Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c13.38

v2.c13.38

In this period, Indian traders too flocked to Chinese ports such as Quanzhou. Zhao Rushi, who was Superintendent of Maritime Customs at the port in the early 13^th century CE, testifies to this in his well-known work *Zhufan zhi* (Description of foreign peoples). The remains of a Shiva temple in Quanzhou, which was probably built in the late 13^th century CE by resident Tamil traders, also bears testimony to the size and presence of a trading community from India in China in this period. Zhao Rushi’s work contains fairly detailed descriptions of various kingdoms particularly in the coastal regions of India. Since he himself never travelled overseas, he probably gathered his information from Indian traders who were at Quanzhou while he was posted there. The same was true of the account penned by the late 12^th century CE Chinese work, the *Lingwai daida* of Zhou Qufei which also contains descriptions of Indian states such as Gulin (present-day Kollam in Kerala). Apart from merchants, Buddhist monks also seem to have used the maritime route to come to China. The *Zhufan zhi* records that “during the time of Yongxi, there was a monk Luohuna who arrived along the maritime route; it was said that he was from India. Foreign merchants vied to present him with gold, silk and jewels as alms, (but) the monk did not accept it.”