-
6. “Western Territories” (Xiyu),India, and “South Sea” (Nanhai)
- The Chinese University of Hong Kong Press
- Chapter
- Additional Information
SIX “Western Territories” (Xiyu), India, and “South Sea” (Nanhai) In Qin and Han, certain cosmological rethinkings guided the imperial directional orientation to move from the West to the East. Slightly later, some of the shi, having adopted Buddhist doctrines and mixed them with Neo-Daoist perspectives, countered this trend and re-directed the “holy” to the West, or India. In the first period of unification and the first period of partition, Chinese Occidentalisms experienced great changes, and the West thus gained new connotations. In “folk religion ,” it continued to be associated with the mountains occupied by Xi Wangmu. To the imperial court of Qin and Han, it was mixed up with strong neighbors such as the Xiongnu. But soon, the imperial concern with the Xiongnu was “eased” through efforts to push the frontier further west to cover Xiyu. Gradually, the West was re-organized as what could be reached through the maritime world and the mountainous areas of the southwestern “barbarians,” and became associated with the world of the South. Xiyu The concept of “Xiyu” appears frequently in a series of dynastic histories , including Shi Ji, Han Shu (History of the Han), Hou Han Shu (History of the Later Han), Sanguo Zhi (Record of the Three Kingdoms ), Jin Shu (History of the Jin), Wei Shu (History of the Wei), Bei Qi Shu (History of the Northern Qi), Zhou Shu (History of the Zhou), Sui Shu (History of the Sui), and Bei Shi (History of the Northern TheWestAsTheOther_FA02_17Dec2013.indd 153 TheWestAsTheOther_FA02_17Dec2013.indd 153 19/12/13 10:41 AM 19/12/13 10:41 AM THE WEST AS THE OTHER 154 Dynasties). “The Treatise of Dayuan” in Shi Ji and its later counterpart, “The Treatise of Xiyu” in Han Shu, form the main records of Xiyu (Fig. 6.1). Figure . Map of the Kingdoms in the Western Territories (made between – , kept in the Archive of Ancient Maps, Beijing Library) In the concluding lines of “The Treatise of Dayuan,” Sima Qian commented: [T]he Basic Annals of Emperor Yü [Yu Gong] records that the source of the Yellow River is in the K’un-lun [Kunlun] Mountains, mountains over 2,500 li high where the sun and moon in turn go to hide when they are not shining. It is said that on their heights are to be found the Fountain of Sweet Water and the Pool of Jade. Yet, since Chang Ch’ien [Zhang Qian] and the other envoys have been sent to Ta-hsia [Daxia], they have traced the Yellow River to its source and found no such K’un-lun Mountains as the Basic Annals records. Therefore, what the Book of Documents [Classic of History; Shang Shu] states about the mountains and rivers of the nine ancient provinces of China seems to be nearer the truth, while when it comes to the wonders recorded in the Basic Annals of Emperor Yü or the Classic of Hills and Seas [Shan Hai Jing], I cannot accept them. (B. Watson, 1961, 2:288–289) TheWestAsTheOther_FA02_17Dec2013.indd 154 TheWestAsTheOther_FA02_17Dec2013.indd 154 19/12/13 10:41 AM 19/12/13 10:41 AM [3.236.19.251] Project MUSE (2024-03-28 12:24 GMT) “WESTERN TERRITORIES” (XIYU), INDIA, AND “SOUTH SEA” (NANHAI) 155 While Sima Qian remained keenly interested in exploring both myths and histories when relating Zhang Qian’s journey to the kingdom of Daxia with the “illusional geographies” of Kunlun in the archaic books of history and geography, Ban Gu, the author of Han Shu, seemed much greatly more “logo-centric.” This official history of the Former Han Dynasty includes the traces of pre-Han and Han communication with “the Western Territories” during the 150 years starting from the reign of Wu Di to that of Wang Mang (140 B.C.–A.D. 23). Ban Gu recorded divisions between different countries within the vast Western Territories. Ban Gu was also able to more accurately document its rivers, mountains, local products, and customs. In Sima Qian’s book, geographic knowledge of the Western Territories is linked to Zhang Qian’s travels, whereas in Ban Gu’s history, it is related to the “political and diplomatic trips” led by Ban Gu’s brother, Ban Chao. Both characters were tied to events related to the “Xiongnu problem.” The “Xiongnu problem,” which emerged during the period of the Warring States, was further aggravated in the Han Dynasty. When Emperor Wu journeyed to the East, trying to get closer to Heaven and the isles of...