The Origin of Tianzhu 天竺

Abstract

Tianzhu 天竺 is generally known as the old name of India. The oldest example is found in the Hou Han shu 後漢書 as Tianzhuguo 天竺国. There had existed numerous Chinese names of India such as Shendu 身毒 in the Shi ji 史記, and Tiandu 天篤 in the Han shu 漢書. After the Datang Xiyu ji 大唐西域記 was written, Yindu 印度 became the most general designation. The origin of Tianzhu is still unclear. This study aims to examine the results of preceding studies. The pioneering study was by Thomas Watters. He examined the origin of Tianzhu, and inferred the possibility that it was transmitted through Burma for the first time. Wu Qichang 呉其昌 is the most important scholar to study old Chinese names of India, and he followed Watter’s theory. Sugimoto Naojirō 杉本直治郎 was a Japanese pioneer in this field. Prabodh Chandra Bagchi is another important scholar who sought the origin of Shendu 身毒 by the phonological approach. The results of preceding investigations are each persuasive, but historical evidence is still required.