Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c13.s3.t2.41

v2.c13.s3.t2.41

Contacts between the Han dynasty and Kashmir started from the time of Emperor Wu (141 BCE – 87 BCE), and the relationship between the Han envoys and the rulers of Kashmir was sometimes cordial and sometimes not. Kashmiri merchants used to come to China during the reign of Emperor Cheng (33 BCE – 7 BCE) and even afterwards. Contact between Kashmir and China was very close in the Tang dynasty. There were frequent references in the *Xin Tang Shu* and *Jiu Tang Shu* to envoys coming from Kawmira bearing local products as gifts and it is mentioned that the royal court of the Tang dynasty also “generously rewarded this country”. Kashmir used to be one of the centres of Mahayana Buddhism so many monks used to come to China to preach Buddhism and translate scriptures. Chinese monks also went to Kashmir to acquire Buddhist learning and scriptures. In the 1st year of the reign of Emperor Suzong of the Tang (758 CE), there were still envoys from Kashmir coming to China but this practice apparently ended after that. The word, Kawmira, also no longer appeared in Chinese historical records.