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Preliminary Essay

44. In 428 also the King of Kapila (the birth-place of Buddha in the present district of Gorahkpur) by name Yuei-ai or " Loved of the Moon," i.e. Chandragupta, sent an ambassador carrying a diamond ring, a gold bracelet, red and white parrots, etc., to the Emperor Wu Ti. In 466 came another mission from the same court, and again in 500-504 bringing a trained horse. In 441, 455, 466, and 473 other Buddhist kingdoms in or adjoining India sent tribute. In 502 Kioto (or Gupta), a king of India, sent one Chulota to present to the emperor a letter, a spittoon of lapis-lazuli, perfumes, cotton-stuffs, etc. This king's territory adjoined the great river Sinthao (Indus) with its five branches. Rock-salt like crystal, it is observed, is found there^. In 605 Yang Ti of the Sui dynasty, the same whose desire had been to open relations with the Roman empire, having formed some ambitious projects, sent to try and induce the kingdoms of Tibet and India to render him homage, but those of India refused, which much enraged the emperor. Two years later we find one Chang-tsuen, " Director of the Military Lands," sent on an embassy to Ceylon^. 45. In 641 the King of Magadha (Behar, etc.) sent an ambassador with a letter to the Chinese court. The emperor (the great T'ai Tsung) in return directed one of his officers to go to the king with an imperial patent and to invite his submission. The King Shiloyto (Ciladitya) was all astonishment. " Since time immemorial," he asked his officers, " did ever an ambassador come from MoHOCHiNTAN ? " "Never," they replied. The Chinese author remarks that in the tongue of the barbarians the Middle Kingdom is called Mohochintan {Mahachinas- ^ Julien, U.S., pp. 99 -100 . 2 Tennent, i, 583.