Yu Longyu 郁龙余 and Liu Chaohua刘朝华

Shandong Jiaoyu Chubanshe (山东教育出版社) Shandong Education Press, 2015.

Reviewed by: Shubhda Gurung (Doctoral Candidate at Jawaharlal Nehru University; Visiting Fellow of Harvard-Yenching Institute)

The Sino-Indian literary exchanges is one of the most significant cultural dialogues in the history of Sino-Foreign literary exchanges. Not only these literary exchanges between India and China are among the longest-standing, but they also represent a vital component of the broader cultural and intellectual relationship between the two civilizations. The book Zhongwai Wenxue Jiaoliushi: Zhongguo-Yindu Juan《中外文学交流史: 中国-印度卷》or China and India: Dialogue of Civilisations by Yu Longyu and Liu Chaohua provides an in-depth and nuanced exploration of this literary confluence, capturing the extensive, multi-dimensional nature of literary exchanges between India and China.

Published by Shandong Jiaoyu Chubanshe (山东教育出版社) Shandong Education Press in 2015, this scholarly work is part of the monumental multi-volume series – Zhongwai Wenxue Jiaoliushi《中外文学交流史》 or The History of Sino-Foreign Literary Exchanges, a comprehensive academic endeavour covering literary interactions between China and 17 countries and regions, including the Arab regions, Nordic countries, the Koreas, Germany, Southeast Asia, Russia, France, Canada, the United States, Portugal, Japan, Greece, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Central and Eastern Europe. The volume dedicated to China’s literary relations with India is formally titled Zhongwai Wenxue Jiaoliushi: Zhongguo-Yindu Juan《中外文学 交流史：中国-印度卷》, has been rendered in English as China and India: Dialogue of Civilisations by the translator.[1]

Spanning approximately 700 pages, this meticulously researched book is divided into sixteen substantive chapters. The first three chapters center on the foundational role of Buddhism in Sino-Indian literary exchanges. Chapter one ‘Sino-Indian Literary Exchange and Translation of Buddhist Canons into Chinese’, highlights the pivotal function of Buddhist narratives in facilitating the transmission of Indian literature to China, particularly through translated Sanskrit texts. It delves into the literary tales embedded in Buddhist scriptures and examines their transformation in the Chinese context, focusing on canonical works such as the Jataka Tales, Biographical Stories of Buddha, and Metaphorical Tales, etc. Chapter two ‘Influence of Buddhist Literature on Chinese Literature’, explores the impact of Buddhist literary themes, motifs, and linguistic elements on Chinese literature. Chapter three ‘Chinese Translation of Buddhist Sutras and China’s Translation Studies’, offers a case study of the legendary Buddhist monk Xuanzang (602–664 CE ), who translated 75 sutras into 1,335 scrolls from Sanskrit to Chinese, shaping the Tang Dynasty’s (618–907 CE) Buddhist literary corpus.

Chapters four through six, investigates the transmission of Indian fables, myths, and theatrical traditions into China. Chapter four ‘Dissemination of India’s Folk Literature to China’, traces the journey of Indian folktales such as the Jataka Tales, Panchatantra, and Kathasaritsagara ,etc into the Chinese literary sphere. Chapter five ‘Dissemination of Indian Epics in China’, focuses on the translation and reception of the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, monumental Indian epics that have had a profound impact on world literature at large. While the Chinese translation of the Mahabharata was initially started by Jin Kemu (1912–2000) but completed later by Huang Baosheng (1942–2023) was published in 2005. The Ramayana was rendered into Chinese by Ji Xianlin (1911–2009), culminating in a 20,000-ode, 90,000-line opus during the tumultuous period of Chinese Cultural revolution (1966-1977) and eventually published in 1983–1984. Chapter six ‘The Connection Between Indian and Chinese Theatre’, discusses theatrical exchanges between India and China, highlighting scholars such as Shu Manshu (1884–1918) and Zheng Zhengduo (1898–1958), whose research and translations played a crucial role in introducing Shakuntala to Chinese audiences.

