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Blue-eyed Central Asian and East-Asian Buddhist monks, Bezaklik, Eastern Tarim Basin, China, 9th-10th century.
Blue-eyed Central Asian and East-Asian Buddhist monks, Bezaklik, Eastern Tarim Basin, China, 9th-10th century. Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south The Tarim Basin ( is a large Endorheic basin occupying an area of more than 400000 km²

The Silk Road transmission of Buddhism to China started in the 1st century CE with a semi-legendary or quasi-historical account of an embassy sent to the West by the Chinese Emperor Ming (58 – 75 CE). China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National The 1st century was the Century that lasted from 1 to 100 according the Julian calendar. Family background Then-Liu Yang was born in 28 to Emperor Guangwu and his first love Consort Yin Lihua. Extensive contacts however started in the 2nd century CE, probably as a consequence of the expansion of the Kushan Empire into the Chinese territory of the Tarim Basin, with the missionary efforts of a great number of Central Asian Buddhist monks to Chinese lands. The 2nd century is the period from 101 to 200 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. The Kushan Empire (c 1st &ndash 3rd centuries) was a Bactrian state that at its cultural zenith Circa 105 &ndash 250 The Tarim Basin ( is a large Endorheic basin occupying an area of more than 400000 km² Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices The first missionaries and translators of Buddhists scriptures into Chinese were either Parthian, Kushan, Sogdian or Kuchean. Parthia ( Middle Persian: اشکانیان Ashkâniân) was an Iranian civilization situated in the northeastern part of modern Iran Tocharian or Tokharian is one of the branches of the Indo-European language family.

From the 4th century onward, Chinese pilgrims also started to travel to India, the origin of Buddhism, by themselves in order to get improved access to the original scriptures, with Fa-hsien's pilgrimage to India (395-414), and later Xuan Zang (629-644). India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Faxian ( Traditional Chinese:法顯 Simplified Chinese:法显 Pinyin ：Fǎxiǎn also romanized as Fa-Hien or Fa-hsien) (ca See also Xuanzang (fictional character Xuanzang ( pronounced Shwan-dzang) was a famous Chinese Buddhist Monk, scholar traveler The Silk Road transmission of Buddhism essentially ended around the 7th century with the rise of Islam in Central Asia. The Silk Road, or Silk Routes, are an extensive interconnected network of Trade routes across the Asian continent connecting East South and Western Asia with the

Contents

First contacts

Fresco describing Emperor Han Wudi (156-87 BCE) worshipping two statues of the Buddha, Mogao Caves, Dunhuang, c.8th century CE.
Fresco describing Emperor Han Wudi (156-87 BCE) worshipping two statues of the Buddha, Mogao Caves, Dunhuang, c. Background birth and years as crown prince Emperor Wu was the tenth child of Emperor Jing, and was born to one of Emperor Jing's favorite Concubines, Buddharūpa (बुद्धरूप literally 'Form of the Awakened One' is the Sanskrit and Pali term used in Buddhism for statues or models of the The Mogao Caves, or Mogao Grottoes ( (also known as the Caves of the Thousand Buddhas and Dunhuang Caves) form a system of 492 temples 25km (15 Dunhuang ( also written as 燉煌 till early Qing Dynasty; is a City (pop 8th century CE.

The first contacts between China and Central Asia occurred with the opening of the Silk Road in the 2nd century BCE. The Silk Road, or Silk Routes, are an extensive interconnected network of Trade routes across the Asian continent connecting East South and Western Asia with the The 2nd century BC started the first day of 200 BC and ended the last day of 101 BC. The 1st century BCE "Records of the Great Historian" (Ch: 史記, Shiji) tells of the travels of the Chinese explorer Zhang Qian to Central Asia around 130 BCE, who reports about a country named Shendu (India), whose peaceful Buddhist ways are mentioned in writing in the 1st century CE Han history, the Hanshu. The 1st century BC started the first day of 100 BC and ended the last day of 1 BC. The Records of the Grand Historian, also known in English by the Chinese name 史記 or Shiji, written from 109 BC to 91 BC Zhang Qian ( 張[[wikt 騫|騫]] Wade-Giles Chang Ch'ien was an imperial envoy to the outside world in the 2nd century BC during the time of the Han Dynasty The 1st century was the Century that lasted from 1 to 100 according the Julian calendar. The Han Dynasty ( 206 BC–220 AD followed the Qin Dynasty and preceded the Three Kingdoms in China. The Book of Han ( is a classic Chinese Historical writing completed in 111 CE covering the history of Western Han from 206 BCE to

