continental south asia and the islands 37In 630, envoys from the king of Lin-yi, Fan T’ou-li, presented an
elephant, gilded objects, court garments, and a fire pearl (burning-
lens), as big as a hen’s egg. If it was held between the sun and a bit
of punk, it set it on fire.^91 According to the Chinese high officials,
the king lacked respect, but T’ai-tsung refused to make an issue of it
(Chiu T’ang shu 197:1b; Chiu T’ang shu 197:2b; Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei p.5023;
Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 331:11a).
On Nov.30, 631, Fan T’ou-li presented a five-coloured talking parrot
and a white cockatoo. Emperor T’ai-tsung ordered the Cadet of the
Right of the Heir-apparent to write a fu about the parrot. Because the
birds suffered from the cold, T’ai-tsung had them released in a fores-
ted marsh^92 (Chiu T’ang shu 197:1b; Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei p.5024; Tzu-chih
t’ung-chien pp.6089-6090; Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 331:11a).
In 639, envoys from Lin-yi again presented gifts (Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei
p.5024).
The king of Lin-yi, Fan T’ou-li, having died, his son Chen-lung
succeeded him and in 640 presented to the T’ang ten “heaven-com-
municating” rhinoceros [horns]^93 and various valuables (Chiu T’ang shu
197:1b;T’ang hui-yao 98:12b; Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 331:11a).
In the 5th month (June/July) of 642, Lin-yi envoys offered regional
gifts (Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei p.5024).
In 645, Lin-yi underwent great upheavals. A minister murdered
Fan Chen-lung and exterminated his entire clan. This brought the
Fan dynasty to an end which had ruled Lin-yi since 336. The assassin
enthroned himself but was overthrown and replaced by T’ou-li’s son-
in-law P’o-lo-men. He was in turn replaced by a daughter of T’ou-li
who proved herself incompetent (Chiu T’ang shu 197:1b; Tzu-chih t’ung-
chien p.6282; Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 331:11a).
(^91) According to Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei, the mission was in 631 and the fire pearl had
been obtained by Lin-yi in Lo-ch’a. Hsin T’ang-shu 222C:2a states that Lo-ch’a was a
great producer of burning-lenses. Cf. Schafer, Golden Peaches, p.237, and Needham,
Science and Civiliization, vol.4:1, p.115.
(^92) Cf. Schafer, Golden Peaches, p.101. According to Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 331:11a,
the emperor ordered the birds to be returned. 93
Schafer, Golden Peaches, p.83 takes these to be live rhinoceroses. Hirth and
Rockhill,Chao Ju-kua, p.103, and 108 note 10, identify the term as a precious stone.
However,T’ang hui-yao uses the numerary adjunct mei (staff) for the number ten, which
makes it quite clear that the gift consisted of unsually long rhinoceros horns. This is
also proved by the fact that during an epidemic in K’ai-feng, a medicine was prepared
on Feb.17, 1054, out of pulverized heaven-communicating rhinoceros horns, which
was supposed to cure the people (Hsü Tzu-chih t’ung-chien ch’ang-pien p.1622).