Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c14.s4.t6: Wang Xuance
Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c14.s4.t6
- Language
- English
Wang Xuance
v2.c14.s4.t6.1
Wang Xuance was well-known as one of the most important persons in the India-China exchange history in 7th century CE, who served as an envoy to India several times during the reign of Emperor Taizong and Gaozong of Tang, and therefore made an extraordinary contribution to the official communication between the two nations.
v2.c14.s4.t6.2
First Time to India as Envoy
v2.c14.s4.t6.3
In March of lunar calendar, Zhenguan 17th year of Tang Dynasty, Emperor Taizong despatched Li Yibiao to serve as an envoy to India and Wang Xuance, leader of Huangshui County, Rongzhou as vice commissioner, who led a delegation of 20 people to escort the Indian envoy and his attendants back to India. In December of lunar calendar (ie early 644 CE) of that year, they arrived in Magadha.
v2.c14.s4.t6.4
The delegation comprised 22 persons in total. The leading envoy was Li Yibiao, a commandant whose official rank was above the sixth level. Attendants include some civil officials with an official rank below the fifth level, and some military officials whose military rank reached the third level. The vice commissioner was Wang Xuance, leader of Huangshui County in Rongzhou whose official rank reached the seventh level. Moreover, there were other persons like Shi Weicai, who was once responsible for the inscription on the Dajue Temple Stone Tablet and Song Fazhi, a craftsman.
v2.c14.s4.t6.5
When the envoy reached Magadha, they were warmly welcomed by the king who went to the suburbs to greet him, ordered people to burn incense on the road leading to the royal palace and kneeled down to accept the imperial edict of Tang.
v2.c14.s4.t6.6
They paid a visit to the stone with the footprints of Buddha located in the Ashoka Vihara and got rubbings. Then the rubbings were brought to Japan, and in the inscription of the Nara Yakushii-ji Temple in Japan, the records of this visit can be found.
v2.c14.s4.t6.7
Records of Wang Xuance's travels to India
v2.c14.s4.t6.8
They even learned how to stew sugar at the Mahabodhi Temple (mahābodhi-vihāra) in Magadha, and then received an order to go to Yuezhou to supervise the production of jaggery.
v2.c14.s4.t6.9
Second Time to India as Envoy
v2.c14.s4.t6.10
In the Zhenguan 21st year (647 CE), Emperor Taizong sent Wang Xuance to serve as an envoy to India. Jiang Shiren was the vice commissioner. This was the second time that Wang Xuance went to India as an envoy of Tang, and also the third time that Emperor Taizong of Tang officially sent the envoy to India to pay a return visit to Siladitya.
v2.c14.s4.t6.11
Wang Xuance, along with his attendants which totalled more than 30 people arrived in Sitianzhu at first, and received heavy gifts presented by various countries. Later, before they arrived in Central India, Śīlāditya was dead, thus triggering a serious rebellion during which, Arunasva, a treacherous minister usurped the throne and sent troops to capture Wang Xuance, Jiang Shiren and their 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 7,000 cavalrymen from Nepāla, and Zhangqiuba, another country which also sent troops. Later, Wang Xuance, Jiang Shiren and allied forces from other countries returned to India, put up a fearless battle in Chabo and Kapila for three days, and ended up with a great triumph with 3,000 people who participated in the rebellion beheaded and thousands drowned. However, Arunasva escaped, and he gathered soldiers again to rejoin the battle, but was suppressed and captured by Jiang Shiren. Thousands of captives were also annihilated by Jiang Shiren. The co-conspirators of Arunaśva, under the leadership of the prince and emperor’s concubines, gathered along the Qiantuowei River, and they were defeated once again by Jiang Shiren. During the battle, more than 12,000 people including emperor’s concubines, prince and others were captured, along with 30,000 domestic animals and 580 cities & towns. On May 20th, 648 of lunar calendar, Wang Xuance returned to Changan and presented the captives in front of the Chongmyo Shrine, a kind of ancient military tradition in China to show military success. Wang Xuance, shortly after he returned to Tang, presented a written statement to the Emperor in which the nature of crime committed by those Indian rebels and the punishment against them were decided.
v2.c14.s4.t6.12
There are some scholars who believe that the stories of Wang Xuance defeating Arunavasa’s armies are a bit exaggerated in the Chinese history books. These accounts in the history books are in all probability of the battle fought between the armies of Nepal and Tufan who were helping Wang Xuance against Arunavasa.