After 130 BCE, numerous embassies to the West followed Zhang Qian's travels, and there may have been some contacts with Buddhism around that time. Chinese murals in the Tarim Basin city of Dunhuang describe the Emperor Han Wudi (156-87 BCE) worshipping Buddhist statues, "golden men brought in 120 BCE by a great Han general in his campaigns against the nomads". The Tarim Basin ( is a large Endorheic basin occupying an area of more than 400000 km² Dunhuang ( also written as 燉煌 till early Qing Dynasty; is a City (pop Background birth and years as crown prince Emperor Wu was the tenth child of Emperor Jing, and was born to one of Emperor Jing's favorite Concubines, However, there is no such mention of Han Wudi worshipping the Buddha in Chinese historical literature. The Hou Hanshu also records the visit of Yuezhi envoys to the Chinese capital in 2 BCE, who gave oral teachings on Buddhist sutras to a student, suggesting that some Yuezhi had already started to disseminate the Buddhist faith in eastern Asia during the 1st century BCE (Baldev Kumar (1973)). The Book of the Later Han ( is one of the official Chinese Historical works which was compiled by Fan Ye in the 5th century, using The Yuezhi or Rouzhi ( Chinese: 月支 Pinyin: yuè zhī or ròu zhī; also 月氏 Pinyin: yuè shì Year 2 BC was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices The Hou Hanshu then describes the enquiry about Buddhism made around 70 CE by the emperor Emperor Ming (58-75 CE):

"There is a current tradition that Emperor Ming dreamed that he saw a tall golden man the top of whose head was glowing. Family background Then-Liu Yang was born in 28 to Emperor Guangwu and his first love Consort Yin Lihua. He questioned his group of advisors and one of them said: “In the West there is a god called Buddha. His body is sixteen chi high (3. 7 metres or 12 feet), and is the colour of true gold. ” The Emperor, to discover the true doctrine, sent an envoy to Tianzhu (Northwestern India) to inquire about the Buddha’s doctrine, after which paintings and statues [of the Buddha] appeared in the Middle Kingdom. " (Hou Hanshu, trans. John Hill)

This encounter is further described in a 6th century CE account by Yang Xuanzhi:

"The establishment of the Baima Temple (Temple of the White Horse) by Emperor Ming (58-75 CE) of the Han marked the introduction of Buddhism into China. The 6th century is the period from 501 to 600 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. Yang Xuanzhi (楊衒之 was a Chinese Writer and Translator of Mahayana Buddhist texts into the Chinese language during the Family background Then-Liu Yang was born in 28 to Emperor Guangwu and his first love Consort Yin Lihua. The temple was located on the south side of the Imperial Drive, three leagues (li) outside the Xiyang Gate. The Emperor dreamt of the golden man sixteen Chinese feet tall, with the aureole of sun and moon radiating from his head and his neck. A "golden god", he was known as Buddha. The emperor dispatched envoys to the Western Regions ("遣使向西域求之") in search of the god, and, as a result, acquired Buddhist scriptures and images. At the time, because the scriptures were carried into China on the backs of white horses, White Horse was adopted as the name of the temple. " (Translation: Ulrich Theobald).

The military expansion of China into Central Asia under the rule of Emperor Ming at that time was very real, in particular with the campaign of the general Ban Chao, who managed to repel the Xiongnu from the Tarim Basin and control most of the area by around 75 CE. Central Asia is a region of Asia from the Caspian Sea in the west to central China in the east and from southern Russia in the north to northern Pakistan in the south Control of the Tarim Basin Ban Chao like his predecessors Huo Qubing and Wei Qing from the earlier-half of the Han Dynasty before him is said to The Xiongnu ( Turkish: Doğu Hun were a confederation of nomadic tribes from Central Asia with a ruling class of unknown origin and other subjugated tribes The Tarim Basin ( is a large Endorheic basin occupying an area of more than 400000 km² These contacts necessarily prompted some level of cultural exchange, and may indeed correspond to the first time Buddhist ideas were transmitted to China.

