58 continental south asia and the islands
P’o-li
During the Six Dynasties, P’o-li had sent four missions to Liu Sung
and Liang between 473 and 522.^133
In 592, envoys from P’o-li to the Sui court offered regional objects.
In 616, it sent envoys for the same purpose. Thereafter, communica-
tions were cut off (Sui shu 82:8a; T’ung-tien 188:70b; Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei
p.5023;Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 331:12b).
In 630, the king of P’o-li attached envoys to a Lin-yi mission
and offered regional objects to the T’ang court (Chiu T’ang shu 197:2a;
T’ung-tien 188:70b; Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei p.5023; Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 331:
12b).^134
Lo-ch’a
When Emperor Yang of Sui in 607 sent Ch’ang Chün and others to
Ch’ih-t’u, they reached Lo-ch’a (T’ung-tien 188:71b; Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao
332:14a). No missions from Lo-ch’a to China are recorded.
“rivijaya
The earlier form of the Chinese name for this state was Shih-li-fo-
shih, often abbreviated to Fo-shih or Fu-shih. From Sung times, the
Chinese called it San-fo-ch’i.
From the 7th century, “rivijaya became the most powerful Indone-
sian state under the Shailendra dynasty. Its capital was at Palembang
in eastern Sumatra. “rivijaya developed into an important centre for
both Mahayana Buddhism and commerce, and it thrived on the taxes
levied on goods shipped or transshipped from and to the Middle and
Far East.
The first recorded mission to China was in the 12th month (Janu-
ary, 702) of the Chinese year 701, when envoys from “rivijaya (Fo-
shih) to the T’ang court offered regional objects. In the 3rd month
(Mar./Apr.) of 716, envoys again offered presents (Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei
pp.5026, 5027).
(^133) See my Six Dynasties, vol.II, p.89.
(^134) Ts’e-fu yüan-kuei dates this mission 631.