data/mahabharata/Chinas.txt

People mentioned in ancient Indian literature This article is about the people in ancient Indian literature.

For the political standpoint of having multiple Chinas, see Two Chinas .

For the political standpoint of having all Chinas in one, see One China .

For the plural of china, see China (disambiguation) .

The Chinas ( Sanskrit चीनः Cīna ) are a people mentioned in ancient Indian literature , such as the Mahabharata , Manusmriti , and the Puranic literature.

Etymology [ edit ] The origin of the Sanskrit name Cīna is commonly believed to have been the Qin ( Tsin or Chin in older transliterations) dynasty which ruled in China from 221 BC, or the preceding state of Qin which is traditionally dated to the 9th century BC.

There are a number of other suggestions for the origin of the word.

Some Chinese and Indian scholars argued for the state of Jing ( 荆 ) as the likely origin of the name, while other theories suggest it is derived from Zina , the endonym of the inhabitants of Yelang .

Hindu literature [ edit ] Mahabharata [ edit ] This article may contain excessive or irrelevant examples .

Please help improve the article by adding descriptive text and removing less pertinent examples .

( March 2024 ) The Sanskrit epic work Mahabharata contains certain references to China, referring to its people as the China tribe.

In the Mahabharata , the Chinas appear together with the Kiratas among the armies of King Bhagadatta of Pragjyotisa ( Assam ).

In the Sabhaparvan, the same king is said to be surrounded by the Kiratas, and the Cinas.

Also in the Bhismaparvan, the army of Bhagadatta is said to consist of the Kirtas and the "yellow-coloured" Cinas.

Bhishamaparva of Mahabharata also lists the Chinas with the mlechha tribes of the north like the Yavanas , Kambojas , Kuntalas , Hunas , Parasikas , Darunas, Ramanas, Dasamalikas.

Shantiparvan of Mahabharata groups the Chinas with the tribes of the Uttarapatha , viz.

the Yavanas, Kiratas , Gandharas , Shabras, Barbaras , Shakas , Tusharas , Kanakas, Pahlavas , Sindhus , Madrakas , Ramathas, and the Kambojas and states them to be living the lives of Dasyus.

These verses of the epic expect these tribes to perform certain duties which are different from those performed by the Brahmanas , Kshatriyas , Vaishyas , and Shudras .

Vanaparvan of the Mahabharata states that the territory of the Chinas can be reached by a land-route across the country of the Kiratas in the mountain regions of the north.

China is mentioned as one among the northern kingdoms in Mahabharata, Book 6, chapter 9: –Among the tribes of the north are the Mlecchas , and the Kruras, the Yavanas , the Chinas, the Kambojas , the Darunas, and many Mleccha tribes; the Sukritvahas, the Kulatthas, the Hunas , the Parasikas, the Ramanas, and the Dasamalikas.

Chinas were mentioned along with Chivukas and Pulindas and Khasas , Hunas, Pahlavas , Sakas , Yanavas, Savaras , Paundras , Kiratas, Kanchis , Dravidas , Sinhalas and Keralas .

Here they were described as the protectors of sage Vasistha and his cow against the attack of king Viswamitra .

(1,177) Pahlavas and the Daradas , the various tribes of the Kiratas, Yanavas, Sakas, Harahunas , Chinas, Tusharas , Sindhavas , Jagudas, Ramathas and the Mundas, as well as the inhabitants of the kingdom of women, Tanganas, Kekayas , Malavas and the inhabitants of Kasmira were mentioned at (3,51) as bringing tribute to the Pandava king Yudhishthira .

The Yanavas, the Kiratas , the Gandharvas , the Chinas, the Savaras, the Barbaras, the Sakas, the Tusharas, the Kankas, the Pathavas, the Andhras , the Madrakas , the Paundras, the Pulindas, the Ramathas, the Kambojas were mentioned together as tribes beyond the kingdoms of Aryavarta .

The Aryavarta kings had doubts about dealing with them.

(12,64) China is mentioned in the travel-descriptions of the Pandavas.

The passage below, describes these Chinas, to be located somewhere in the high Himalayas : Mahabharata book 3, chapter 176 (MBh 3.176): "Leaving the place called Badari ( Badrinath in Uttarakhand ) and crossing the difficult Himalayan regions, and leaving behind them, the countries of China, Tukhara, Darada and all the climes of Kulinda, rich in heaps of jewels, those warlike men, viz.

the Pandavas, reached the capital of Suvahu, the king of Pulindas (Kiratas)." Bhima mentions a "China king" Dhautamulaka, who caused the destruction of his own race (5,74).

The name "Dhautamulaka" translates to "clean root", and might be a reference to the last Xia emperor Jie (1728–1675 BC).

