Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c14.s4.t3: Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty
Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c14.s4.t3
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Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty
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Emperor Taizong of Tang, whose name was Li Shimin (598-649 CE, and ruled from 626-649 CE) was the second emperor in the Tang dynasty, and also an important person in the history of exchanges
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Emperor Taizong
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between India and China. He sent envoys to India three times, thus promoting the prosperity of the India-China cultural exchange.
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Prabhakaramitra, the Tripitaka Dharma Master in India arrived in Chang'an, the capital city of Tang with Buddhist scriptures in Sanskrit in the Zhenguan first year of Tang (627 CE), after crossing the icy cold deserts and high mountains in a journey full of difficulties, travelling for five years (Continuation of Eminent Monk Biography Volume III Huize Biography). He stayed in Chang'an to translate Buddhist sutras.
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In the Zhenguan third year (629 CE), Emperor Taizong ordered Buddhist monk Prabhakaramitra, to translate Buddhist sutras in the Xingshan Temple. And in the Zhenguan sixth year, the translation work was completed, and then Emperor Taizong issued another order to transcribe each sutra into 10 copies and then had them distributed to various temples. In the same year, Prince Li Chengqian was ill, and Emperor Taizong demanded Prabhakaramitra to live in the royal palace for more than 100 days to pray for the health and recovery of the prince. In the Zhanguan seventh year, Prabhakaramitra passed away in Chang'an (Continuation of Eminent Monk Biography Volume III Huize Biography).
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Tang Records of the Western Regions
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Cave carvings related to India from the Tang Dynasty in Jilong Country of Tibet Autonomous Region in China
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Master Xuanzang started his journey in the Zhenguan first year of the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang (627 CE) to go westward on a pilgrimage for Buddhist scriptures. He arrived in India between 628-629 CE. In 640-641 CE, he met Siladitya and returned to Chang’an in the first month of the Zhenguan 19^th year (645 CE), and on February 1, he headed to Luoyang to meet Emperor Taizong. The Emperor then asked Master Xuanzang to write *Records of the Western Regions of the Great Tang* which was finished a year and a half later. In Zhenguan 20^th year (646 CE), Master Xuanzang presided over a translation institute to translate Buddhism scriptures, and disseminate the dharma until his death in Linde 1st year of Emperor Gaozong (664 CE). Master Xuanzang’s journey to the west was during the reign of Emperor Taizong, and his work received great endorsement from Emperor Taizong, and his successor Emperor Gaozong. Emperor Taizong named Xuanzang the “Great Leader of the Dharma” in his writing, *Holy Orders*.
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Master Xuanzang made a tremendous contribution to the translation of Buddhism scriptures and establishment of schools of Buddhism. His visit to India can be viewed as the most important event in the history of India-China exchange. The admiration of Master Xuanzang for Emperor Taizong resulted in an official visit of an Indian envoy after Siladitya met Xuanzang, and it is also because of his high praise to Siladitya that Emperor Taizong sent envoys to pay a return visit to India. We can see that Xuanzang is just like a bridge connecting India and China into a whole. Later, the Tang envoys to India which include Liang Huaijing, Li Yibiao, Wang Xuance, Jiang Shiren, etc., further put Siladitya and Emperor Taizong in closer contact with each other. The *Records of the Western Regions of the Great Tang* written by Xuanzang under the order of Emperor Taizong is widely known as a wonderful book that brings the two nations closer. It also introduces in a vivid way, the industry, geography, religion and culture of India to China. The book is highly appraised by Indian history researchers even today.
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Xuanzang can be referred to as an eminent monk who opened up a new era in Chinese Buddhism and translation history, a communicator of India-China culture, and also a symbol of friendship between these nations.
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Tang Envoys’ Visit to India
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Emperor Taizong sent envoys to India three times. In 641 or 642 CE, Emperor Taizong sent an envoy to India in response to the first envoy sent by Siladitya. “Emperor Taizong ordered Liang Huaijing to hold a sceptre to pacify India.” (New Books of Tang, Volume 221 Western Regions I).
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“Emperor Taizong dispatched Hechuluoba, a military commandant to grant a heavy reward to Kawmira, and meanwhile pacify India. Hechuluoba arrived in Kawmira. The king there kneeled down to pay respect to Tang and then sent people to go with the envoy of Tang to India as a guide.” (New Books of Tang, Volume 221 Western Regions I).
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This courtesy visit to India as part of diplomatic etiquette, greatly moved Śīlāditya, who asked his people in a surprised tone, “Did mahā-cīna (China referred to in India) send envoys to our country in history?” All the people answered, “No”. So he rushed out to welcome the envoy,” (Old Books of Tang, volume 198, Xirong Nationality). Meanwhile, Śīlāditya’s friendly attitude such as kneeling down to accept the imperial edict also left a deep impression on the envoy and even Emperor Taizong. This thus remarkably propelled the official communication between India and China, and making this secondary mission to be upgraded into a prolonged official visit.
