Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c14.16

v2.c14.16

During this period, there was a significant increase of official contacts between India and China. In the early 1^st century, Kanci maintained friendly intercourse with Han Dynasty, and as recorded in many historical documents, its envoys once brought rhinoceros to amaze the Chinese. In the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 CE), contacts by sea increased, and in the 2^nd and 4^th year of Yan Xi Era of Emperor Huan, Indian envoys went to China via the sea route several times, but no record is available to show that China also had sent envoys to India. At that time, Western Region Road was accessible intermittently, and Emperor He of the Han Dynasty (89-105 CE) had ordered a number of diplomatic missions, but later on, this route was blocked and interrupted. When Buddhism was introduced in China, and Emperor Ming of Han (reigned from 58-75 CE) once sent envoys to Western Regions for Buddhist scriptures.