The Beginnings of Intercourse between India and China
Summary
The article investigates early contacts between India and China and the origin of the name 'China.' Paul Pelliot proposed that 'China' derives from the Ch’in dynasty (249‑207 BCE), a view supported by phonetics, geography and Chinese tradition. The authentication of the Arthashastra raised the possibility that Kautilya’s references to cinapattas (Chinese silk fabrics) and cina‑bhumika indicate knowledge of China in the fourth century BCE. The author reviews these claims and surveys textual and archaeological evidence. Chinese coins found in South India have been dated variously to 138 BCE, 602 AD and 886 AD; the early date is favoured, as Han Wudi’s reign saw Chinese influence reach Korea, Tibet and Annam, and Chinese merchants may have visited Indian ports. The article argues that Chinese traders probably sailed to Ceylon and southern India during the second century BCE, using foreign vessels. While evidence is limited, the cumulative data suggest that Indo‑Chinese trade and cultural exchange began earlier than often supposed and intensified in later centuries.
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Conclusion
By synthesising linguistic, textual and numismatic evidence, the article argues that India and China were aware of each other earlier than traditionally assumed. References in the Arthashastra to Chinese silk imply pre‑Ch’in contact, while Chinese records and coin finds support the notion of Han‑era trade with South India. Although the details remain uncertain, the cumulative evidence suggests that exchange of goods and ideas across the Indian Ocean and Himalayan corridors predates the Buddhist pilgrim accounts of the early centuries CE. Recognising this antiquity enriches our understanding of Asian interconnections.