On Yuan Chwang's Travels in India, 629–645 A.D. v1.c6.s7.7

v1.c6.s7.7

For the words "his military equipment was very grand" the Chinese is *Jung-ma-chên-shêng* (戎馬甚盛) which Julien translates—"Les chevaux de ces barbares étaient extrêmement nombreux." This rendering seems to be faulty and to spoil the description. *Jung-ma* is originally a "war-horse", and the term is used in this sense in classical literature. Then it came to denote the army and all the material equipment for a war, and it is also used to denote "a campaign," a "state of active warfare."² As the context here shews the pilgrim found reason to admire the army which attended the Khan and the army included soldiers mounted on elephants and horses along with standard-bearers and others. It seems better, accordingly, to translate the clause by some such words as "his military equipment was magnificent." In the Records we find the expression *ping-ma-ch'iang-shêng* (兵馬強盛) with a similar meaning.