Chapters seven to eleven shift focus to the modern literary relations between India and China and the contributions of leading Indologists in China. Chapter seven ‘Translation and Research of Modern Indian Literature in China’, examines the Chinese translations of modern Indian literature, including works by Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941) and Munshi Premchand (1880–1936). Tagore’s works, in particular, occupies a special place in the history of Sino-Indian literary exchanges during the modern period. Chapter eight ‘Ji Xianlin and New Prospects for Studies in Indian Literature’, assesses Ji Xianlin’s pioneering contributions to Sanskrit studies in China and his role in strengthening Indian studies in Chinese academia. Some of his major translated works include Ramayana, Shakuntala, Panchatantra, Jataka Tales, and Tagore by Fireside that are discussed in the chapter. Chapter nine ‘Xu Fancheng; An Academic Yogi’,chronicles the cultural odyssey of Xu Fancheng (1909–2000), who spent over three decades in India, translating Indian classics such as Meghaduta and Bhagavad Gita while also introducing Chinese literary works to the Indian readers. Chapters ten and eleven titled ‘Studies in Indian Literature and Translation: The Role of Jin Kemu and Huang Baosheng’ and ‘Liu Anwu and His Research and Translation of Hindi Literature’ respectively, discuss the scholarly contributions of Chinese scholars such as Jin Kemu (1912-2000), Huang Baosheng (1942-2023), and Liu Anwu (1930–2018) in advancing Sanskrit, Hindi, and Indian literary studies in China.

The next two chapters examine the emergence and evolution of Sinology in India. Chapter twelve ‘Tan Yunshan, Tan Chung and Modern Chinese Studies in India’, underscores the pivotal role of Tan Yunshan (1898–1983) in establishing modern Sinology in India, particularly through the founding the Sino-Indian Cultural Society in 1933 and also the Cheena Bhavana at Visva-Bharati University in 1937. His son, Tan Chung’s (1929– ) role is also discussed in the chapter who furthered the legacy of Chinese studies in India, especially at the Delhi University and Jawaharlal Nehru University. Chapter thirteen ‘Prabodh Chandra Bagchi and Development of Modern Indian Sinology’, explores P.C. Bagchi’s (1998-1956) academic legacy in Sino-Indology. His seminal work titled India and China: A Thousand Years of Cultural Relations, is an essential reference in the field of study even today.

The final three chapters investigates the study and translation of Chinese literature in India. Chapter fourteen ‘Laozi and Zhuangzi in India’, analyses the influence of Daoist thinkers Laozi and Zhuangzi on modern Indian spiritual figures, notably Osho (1931–1990). Chapter fifteen ‘China on Raja Rao’s Writings’, examines Raja Rao’s (1908–2006) engagement with China-India cultural relations through his literary works especially drawing understanding from Chinese literary works like The Great Tang Records of the Western Regions and Journey to the West. Chapter sixteen ‘Translation of Chinese Literary Works in India’, provides an overview of Chinese literature translations in India, highlighting the contributions of scholars like Xue Keqiao (1945– ), whose works like Annals of Cultural Exchanges between China and South Asia and A Comparative Study of Chinese and Indian Literature have significantly advanced comparative literary studies.

Besides these  sixteen chapters, the book includes an extensive Introductory chapter, translated into English by the author, that contextualizes the importance of Sino-Indian literary exchanges within the broader spectrum of Sino-Foreign literary and cultural interactions. A comprehensive appendix, titled ‘Chronology of Sino-Indian Literary Exchanges’, provides a structured timeline of key developments in this intellectual dialogue, making it an invaluable resource for scholars. Additionally, the preface, epilogue, and postscript offer insights into the meticulous process of writing, compiling, and editing this voluminous scholarly work.

At its core, China and India: Dialogue of Civilisations underscores the multifaceted nature of  literary exchanges between India and China, demonstrating how Indian literature, art, music, theatre, and even astronomy have left an indelible mark on Chinese intellectual traditions. In the epilogue, the authors reveal that the book was initially conceived in three parts—Reception of Indian Literature in China, Influence of Chinese Literature in India, and China’s Re-acceptance of Indian Literature—with a total of 23 chapters. While this structure might have provided an even more comprehensive framework, the final version nevertheless succeeds in capturing the depth and breadth of literary interactions between India and China.

In essence, this book stands as a testament to the enduring literary and cultural synergy between China and India. It serves as an invaluable resource for scholars, students, and enthusiasts of comparative literature, Indology, and Sinology, offering insights into the historical and intellectual bridges that have connected these two civilizations for centuries. As the authors of the book aptly put it, “If Sino-Foreign literary exchanges are regarded as a big family and literary exchanges between China and other countries as members of this big family, then the ‘Sino-Indian literary exchanges’ is the eldest branch within this big family.”[2]

[1] Although the literal English translation of the book would have been History of Sino-Foreign Literary Exchange: China-India Volume, however, it has been translated in English as China and India: Dialogue of Civilisations by B.R. Deepak of Jawaharlal Nehru University and published by the Pentagon Press LLP in 2021.

[2]《中外文学交流史：中国-印度卷》China and India: Dialogue of Civilisations, Introduction, xli