaya-Gītā* can be widely spread through generations.
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Painting of Naxi Music, 'Triumphant march of Prince of Qin' (Qinwang pozhen yue)
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A poster of the performance of 'Triumphant march of Prince of Qin' (Qinwang pozhen yue)
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Lyrics of *Cīna-Rāja-Vijaya-Gītā
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Lyrics of *Cīna-Rāja-Vijaya-Gītā* are available in two versions. The lyrics recorded in *Old Books of Tang* and the *Collection of Yuefu Poems* as "Warriors receive the order of emperor to fight against enemies. They bid farewell to the emperor and set foot on a journey to the battlefield." *Cīna-Rāja-Vijaya-Gītā* is sung by everyone to celebrate success. The lyrics are short and simple, and should be the folk version of *Cīna-Rāja-Vijaya-Gītā* and its main character may not be Prince Qin (Emperor Taizong) and more like a general or solider who was telling a story. This is probably why Emperor Taizong ordered Wei Zheng to change the lyrics after he decided to use it as a tool to enhance his authority.
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The court version of *Cīna-Rāja-Vijaya-Gītā* recompiled by Wei Zheng is renamed as *Seven Merits*, which extols the seven merits of Emperor Taizong just as its name implies. The melody is unknown for us today, but through the *New Yueh-Fu·Seven Merits Dance* created by Bai Juyi, who enjoyed the *Cīna-Rāja-Vijaya-Gītā* during Yuanhe period (806-820 CE), we can get a glimpse of the general meaning of its contents: Emperor Taizong orders to present silk to those people who bury the bodies of soldiers without relatives (first merit). In a great famine, gold and silver in the national treasury are offered to starving people selling their children for food, so that they could get their children back (second merit). When Wei Zheng was seriously ill, Emperor Taizong dreamt of Wei Zheng saying farewell to him at night; he woke up surprised and couldn't help crying; another minister Zhang Gongjin passed away, Emperor Taizong arranged his funeral by himself in great sorrow (third merit). Thousands of the maids who had been confined in the royal palace for a long time were released under the order of the Emperor (fourth merit). Emperor Taizong inquires the law cases by himself all the time for fear of unjust cases (fourth merit); Emperor Taizong was kind enough to send 400 condemned prisoners back home and wanted to punish them the next year, and when the time came, all 400 prisoners came back for death. (fifth merit). General Li Ji was greatly ill, and the doctor said his disease must be treated by the drugs mixed with ashes of the emperor's beard; emperor Taizong then cut off his beard and burnt it (sixth merit). General Li Simo was shot by an arrow. Emperor Taizong sucked the poisoned blood out for him personally (seventh merit).
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*Cīna-Rāja-Vijaya-Gītā* that was introduced into India is neither the original version nor the melody and lyrics of *'Seven Merits'*.
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Transmission into the West and East
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It can be figured out according to historical records that '*Cīna-Rāja-Vijaya-Gītā*' had been introduced into India before Master Heun Sang met Siladitya. Siladitya and Janaka Kumara both knew '*Cīna-Rāja-Vijaya-Gītā*' of *mahā-cīna* (China in ancient India). It features remarkable artistic charm and combines the elements of the western regions, and therefore becomes very popular among the different peoples; it is most likely that envoys of countries in the Western Regions, foreign business men or monks who once saw '*Cīna-Rāja-Vijaya-Gītā*' in the royal palace introduced it and Emperor Taizong's good reputation into their own countries, and then it was brought into India by word of mouth.
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The Chinese character "Qin" is equivalent to "*cīna*" in Sanskrit. The "Prince Qin" in '*Records of the Western Regions of the Great Tang*' written by Master Heun Sang is the author's translation to '*cīna-rāja*'. Siladitya referred to the emperor of '*mahā-cīna*' as '*cīna-rāja*' generally, so we can notice that he has no ideas about the origin of titles of Prince Qin and emperor of Tang. The '*Cīna-Rāja-Vijaya-Gītā*' mentioned by Siladitya can be directly translated to the song eulogizing the victory of Emperor of China.
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'*Cīna-Rāja-Vijaya-Gītā*' was probably changed in form when it was brought into India, with only lyrics and music left and the dance part was missing. Its lyrics and music part were also quite different from its original versions due to the reorganisation and re-composition by audiences and might convey the spectacles of court military dances and anecdotes of the great Tang dynasty. In the records made by Master Heun Sang, both Siladitya and Janaka Kumara used the words “singing” or “hearing” when talking about ‘*Cīna-Rāja-Vijaya-Gītā*’, and this was just in line with the oral way of transmission by bards, and the dance part might have got lost in the course of transmission.
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Moreover, *Cīna-Rāja-Vijaya-Gītā* was also once introduced into Tibet. In the second year of Changqing (822 CE), envoys of Tang came to the Tubo Kingdom. “The musicians then played *Cīna-Rāja-Vijaya-Gītā* and other famous melodies of Tang to entertain them and meanwhile pay respect to Tang.” (*New Books of Tang*, Volume 216). The music score and dance of *Cīna-Rāja-Vijaya-Gītā’* also travelled far away across the sea to Japan with the Japanese envoys, which can be proven by the 5-string *Pipa Music Score for Cīna-Rāja-Vijaya-Gītā* copied by Shi Daniang and *Pictures of the Dance of Cīna-Rāja-Vijaya-Gītā in the Shinzei Kogakuzu (Pictures of Shinzei Ancient Music)*.
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(*Zhang Yuan*)