Relations between China and India underwent a dramatic transformation from Buddhist-dominated to commerce-centered exchanges in the seventh to fifteenth centuries. The unfolding of this transformation; its causes; and wider ramifications are examined in this masterful analysis of the changing patterns of the interaction between the two most important cultural spheres in Asia.Tansen Sen offers a new perspective on Sino-Indian relations during the Tang dynasty (618–907); arguing that the period is notable not only for religious and diplomatic exchanges but also for the process through which China emerged as a center of Buddhist learning; practice; and pilgrimage. Before the seventh century; the Chinese clergy—given the spatial gap between the sacred Buddhist world of India and the peripheral China—suffered from a “borderland complex.†A close look at the evolving practice of relic veneration in China (at Famen Monastery in particular); the exposition of Mount Wutai as an abode of the bodhisattva Mañjuśrī; and the propagation of the idea of Maitreya’s descent in China; however; reveals that by the eighth century China had overcome its complex and successfully established a Buddhist realm within its borders.The emergence of China as a center of Buddhism had profound implications on religious interactions between the two countries and is cited by Sen as one of the main causes for the weakening of China’s spiritual attraction toward India. At the same time; the growth of indigenous Chinese Buddhist schools and teachings retrenched the need for doctrinal input from India. A detailed examination of the failure of Buddhist translations produced during the Song dynasty (960–1279); demonstrates that these developments were responsible for the unraveling of religious bonds between the two countries and the termination of the Buddhist phase of Sino-Indian relations.Sen proposes that changes in religious interactions were paralleled by changes in commercial exchanges. For most of the first millennium; trading activities between India and China were closely connected with and sustained through the transmission of Buddhist doctrines. The eleventh and twelfth centuries; however; witnessed dramatic changes in the patterns and structure of mercantile activity between the two countries. Secular bulk and luxury goods replaced Buddhist ritual items; maritime channels replaced the overland Silk Road as the most profitable conduits of commercial exchange; and many of the merchants involved were followers of Islam rather than Buddhism. Moreover; policies to encourage foreign trade instituted by the Chinese government and the Indian kingdoms contributed to the intensification of commercial activity between the two countries and transformed the China-India trading circuit into a key segment of cross-continental commerce.
#362749 in Books Rowman n Littlefield Publishers 2013-09-19Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x .61 x 5.99l; .81 #File Name: 1442215755264 pages
Review
83 of 84 people found the following review helpful. Title Says All - Great Concise History of the CrusadesBy richard iiiBook is aptly titled. It covers a lot of ground addressing the better known 1st through 3rd crusades between Christianity and Islam in the Levant but also referencing Christian vs. Christian conflicts with the Byzantine Empire and crusades against non-Islamic non-Christians in Eastern Europe. The strength of this book as is accurately implied by the title is the ability to clearly communicate interesting information on a wide breadth of history without dragging on for hundreds and hundreds of pages. I highly recommend this as a mid-level introduction for anyone interested in the subject. Reading this as one with only a cursory knowledge of the period among the many things I found interesting were the personal / political conflict within both the Christian and Islamic camps that seriously hindered the ability to effectively fight the other side; the Christian vs. Christian conflicts around Constantinople; the balancing act the Christian kings had to perform between crusading and events back at home; how some of the inducements to motivate people to crusade contributed to later abuses by the Church and subsequent Reformation; the origin of the Templars and Hospitallers; the Children's Crusade; etc.For those who care about such things I would characterize the point of view of the author as objective. Happily you do not get the "Christians as savage invaders vs. Saladin as a Medieval champion of 21st Century multiculturalism and diversity" seen in pieces such as Ridley Scott's film Kingdom of Heaven. That's not to say this book says nothing bad about the Christians involved or that it has nothing good to say about Saladin's leadership skills; I'm just saying I perceived the tone as even-handed.4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. My great hope for this work is that it become a ...By Catherine L. HibbardFinally - let the truth be known! My great hope for this work is that it become a family project for all parents with teens. What you find within empowers you to bring into view a clear picture of history from the perspective of those who lived it; from primary sources. Well researched! This is real history.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. The Medieval EraBy Michael FOne of the critically important revelations learned from an honest examination of human culture and civilization is that modernity is the true victor. The misunderstanding and deliberate misinterpretation of the crusades and the Medieval era has been dispelled by this scholarly work. There are those today who wrongly find a moral equivalency with the evil acts of Islamic terrorism and the crusades. In other words; the attacks on Israel; Europe and America by Islamic jihadists and terrorists is morally justified as a remnant of the crusades and imperialism. This book should instruct those who believe this fallacious argument. Not only were the crusades waged partly against other Christians and Europeans but ultimately was a military and economic failure. The power of Islam was such that the crusades never had a chance and such overwhelming power even threatened Christian Europe. However; the ultimate victory is in the advancement of science; technology; economics; democracy and freedom. The Islamic world today has moved little since the Medieval era and the Ottoman Empire. I highly recommend this book.