The first documented transmission of Buddhist scriptures to China occurs in 148 CE, with the arrival of the Parthian missionary An Shih Kao in China, probably on the heels of the Kushan expansion into the Tarim Basin. An Shih-kao (?-~168 (安世高 Pinyin Ān Shígāo) was a prince of Parthia, nicknamed the "Parthian Marquis" who renounced his prospect The Kushan Empire (c 1st &ndash 3rd centuries) was a Bactrian state that at its cultural zenith Circa 105 &ndash 250 An Shi Kao established Buddhist temples in Loyang and organized the translation of Buddhist scriptures into Chinese, testifying to the beginning of a wave of Central Asian Buddhist proselitism that was to last several centuries. Luoyang ( is a Prefecture-level city in western Henan province, People's Republic of China.

Central Asian missionaries

Peoples of the Silk Road, Dunhuang, China, 9th century.
Peoples of the Silk Road, Dunhuang, China, 9th century. Dunhuang ( also written as 燉煌 till early Qing Dynasty; is a City (pop

In the middle of the 2nd century CE, the Kushan empire under king Kanishka expanded into Central Asia and went as far as taking control of Kashgar, Khotan and Yarkand, which were Chinese dependencies in the Tarim Basin, modern Xinjiang. The 2nd century is the period from 101 to 200 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era. The Kushan Empire (c 1st &ndash 3rd centuries) was a Bactrian state that at its cultural zenith Circa 105 &ndash 250 Kanishka (Kushan language Κανηϸκι, Middle Chinese: 迦腻色伽 was a king of the Kushan Empire in Central Asia, ruling an empire extending Kashgar or Kashi (officially transliterated as Kaxgar in Uyghur; قەشقەر/K̡ǝxk̡ǝr, is an Oasis Yarkand, Yarkent, and Yarkant are spelling variants and may refer to Yarkent County Yarkand River The Tarim Basin ( is a large Endorheic basin occupying an area of more than 400000 km² Xinjiang ( Uyghur: شىنجاڭ Shinjang;; Postal map spelling: Sinkiang; Turkish: Sincan, Sincan Uygur Özerk As a consequence, cultural exhanges greatly increased, and Central-Asian Buddhist missionaries became active shortly after in the Chinese capital cities of Loyang and sometimes Nanjing, where they particularly distinguished themselves by their translation work. Luoyang ( is a Prefecture-level city in western Henan province, People's Republic of China. ( Chinese: 南京 Romanizations Nánjīng ( Pinyin) Nan-ching ( Wade-Giles They promoted both Hinayana and Mahayana scriptures. Thirty-seven of these early translators of Buddhist texts are known.

Sogdian donors to the Buddha (fresco, with detail), Bezaklik, eastern Tarim Basin, China, 8th century.
Sogdian donors to the Buddha (fresco, with detail), Bezaklik, eastern Tarim Basin, China, 8th century. The Tarim Basin ( is a large Endorheic basin occupying an area of more than 400000 km²
"In former times, the people of Fusang knew nothing of the Buddhist religion, but in the second year of Da Ming of the Song dynasty (485 CE), five monks from Kipin (Kabul region of Gandhara) travelled by ship to that country. Events By Place Europe Aelle of Sussex fights the "Welsh" at the stream of Mearcread Fusang or Fousang (扶桑 Mandarin Pīnyīn fúsāng is a country described by the Chinese Buddhist missionary Hui Shen (慧深 Japanese For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Fusang or Fousang (扶桑 Mandarin Pīnyīn fúsāng is a country described by the Chinese Buddhist missionary Hui Shen (慧深 Japanese The Song Dynasty ( Wade-Giles: Sung Ch'ao was a ruling dynasty in China between 960&ndash1279 CE it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms } Kābul ( Persian and Pashto: کابل, IPA:) is the Capital and largest city of Afghanistan, with They propagated Buddhist doctrine, circulated scriptures and drawings, and advised the people to relinquish worldly attachments. As a results the customs of Fusang changed" (Ch: "其俗舊無佛法,宋大明二年,罽賓國嘗有比丘五人游行至其國,流通佛法,經像,教令出家,風 俗遂改. ", Liang Shu "History of the Liang Dynasty, 7th century CE).

