CHINA AND LANKA before the coloniser
Prof. W.I. SIRIWEERA
  Sri Lanka had close contacts with China before the intervention of
European colonial powers. The contacts between the two countries were
mainly motivated to enhance direct and indirect commercial relations and
direct cultural relations which helped exchange of Buddhist missions.
The recorded evidence of Chinese trade relations with Sri Lanka dates
back to the first century A.D. From this period onwards, sporadic
references mainly in Chinese texts are found to missions exchanged
between the two countries. The earliest mission originated from China
during the reign of Emperor P’ing (1-6 A.D.) of the Han Dynasty who sent
a delegation of officials to several South Asian Countries including
Ssu-Cheng-Pu which can be identified as Sinhadipa, one of the ancient
names of Sri Lanka. The object of the mission was to 'spread the power
and virtue' of the Han Emperor and 'search for precious objects'.
Later on, in 131, 414, 428, 435, 455, 527, 670, 712, 742, 746, 750,
762, and 989 A.D. thirteen missions were sent to China by kings of
Anuradhapura. Some of these missions were of a purely religious nature
but undoubtedly their objective was to establish cordial political
relations aimed at securing greater trade contacts. The Chinese sources
refer to them as ‘tribute’ missions. Ancient China’s relationships with
foreign kingdoms were based on the Chinese perception of superiority
over the non-Chinese people, a perception based on the moral superiority
of their emperor and the pre-eminence of their culture and economy. The
fact that Anuradhapura kings took the initiative in sending all these
missions suggests that Sri Lanka was a major beneficiary of trade
between China and South Asia as well as China and the kingdoms of West
Asia. This trade was conducted at the time either through long-haul
merchant voyages or zonal segmented merchant voyages with merchants of
each region navigating and trading mainly within its sailing zone.
Exchange of missions
In the thirteenth century the Chinese also initiated missions to Sri
Lanka. The Mongols, who assumed the dynastic name Yu’an, dispatched four
missions to Sri Lanka, all of them during the reign of Kublai Khan
(1260-1294 A.D.) in the years 1273, 1284 , 1291, and 1293 A.D. The
outward looking foreign policy of Kublai Khan and the greater Chinese
interest in foreign trade were perhaps the key factors in the change of
attitudes in initiating these missions. The only Sri Lankan mission to
Yu’an court was sent in 1293 A.D. i.e. during the reign of Sri Lankan
King Parakramabahu III. Subsequently, under the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644
A.D.) Sri Lanka became one of the focal points of attention during the
well known maritime expeditions of Cheng-Ho. In one of Cheng-Ho’s Sri
Lankan visits in 1411-12 A.D. he encountered hostilities from the
nobility in the capital; Kotte, but he retaliated in a later visit which
resulted in the enthronement of a king who had a friendly deposition
towards the Chinese Emperor. Later on, there were exchanges of missions
between the king of Kotte, Parakramabahu VI, and Chinese emperors in
1416, 1421, 1430, 1433, 1436, and 1459 A.D.
As mentioned earlier, most of these missions between China and Sri
Lanka had trade as the primary objective. For the ruling elite in both
countries trade, besides being a source of revenue, was an important
means of acquiring prestige goods. However, only by blending together
the textual references with the archeological data, can a holistic
picture of trading patterns between Sri Lanka and China be painted.
Sri Lankan ships
All the missions mentioned above followed the sea route between the
two countries. Several references to ships that plied between Sri Lanka
and China are found in Sri Lankan, Chinese as well as other foreign
sources.
To be continued |
