76 continental south asia and the islands
came to the T’ang court and was appointed to a nominal Chinese
office (Chiu T’ang shu 198:13a).^173
After c.760, Indian envoys no longer came (Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 338:
50b;Sung shih 490:1b).^174
In 953, 16 Buddhist priest and others from Western India presented
fine horses to the Later Chou court (Sung shih 490:1b; Wen-hsien t’ung’kao
338:50b).
In the winter of 975, a son of the king of Eastern India arrived
with gifts at the Sung court (Sung shih 490:2a; Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 338:
50b).
Between 984 and 987, a Buddhist priest returned from the West-
ern Region together with a foreign priest and presented to Emperor
T’ai-tsung of Sung letters from the king of Northern India and from
the king of the Diamond Throne^175
Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 338:50a states that from 713 to 741, Central
India sent three missions and Northern India two. The texts actually
record six missions from Central India (720, 725, 730, 731, 741) and
one from Northern India (729). According to Chiu T’ang shu 198:134a,
Indian envoys arrived repeatedly from 742 to 756, but no missions
are recorded Nevertheless, the information for T’ang is probably fairly
complete for the major missions. It can be seen that these came to an
abrupt halt after the rebellion of An Lu-shan in 755.
According to Sung shih 490:2a and Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 338:50b,
presents from India to the Sung were uninterrupted after the period
968-976, but only one mission is recorded. The information for Sung is
therefore incomplete. Buddhist priests arrived, but apparently returned
from pilgrimages or had purposes of their own.^176
(^173) His name is given as Li Ch’eng-en which is not a transliteration but Chinese.
The prince was probably granted the imperial surname (Li) and a Chinese given
name.
(^174) However, according to Hsin T’ang shu 221A:13a, Te-tsung (r.780-785) presented
an engraved goblet to the king of Magadha. That could have been in response to
a mission.
(^175) I.e. Vajr§sana, Buddhgaya. See Hirth and Rockhill, Chau Ju-kua, p.114 note
5.
(^176) In 965, a Buddhist priest returned via the Western Region and presented
a Buddhist relic, rock crystal vessels, and Pali sutras on palm leaves. He had been
away for 12 years (Sung shih 490:1b).
In 982, a Chinese Buddhist priest arrived from India (Sung shih 490:2b). During
the same year, a Brahman priest and a Persian heretic arrived in the capital (Sung
shih490:3b). Cf. Hirth and Rockhill, Chau Ju-kua, pp.112-113 note 1, who propose