About the Book The Silk Road presents historically the first instance of globalization. It witnessed not only exchange and flow of myriad forms of goods and ideas but also movement of traders, scholars and monks across the civilizations over a long period of time. It symbolized global cultural networking based on mutual interaction and incorporation. India was its significant part. Buddhism as well as its literature and art went from Ganadhara area in India to China and Japan. This book puts together papers presented by European, Indian, and Japanese scholars in an international seminar on "India on the Silk Road" held at Banaras Hindu. University, Varanasi, India. Divided into four broad themes, its first two sections highlight the significance of Silk Road Studies for India and present some aspects of the Indian cultural connections to China through this route. The third section specifically focuses on the expansion of this cultural networking at the eastern most stretch of this route to Japan through introduction of artifacts in the Shosoin the Imperial Treasure House on the grounds of the Todai temple in Nara, as well as the process of absorption of Indian Buddhist sutras and rituals in Japanese society. Finally, a survey of recent Chinese sources and the introduction of the Indian Jaina sources provide useful starting point for further researches on the fascinating saga of this road.
About the Authors Kamal Sheel specializes on modern China and Sino-Indian studies and is presently Professor of Chinese Studies at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India. He had earlier published work on peasant society and Marxist intellectuals in China besides several articles on Sino-Indian Discourses. He has held visiting positions in China, Taiwan, Denmark and USA.
Lalji 'Shravak', specializes in Sino-Indian Buddhism and is presently Professor of Pali and Buddhist studies Department of Pali and Buddhist Studies at Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India as well as the Executive Editor of the Indian International Journal of Buddhist Studies. Focusing on Abhidhamma texts, he has been extensively translating from Chinese extinct Buddhist works.
Charles Willemen, an eminent scholar in the field of Sino-Indian Buddhism, is presently a Distinguished Fellow of the Belgian Royal Academy of Overseas Sciences as well as Vice Rector of the International Buddhist College, Thailand. He has held visiting professorships in various universities in India, China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Canada and USA.
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