China in the Mahābhārata refers to an ancient
Chinese people who lived across the
Himalayas north of
India in the
first millennium BC or even earlier, and were mentioned in the ancient
Indian epic Mahabharata. This was the earliest reference to the word "
China", which may have been referring to either the
Qin state which later became the
Qin Dynasty, or a
Chinese tribe that inhabited the
Tibet region.
References in Mahabharata
Chinas along with other tribes
China is mentioned as one among the northern kingdoms:
Mahabharata, Book 6, chapter 9(MBh.6.9) mentions like this:- Among the tribes of the north are the
Mlecchas, and the Kruras, the
Yavanas, the
Chinas, the
Kamvojas, the Darunas, and many Mleccha tribes; the Sukritvahas, the Kulatthas, the
Hunas, and the Parasikas; the Ramanas, and the Dasamalikas.
Chinas were mentioned along with Chivukas and
Pulindas and
Khasas,
Hunas,
Pahlavas,
Sakas,
Yavanas,
Savaras,
Paundras,
Kiratas,
Kanchis,
Dravidas,
Sinhalas and
Keralas. All these tribes were described as Mlechha tribes. Here they were described as the protectors of sage
Vasistha and his cow against the attack of king
Viswamitra. (1,177)
Pahlavas and the
Daradas and the various tribes of the
Kiratas and
Yavanas and
Sakas and the
Harahunas and
Chinas and
Tukharas and the
Sindhavas and the Jagudas and the Ramathas and the Mundas and the inhabitants of the kingdom of women and the Tanganas and the
Kekayas and the
Malavas and the inhabitants of
Kasmira were mentioned at (3,51) as bringing tribute to
Pandava king
Yudhisthira.
The
Yavanas, the
Kiratas, the
Gandharvas, the
Chinas, the Savaras, the Barbaras, the
Sakas, the
Tusharas, the Kankas, the Pathavas, the
Andhras, the
Madrakas, the
Paundras, the
Pulindas, the Ramathas, the
Kamvojas were mentioned together as tribes beyond the kingdoms of
Aryavarta. The Aryavarta kings had doubts on dealing with them. (12,64)
Pandava's travels
China is mentioned in the travel-descriptions of the Pandavas. The passage below, describes these Chinas, to be located somewhere in the high
Himalayas:
Mahabharata book 3, chapter 176 (MBh 3.176):- Leaving the place called Badari (
Badrinath in
Uttarakhand) and crossing the difficult
Himalayan regions, and leaving behind them, the countries of
China,
Tukhara,
Darada and all the climes of
Kulinda, rich in heaps of jewels, those warlike men viz the
Pandavas, reached the capital of Suvahu, the king of
Pulindas (Kiratas).
Other References
Bhima mentiones about a
China king Dhautamulaka, who caused the destruction of his own race (5,74)
Deer skins from China is mentioned at (5,86). King
Dhritarashtra, wanted to give as present, a thousand deer-skins from China, to
Vasudeva Krishna:-
I will give him a thousand deer-skins brought from China and other things of the kind that may be worthy of his praise. See also