"Deer skins from China" are mentioned at (5,86).

King Dhritarashtra wanted to give a thousand deer-skins from China as a present to Vasudeva Krishna : I will give him a thousand deer-skins brought from China and other things of the kind that may be worthy of his praise.

During the Han dynasty (between the 2nd century BC and 2nd century AD), deer skins were used to make token money notes representing 400,000 coins.

Ramayana [ edit ] Kiskindhakanda of Valmiki 's Ramayana makes reference to Cinas as well as Parama-Cinas and associates them with the trans-Himalayan tribes of the Daradas, Kambojas, the Yavanas , the Sakas , the Kiratas, the Bahlikas, the Rishikas , and the Tañkanas of the Uttarapatha.

They sent tributaries to Ayodhya and were protector of Dharma in northern Asia from Siberia to modern China.

The epic literature asserts that the Cinas, Khasas , Hunas, Shakas , Kambojas, Yavanas , Pahlavas, Kiratas, Sinhalas, Mlechchas etc.

were created by sage Vashistha through the divine powers of cow Sabala or Nandini (Kamdhenu).

Puranas [ edit ] In the Kalika Purana , the Cinas are again grouped with the Kambojas, Shakas , Khasas and the Barabaras etc.

and are said to have sided with Buddhist king Kali in the war against Vedic king Kalika.

Bhuvanakosha section of numerous Puranas locates the Cinas along with the Tusharas, Pahlavas, Kambojas, and Barbaras in the Udichya or northern division of ancient India.

There is yet another reference to China as Cina-maru as referred to in the Vayu Purana and Brahmanda Purana .

However, at the same place, Matsya Purana mentions Vira-maru .

China-maru or Vira-maru has been identified with the lands of Turkestan situated above And-khui in the north of Afghanistan (Dr K.

P.

Jayswal, Dr M.

R.

Singh).

Buddhist literature [ edit ] The Cinas also find reference in the Buddhist play, Mudrarakshasa , where they are listed with other contemporary tribes, such as the Shakas , Yavanas, Kiratas, Cambojas , Bhalikas , Parasikas , Khasas, Gandharas, Kalutas, etc.

Buddhist text Milindapanho (see: Sacred Books of the East , xxxvi, 204), associates the Chinas with the Sakas, Yavanas , Kambojas and Vilatas(?) etc., and locates them in and beyond the western Tibet / Ladakh , according to Dr Michael Witzel .

Other literature [ edit ] The Arthashastra , believed to date between the 2nd century BCE and 3rd century CE, refers to Chinese silk as "cinamsuka" (Chinese silk dress) and "cinapatta" (Chinese silk bundle).

The Sanmoha Tantra speaks of the Tantric culture of the foreign countries like the Bahlika ( Bactria ), Kirata , Bhota ( Tibet ), Cina, Maha-Cina, Parasika , Airaka, Kambojas, Huna, Yavana, Gandhara and Nepala .

The Laws of Manu , dated between 200 BC and 300 AD, describes the downfall of the Chinas, as well as many foreign groups in India: "43.

But in consequence of the omission of the sacred rites, and of their not consulting Brahmanas, the following tribes of Kshatriyas have gradually sunk in this world to the condition of Shudras; 44.

(Viz.) the Paundrakas, the Chodas, the Dravidas , the Kambojas, the Yavanas , the Shakas , the Paradas , the Pahlavas , the Chinas , the Kiratas, the Daradas and the Khashas ." Besides China and Parama-China , there is also a reference to Mahachina in the Manasollasa which text mentions the fabrics from Mahachina.

It is thus possible that China probably referred to western Tibet or Ladakh , Mahachina to Tibet proper, and Parama-China to mainland China .

China [ edit ] See also: Shina (word) This word was transcribed into various forms including {支那 ( Zhīnà ), 芝那 ( Zhīnà ), 脂那 ( Zhīnà ) and 至那 ( Zhìnà ).

See also [ edit ] Sino-Indian relations Chinese in India Indians in China Hinduism in China Ahom people References [ edit ] ^ Yule, Henry (2005).

Cathay and the Way Thither .

Asian Educational Services.

pp.

2–3.

ISBN 8120619668 .

^ Geographical Data in Early Puranas, 1972, p172, Dr M.

R.

Singh ^ Wade, Geoff, " The Polity of Yelang and the Origin of the Name 'China' ", Sino-Platonic Papers , No.

188, May 2009.

^ Kisari Mohan Ganguli , The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose , 1883-1896.

^ Austin, Christopher R.

(2019).

Pradyumna: Lover, Magician, and Son of the Avatara .

Oxford University Press.

p.

21.

ISBN 978-0-19-005411-3 .

^ Brockington (1998, p.

