Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c14.s4.t8: Kublai Khan
Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v2.c14.s4.t8
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Kublai Khan
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Emperor Shizu of Yuan (Ruled 1215-1294, 1260-1294) was the founder of Yuan Dynasty. During his reign, he supported the development of Buddhism, and kept the diplomatic intercourse with India.
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The Emperor Shizu, full name - Borjigin Kublai, was the grandson of Genghis Khan Borjigin Temujin, Mongolia. After his brother Borjigin Mangu (Emperor Xianzong of Yuan) ascended the throne, he once was appointed to manage the military
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*Kublai Khan*
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and political affairs of Monan area, employed Han Chinese Confucian scholars, consolidated the administration, recovered agriculture, built schools, received the support of people from upper class of north China Han population, and laid a solid social foundation for the establishment of the Yuan Dynasty. And he once made an expedition to Yunnan, and defeated Dali kingdom. In the eighth year of Xianzong (1258 CE), Mangu fought against the Southern Song Dynasty, and Kublai Khan was ordered to lead Donglu army. In September of the ninth year of Xianzong, Mangu died in Sichuan, Kublai Khan continued to siege Ezhou (present-day Wuhan, Hubei). After learning that Arigboge, his younger brother stayed to guard Mobei, he recruited soldiers arbitrarily to usurp the throne. He adopted the proposal of Han people, Hao Jing to make peace with the Southern Song Dynasty, then returned to fight for the throne. In March the following year under the support of some princes and dukes, Kublai Khan proclaimed to be the emperor in Kaiping (site is located in the north bank of Shandian River in Inner Mongolia, about around Zhenglan Banner and Duolun County area), with the reign title of Zhongtong. In August of the fifth year of Zhongtong (1264 CE), Kublai Khan changed the Yuan into Zhiyuan. In the same year, Arigboge was defeated and finally surrendered. In November of the eighth year of Zhiyuan (1271 CE), taking the meaning of “the beginning of natural law” from ‘*The Book of Changes*’, Kublai Khan changed the reign title into Dayuan. Next year, he decided Dadu (present-day Beijing) would be its capital. In the 11^th year of Zhiyuan, he ordered Bayan to make an expedition to Song Dynasty. In the 13^th year, he conquered Lin’an. In the 16^th year, he finally eliminated the remaining forces of Southern Song Dynasty left in Yashan, and completed the unification. Since then, he once sent the army to make an expedition to Japan, Annan (present-day Northern Vietnam), Champa kingdom (present-day Central Vietnam), Burma and Java, but most of them failed. After the unification of China, Kublai Khan conducted a series of policies, such as the recovery of agriculture, reduction of the burden on farmers, care for craftsmen, promotion and popularisation of education, encouragement of commercial trade, establishment of post system, and emphasis on the scientific research, which were all very beneficial to the development of society and economy.
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Picture of Kublai Khan during a hunt
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Emperor Shizu of Yuan believed in Buddhism, and his religious policy was tolerant and flexible. Early, he once participated in Shamanism rites according to Mongolian tradition, and also tried to cater to the belief of the Chinese people. He maintained a good relationship with Confucian, implemented the traditional Confucian etiquette in the imperial court, and translated the ancient Chinese classics into Mongolian. He gave the important position in financial institution to Moslem, and granted them some privileges such as tax exemption. He paid the most attention to Buddhism. Long before he ascended the throne, he had been maintaining a close relationship with Phags-pa lama (1235-1280 CE), who was the fifth generation founder of Sakya of Tibetan Buddhism. In the third year of Xianzong (1253 CE), Kublai Khan accepted the Esoteric Buddhism empowerment, and offered treasures for support. In the eighth year (1258 CE), he called monks together to debate the authenticity of Laozi Huahujing. Phags-pa lama took part in the debate, and made the Taoist priest accept defeat. In the first year of Zhongtong (1260 CE), Kublai Khan ascended the throne, and conferred the title of national master to Phags-pa lama, and granted him the jade seal, and let him lead all Buddhist monks around the country. In the first year of Zhiyuan (1264 CE), he set up the Administration of Buddhism (later Xuanzhengyuan) with the head of Phags-pa lama, which conducted the ruling of Buddhist monks and took charge of affairs in Tubo area. In the fifth year (1268 CE), Phags-pa lama completed the creation of Mongolia new script (also called Phags-pa script) on the basis of the Tibetan script. The following year, Shizu conferred another title of Royal Preceptor and Gyalwa Karmapa to Phags-pa lama. Besides Tibetan monks, Shizu also maintained constant exchanges with scholar-official monks, such as Haiyunyinjian, Zicong monk (Liu Bingzhong), Xuetingfuyu and others. Shizu also paid attention to the print and circulation of Buddhist sutras. He once ordered to delete, rectify and print the Buddhist sutras Hongfazang on the basis of the original Jinzang, and released it across the country. The famous white tower of Dashengshou Wan’an Temple (present-day Miaoying Temple in Beijing) was built during Zhiyuan years of Shizu. The architect Araniko (1244-1306 CE) from Niboluo (present-day Nepal) took charge of the construction, sculpture, smelting and casting, crafting of the imperial family. Shizu appreciated his talent, and granted him 15,000 mu of fertile farmland. For Shizu’s worship of Buddha, there were many written records. According to volume 26 of Chronicle of Clan System, among 35 years of the reign of Shizu, from the first year, he first accepted the Buddhist commandment before ascending the throne. According to the Record of Merits of Building Yongshengyuan, “Buddhism is the most flourishing at this time”.
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Yuan Dynasty government was familiar with South Asia, and attached great importance to relationship with South Asia. According to Volume 210 of History of Yuan, “Among all overseas countries, there was only Maabar (namely, Zhunian in southeast India, now translated into Chola) and Julan (nowpresent-dayto dominate other countries, and Julan was also a barrier of Maabar. There was about one hundred thousand miles away from Quanzhou to the country”. According to the historical records, in June of the 16th year of Zhiyuan (1279 CE), Champa (presentday in central Vietnam), Maabar and other countries offered one elephant and one rhinoceros and other precious items. In December, Shizu sent Yang Tingbi who was the Darughachi of Guangdong Zhaotaosi to Julan. He took back the letter of credence, and the letter said that they would send envoys to pay gifts. In August the following year, Champa and Maabar sent envoys to pay allegiance to the imperial court. In the 19th year of Zhiyuan, the king of Julan sent the envoy to bring the letter, and presented a black ape and many treasures. The king of Nawang (probably Nicobar Islands in the southeast of the Bay of Bengal at present) also sent four people to present gifts. In the 20th year (1283 CE), Maabar sent the envoy to visit again. They arrived in the capital city in May, and Shizu arranged for officials to welcome them halfway. During the reign of Shizu, China kept continuous exchanges with southern countries in India. For details, refer to the item “Yang Tingbi”.