Historically, China had contacts with other countries in ancient times, which was found in some ancient books of the Han Dynasty. At that time, people called our country, which has now become the Roman Empire, "Daqin". The word Daqin is easily associated with the Qin Dynasty. Why do Han people call the Roman Empire Daqin? Is it because of the connection between the Roman Empire and the Qin Dynasty? Why do they call it this? Let's have a look.
There are always different opinions about where the name of Qin came from. For me, the closest thing to this word is what Indians call China: Maha to Maha Chinna, Maha, Grandpa, that man, Qin Ye.
Although there is no evidence, I think the name "Daqin" may refer to the name "Zhang Guan Dai Li", which sounds like it was spread from Indian to western countries in China. As for "I want to be like China when I grow up", I'm afraid it has something to do with it. Even the word "Daqin" is far-fetched.
The name "Great Qin State" originated from the Eastern Han Dynasty. It is reflected in the Eastern Han Dynasty's Memories of Emperor Wudi in a Foreign Land and Lin's Yuefu Poems. There is no such statement in Historical Records and Han Shu. "The First Li Mu in Daqin" comes from Cao Weiyu's Wei Law. Whether Li Xuan in Historical Records and Li Mohe in Hanshu are Daqin is unknown, but it is probably not.
I am more interested in the thoughts and concepts of the ancients reflected in Qin bamboo slips before Sui and Tang Dynasties than in geographical issues. Described the geographical features of Daqin. In the past, people mistakenly thought that weak water was in the west of Daqin. Today, the weak water is in the west of Daqin. In the past, I mistakenly thought that I had entered the west after more than 200 days of adjustment, and recently I entered from Daqin West. "Daqin has sea water in the west, river water in the west, mountains and water in the northwest, Chishui in the west, Empress Dowager in the west, quicksand in the west, and Daxia, Jiansha, Yao, Yueren and Blackwater in the four countries in the west. There are rumors that the West is very powerful. " The content from Lulve obviously contradicts the description of other geographical locations.
In addition, the description of Shan Hai Jing here is also different from what we see today. In Shan Hai Jing, it is said that "the west water travels 400 miles, which is called quicksand". Yushan, 350 miles northwest, is also the home of the Queen Mother of the West. Shan Hai Jing San said, "Countries other than quicksand are all countries supported by big summer, vertical sand, freedom and the moon. Bai Yushan is in the east of the Grand Canyon and Cangwu is in the southwest of Bai Yushan, both in the west of quicksand and the southeast of Kunlun. Kunlun Mountain lies to the west of West Lake. They are all in the northwest. " Obviously, in the era of "East longitude at sea", Bai Yushan was located in the west of quicksand and the east of the Grand Canyon, while Bai Yushan was located in the east of quicksand.
Why is this happening? I suspect that this has something to do with the old concept of "Queen Mother of the West". The Queen Mother of the West should live in a very westernized place. With the deepening of the ancients' understanding of the West, she knew that there were many other countries in the West. So she has been moving the place where the Queen Mother lives to the west. In Shan Hai Jing, Bai Yushan is in the east in summer. Therefore, Wei Lu put Xia and Yue in the west of Daqin.
This fallacy in Wei Lue obviously influenced other records of later generations. For example, Wei slightly said, "There is weak water and quicksand in the west, which is very close to the residence of the Queen Mother of the West and will enter this country in a few days." But what is more interesting is that in Wei's book, "the sea is bounded by the Bohai Sea, and the east and west face the Bohai Sea. This is a natural principle. Daqin Xihai Xihe River flows from Hexi to the south. There are two mountains in Hexi, Chishui in Shanxi and Bai Yushan in the west. On the west side of Yushan, there is Xiwangmu Mountain. It is the cloud of Yutang. " How can "east-west to the Bohai Sea" be a "natural law"? The Qin Dynasty faced China from east to west. Is this also the "natural law" in the eyes of the ancients? Did the ancients have a symmetrical world view? What is the relationship between the ancients' speculation about "Haixi Qin" and "the separation of heaven and man"
Another interesting thing is that in the translation of Buddhist scriptures, "Daqin" is used as the translation name, including Naxian Jing. Wang Yan: I was born in Daqin and my country name is Alishan. ""Putin wants to "ask the teacher. What are the names of its 64 books? The prince replied.
Ye Shu's Vogelo Ye Shu was classified by Qiu Shu Shu Qin as the Book of Later Han Dynasty and the Book of Brahmins. Teach me what books to read. Or reply to Brahma's book. I'm sorry, but I don't know. The immortal ukiyo-e story. Galos. . Ye Mei Ni Shu. But it is generally believed that the Indian name originated from the Greeks in Central Asia. Why Buddhism chose Daqin for translation is also worth considering.
In addition, the Nestorianism temple in the Tang Dynasty was named "Daqin Temple", and Daqin had a widely circulated Nestorianism monument. This is not to say that the word "Daqin" is unnecessary, if there is "Fu", but the word "Daqin" may refer to Syria here.
It is also right and wrong to say that "Daqin" refers to the Roman Empire. This is wrong, because in most cases, Daqin does not refer to the Italian peninsula. Judging from the geographical description of ancient books, it does refer to Egypt and Syria. For example, Shu Wei mentioned that Daqin is the capital of Du 'an, and it is generally believed that Amdo refers to Antioch. Qin dynasty merchants came here from Haixi to settle down and trade with Tianzhu. The starting point of the sea route should also be the Red Sea or the west coast of the Persian Gulf.
That's right, because Egypt and Syria were indeed part of the Roman Empire at that time, but it is unclear whether the Great Qin State known by the ancient people in China only included Egypt and Syria before the Sui and Tang Dynasties, and whether the ancient people in China knew that it was a part of the huge empire around the Mediterranean Sea and whether they knew the parts of Asia Minor and Europe of the Roman Empire.
Of course, the "blessing" in the Sui and Tang Dynasties refers to the Eastern Roman Empire, especially parts of Asia Minor, which should be certain.