26) ^ MBH 6/9/65-66 ^ MBH 12/65/13-15 ^ "Mahabharata Udyoga Parva Chapter 74" .

en.krishnakosh.org .

Retrieved 2021-10-23 .

^ "Mahabharata Udyoga Parva Chapter 86" .

en.krishnakosh.org .

Retrieved 2021-10-23 .

^ The Ramayana of Valmiki: An Epic of Ancient India, Volume 4, Kiskindhakanda, p 151, Rosalind Lefeber ^ Ramayana (1.52-55) & Mahabharata (1.174.6-48) ^ Kalika Purana 20/40 ^ ":ete desha Udichyastu Kambojashchaiva Dardashchaiva Barbarashcha Angaukikah || 47 || Chinashchaiva Tusharashcha Pahlavadhayata narah || 48 || — ( Brahma Purana 27.44-53) " ^ Early East Iran, And The Atharvaveda, 1980, (Persica-9), p 106, Dr Michael Witzel.

^ Olivelle, Patrick (2013).

"Introduction".

King, Governance, and Law in Ancient India: Kauṭilya's Arthaśāstra .

Oxford UK: Oxford University Press.

ISBN 978-0199891825 .

Retrieved 2016-02-20 .

^ Tan Chung (1998).

A Sino-Indian Perspective for India-China Understanding .

Archived 2007-06-06 at the Wayback Machine ^ Patrick Olivelle (2005), Manu's Code of Law, Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0195171464 , pages 24-25 ^ Glimpses of Indian Culture , Dinkar Joshi, p.51 ISBN 9788176501903 ^ Manusmritti (Laws of Manu) , X.43-44 v t e Tribes and kingdoms mentioned in the Mahabharata Abhira Andhra Anarta Anga Anupa Assaka Asmaka Avanti Ay Bahlika Bhārata Chedi Chera Chola Chinas Dakshina Kosala Dakshinatya Danda Dasarna Dasharna Dasherka Dwaraka Gandhāra Garga Gomanta Gopa Rashtra Hara Huna Haihaya kingdom Himalaya Huna Kanchi Kasmira Kalakuta Kalinga Kamboja Karnata Karusha Kashi Kekeya Kerala Khasa Kikata Kimpurusha Kinnara Kirata Kingdom Kishkindha Konkana Kosala Kuninda Kunti Kuru Lanka Madra Madraka Magadha Maha Chinas Mahisha Malla Malava Manipura Matsya Mekhalas Mleccha Mudgala Mushika Nasikya Nepa Niharas Nishadas Odra Pallava Panchala Pandya Parada Parama Kamboja Parasika Parvartaka Parvata Paurava Pishacha Pragjyotisha Pratyagratha Prasthala Pundra Pulinda Saka Salva Salveya Salwa Saraswata Saurashtra Sauvira Shakya Sindhu Sinhala Sivi Sonita Sudra Suhma Surparaka Surasena Tamraparni Tangana Trigarta Tulu Tushara Ursa Uttara Kuru Uttara Madra Utkala Vanga Vatadhana Vatsa Videha Vidarbha Yavana Yaudheya v t e China–India relations Diplomatic posts Embassy of China, New Delhi Ambassadors of China to India Embassy of India, Beijing Ambassadors of India to China Diplomacy Greater East Asia Conference Sino-Indian Agreement 1954 Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence 2007 Delhi security summit Conflicts Sino-Indian War Origins of the Sino-Indian War 1962 Indian parliamentary resolution on China Defence of India act and Defence of India rules, 1962 Forward policy Internment of Chinese-Indians Nathu La and Cho La clashes 1987 skirmish 2013 Depsang standoff 2017 border standoff 2020–2021 skirmishes Timeline Chinese Order of battle Indian Order of battle Sino-Indian border dispute Aksai Chin Dakpa Sheri Dehra Compass Depsang Bulge Doklam Dolam Sirijap Trans-Karakoram Tract Sino-Pakistan Agreement Line of Actual Control Differing perceptions of the LAC Infrastructure Roads Report of the Officials on the Boundary Question Border Peace and Tranquility Agreement, 1993 Agreement on the Political Parameters and Guiding Principles, 2005 Border Defence Cooperation Agreement, 2013 India-China Joint Working Group on the boundary question Special Representative mechanism on the India-China boundary question Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India–China Border Affairs Border Personnel Meeting Point Economic relations BRICS BRIC BASIC BCIM Economic Corridor Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Related Hong Kong–India relations India–Taiwan relations India–Tibet relations Five Fingers of Tibet Chindia Chinas Cheena Bhavana China–India railway China Study Group Tan Yun-Shan Zhengyou Chola–Chinese relations Tamil–Chinese relations Category:China–India relations Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chinas&oldid=1243505557 "