Artistic influences

"Heroic gesture of the Bodhisattva", 6th-7th century terracotta, Tumshuq (Xinjiang).
"Heroic gesture of the Bodhisattva", 6th-7th century terracotta, Tumshuq (Xinjiang). In the Buddhist context a bodhisattva (बोधिसत्त्व bodhisattva;; Vietnamese Bồ Tát; बोधिसत्त bodhisatta Terra cotta ( Italian: "baked earth" is a Ceramic. Its uses include vessels water & waste water pipes and surface embellishment in Building construction

Central Asian missionnary efforts along the Silk Road were accompanied by a flux of artistic influences, visible in the development of Serindian art from the 2nd through the 11th century CE in the Tarim Basin, modern Xinjiang. Serindian art is the art that developed from the 2nd through the 11th century A The Tarim Basin ( is a large Endorheic basin occupying an area of more than 400000 km² Xinjiang ( Uyghur: شىنجاڭ Shinjang;; Postal map spelling: Sinkiang; Turkish: Sincan, Sincan Uygur Özerk

Serindian art often derives from the art of the Greco-Buddhist art of the Gandhara district of what is now Pakistan, combining Indian, Greek and Roman influences. Gandhāra ( Sanskrit: गन्धार Urdu: گندھارا Gandḥārā; also known as Waihind in Persian is the name of an ancient Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and

Highly sinicized forms of this syncretism can also be found on the eastern portions of the Tarim Basin, such as in Dunhuang. Dunhuang ( also written as 燉煌 till early Qing Dynasty; is a City (pop

Silk Road artistic influences can be found as far as Japan to this day, in architectural motifs or representations of Japanese gods (see Greco-Buddhist art). Greco-Buddhist art is the artistic manifestation of Greco-Buddhism, a cultural Syncretism between the Classical Greek culture and Buddhism

Chinese pilgrims to India

Xuan Zang, Dunhuang cave, 9th century.
Xuan Zang, Dunhuang cave, 9th century. See also Xuanzang (fictional character Xuanzang ( pronounced Shwan-dzang) was a famous Chinese Buddhist Monk, scholar traveler Dunhuang ( also written as 燉煌 till early Qing Dynasty; is a City (pop The 9th century is the period from 801 to 900 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian / Common Era.

According to Chinese sources, the first Chinese to be ordained was Zhu Zixing, after he went to Central Asia in 260 to seek out Buddhism. Events By Place Roman Empire Gallienus becomes Emperor Gallienus defends what remains of the empire against barbarians and It is only from the 4th century CE that Chinese Buddhist monks started to travel to India to discover Buddhism first-hand. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Fa-hsien's pilgrimage to India (395-414) is said to have been the first significant one. Faxian ( Traditional Chinese:法顯 Simplified Chinese:法显 Pinyin ：Fǎxiǎn also romanized as Fa-Hien or Fa-hsien) (ca He left along the Silk Road, stayed 6 years in India, and then returned by the sea route.

Tens of Chinese monks, possibly hundreds of them, visited India during that period.

The most famous of the Chinese pilgrims is Xuan Zang (629-644), whose large and precise translation work defines a “new translation period”, in contrast with older Central Asian works. See also Xuanzang (fictional character Xuanzang ( pronounced Shwan-dzang) was a famous Chinese Buddhist Monk, scholar traveler He also left a detailed account of his travels in Central Asia and India.

Decline

Buddhism in Central Asia began to decline in the 7th century following the incursion of the Muslim Caliphate. A caliphate (from the Arabic خلافة or khilāfa) is the political leadership of the Muslim community in classical and medieval Islamic history The vigorous Chinese culture progressively absorbed Buddhist teachings until a strongly Chinese particularism developed.

Central Asian Buddhist monks from the Tarim Basin and East Asian Buddhist monks appear to have maintained strong exchanges until around the 10th century, as shown by frescos from the Tarim Basin. The Tarim Basin ( is a large Endorheic basin occupying an area of more than 400000 km²

See also

References

"The Silk Road Journey with Xuanzang", Sally Hovey Wriggins, Westview Press, 2004, ISBN 0-8133-6599-6

Greco-Buddhism, sometimes spelt Graeco-Buddhism, refers to the cultural Syncretism between Hellenistic culture and Buddhism, which developed The Kushan Empire (c 1st &ndash 3rd centuries) was a Bactrian state that at its cultural zenith Circa 105 &ndash 250
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