v2.c14.s4.t6.13
The records in both *Old Books of Tang* and *New Books of Tang* are probably not in line with the real situation. Wang Xuance borrowed troops from three countries, and the story of Wang Xuance calling for help from neighbouring countries in the two books cannot prove that he had the authority to control and direct the
v2.c14.s4.t6.14
*Tang Dynasty murals, Picture of Libin*
v2.c14.s4.t6.15
troops, and the possibility that the three neighbouring countries wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to invade India can’t be ruled out. According to *Old Books of Tang Volume 3, Biographic Sketches of Emperor Taizong of Tang*: “(on Zhenguan 22ⁿᵈ year), the Tubo Kingdom defeated Central India and sent envoy to Tang to present trophies and captives. The person that presented trophies and captives to Tang was not Wang Xuance but Tubo Zap, and the truth may be that the Tubo Kingdom and Nepāla joined together to launch a war against India in the name of helping Wang Xuance to put down the rebellion.”
v2.c14.s4.t6.16
After Arunasva was completely defeated, Kumāra, the 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.
v2.c14.s4.t6.17
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 (647 CE), submitted a written statement about the request to Emperor Taizong who then ordered Master Heun Sang to conduct the translation. Probably Wang Xuance brought the Sanskrit version of Dao Dejing to Janaka Kumara in this time of visit, and this was how the stories of Janaka Kumara rewarding soldiers, submitting maps and welcoming the portrait of Lao Zi took place.
v2.c14.s4.t6.18
An unexpected by-product for Wang Xuance’s visit to India was that he met Nārāyaṇasvāmin, a Brahmin necromancer who claimed himself to be 200-year-old and had acquired the method of longevity. Emperor Taizong of Tang treated him with great respect and arranged for 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 repatriated Nārāyaṇasvāmin. But Nārāyaṇasvāmin was dead in Chang'an before his departure, and it's most likely that he should be responsible for Emperor Taizong's death. According to *Records of Tang Volume 52*, Emperor Taizong took the Elixir of Life made by an Indian monk, and died soon of a sudden disease. And this Indian monk could be Nārāyaṇasvāmin.
v2.c14.s4.t6.19
*Records of Taisho Tripitaka on 'Wang Xuance's travels to India'*
v2.c14.s4.t6.20
Third Visit to India
v2.c14.s4.t6.21
On the Xianqing 2ⁿᵈ year (657 CE), Emperor Gaozong of Tang ordered Wang Xuance to send Buddha's cassock to India (*Fayuan Zhulin*, a Buddhism encyclopedia edited by Shi Daoshi in early Tang Dynasty, volume 16; *Cefu Yuangui*, volume 46).
v2.c14.s4.t6.22
The leading envoy of this visit was Wang Xuance, whose military rank reached the sixth level. The vice commissioner was Liu Renkai whose official position was unknown. Other attendants included Liu Jiabin responsible for history records, He Shouyi in-charge of inscription writing, six persons from respectable families, Wang Xuance's son Wang Lingmin and his nephew (probably a brother of Master Zhi Hong).
v2.c14.s4.t6.23
On September 27 of lunar calendar, the Xianqing fifth year (660 CE), Wang Xuance built a stone tablet in the Mahabodhi Temple (Dajue Temple), (*Extensive Records Compiled in the Taiping Years*, volume 406). On October 1 the same year, abbot of the Mahabodhi Temple summoned a dharma assembly for Wang Xuance, and after the assembly, Wang returned to Tang. (*Miscellaneous Morsels from Youyang*, volume 18; Fayuan Zhulin, a Buddhism encyclopedia edited by Shi Daoshi in the early Tang Dynasty, volume 52).
v2.c14.s4.t6.24
In the Longshuo first year (661 CE), Wang Xuance presented usnisa sarira (Buddha parietal sarira) to the Emperor. (Buddhism Theogony, volume 39).
v2.c14.s4.t6.25
The various journeys to India that Wang Xuance undertook during the 7ᵗʰ century CE, promoted the material and cultural exchanges between India and China, which proved the existence of an ancient route between China, Tufan and Nepal in ancient India-China interactions. During his third visit, Wang Xuance wrote 10 volumes including, *Records of visit to Central India*, *Travel records of Central India*, *Travelogue of Western Countries* etc but most of these volumes are no longer available. Some parts of the *Records of Visit to Central India* can be found in *Fa Yuan Zhu Lin*. Although these are just fragmented records, Wang Xuance's records relate to Buddhism, geography, politics, administration, art, folk customs etc.
v2.c14.s4.t6.26
(Zhang Yuan)