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The major purpose of the second visit ordered by Emperor Taizong was to “escort the Brahmin guests back to India,” and to “learn the method of making sugar” and “presenting gifts to Śīlāditya for his friendly attitude that he had shown towards Tang Dynasty.”
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The delegation consisted of 22 persons, including Li Yibiao, the leading envoy and Wang Xuance, the vice commissioner, along with Shi Weicai who inscribed the Dajue Temple Stone Tablet and Song Fazhi, a craftsman, etc.
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The second visit took place in March of the Lunar calendar (643 CE) and the envoy and his attendants arrived in India in December of the lunar calendar (i.e., early 644 CE).
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The visit was greatly welcomed by Śīlāditya’ and his ministers who all went to the suburb to receive the envoy of Tang and burn incense on both sides of the street, leading directly to the royal palace. Later, the Tang envoy paid a visit to various meaningful places to pay homage to Buddhism, which included the visit to the Buddha Footprints Stone (refer to the inscription on the Buddha Footprints Stone in the Nara Yakushii-ji Temple, Mount Jiufeng Inscription and Dajue Temple Stone Tablet).
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The time the envoy returned to China is claimed to be around February 11 of lunar calendar, in 645 CE (according to the inscription of the Dajue Temple Stone Tablet, Fa Yuan Zhu Lin, a Buddhism encyclopedia volume 29).
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In the first half of 647 CE, Emperor Taizong sent an envoy for the third time to India. Wang Xuance, along with his attendants which were over 30, arrived in Sitianzhu at first and received heavy gifts presented by various countries (no national chaos took place by far). Later, before they arrived in central India, they received the news of Śīlāditya's death which immediately triggered a serious rebellion. During this time, Arunasva, a treacherous minister took over the throne and sent troops to capture Wang Xuance and his attendants, and "the troops took away the gifts presented by different countries." Wang Xuance escaped at night, and then he successfully borrowed 1,200 excellent soldiers from Tubo Kingdom and more than 7000 cavalrymen from Nepāla, and Zhangqiuba, another country which also sent troops. In the end, he defeated Arunasva.
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Later, Kumāra, Emperor of Kāmarūpa sent 30,000 horses and cows as well as some bows, arrows and tassels to reward the troops, and he also presented a map and welcomed the portrait of Lao Zi with great respect. On May 20, 648 CE of lunar calendar (June 16), Wang Xuance returned to Chang'an and presented captives in front of the Chongmyo Shrine, a kind of ancient military tradition in China to show military success.
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The second time that Emperor Taizong of Tang sent an envoy to India (643-645 CE), Kumāra asked for the translation of Dao Dejing. Li Yibiao, after returning to Tang, submitted a written statement about the request to Emperor Taizong who then ordered Master Xuanzang to conduct the translation (Collection of Theories of Buddhism and Taoism in Ancient and Modern Time, volume III, Translation of Tao-te-ching by Master Heun Sang under the Order of Emperor Taizong). During the third time that Emperor Taizong sent envoys to India (between 647-648 CE), Wang Xuance brought the Sanskrit version of Dao Dejing to Janaka Kumara, and this was how the stories of Janaka Kumara rewarding soldiers, submitting maps and welcoming the portrait of Lao Zi took place.
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In Zhenguan 22ⁿᵈ year (648 CE), Wang Xuance returned to China. And he also brought with him a Brahmin necromancer, Nārāyaṇasvāmin, who claimed to be 200-year-old and had acquired the method of longevity. Emperor Taizong treated him with great respect and arranged him to live in the Jinbiao Palace to make life-prolonging drugs under the supervision and management of Cui Dunli, minister of the Ministry of War. He also sent envoys to various places to collect magic medicines and stones. Several months later, the life-prolonging drugs were produced but were not as effective as what Emperor Taizong had expected, so he sent Nārāyaṇasvāmin back. But Nārāyaṇasvāmin died in Chang'an before departure, and it's most likely that he should be held responsible for the death of Emperor Taizong. According to Records of Tang volume 52, Emperor Taizong took the 'Elixir of Life' made by an Indian monk, and died of a sudden disease soon. And this Indian monk was Nārāyaṇasvāmin.
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When making a general survey of Emperor Taizong of Tang's reign, it was noticed that communication and exchange between China and Tang was extraordinarily prosperous and unprecedentedly frequent, which sometimes took place every year or even within a year. Although the official communication between India and China are mostly recorded in history, there were many other events that may belong to ordinary people, or may not have been recorded by history or whose historical materials have been lost. The India-China exchange is closely associated with many industries such as religion, politics, economy, science and technologies, literature and art, etc., and therefore, the early stage of Tang, the period of reign of Emperor Taizong in particular, can be viewed as the heyday of the cultural exchange between the two nations.
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(*Zhang Yuan*)