The Pulse | Society | South Asia
Their customs, norms, language, food and music are different. They have radically different approaches to politics, ideas, and religion too.
Fragment of the Nilaṇṭhanāmahṛdaya dhāraṇī, written in the Siddhaṃ script and transliterated in Chinese characters.
Indian and Chinese civilizations have known about each other and been in contact with each other for over 2,000 years. Any book or article that focuses on the relationship between India and China will usually include some mention of their long — and usually peaceful — ties. These include trade and civilizational influence. The export of Buddhism from India to China, and its long-term impact on that society is invariably alluded to. Additionally, China is India’s largest trading partner today. However, there is little historical evidence of influence in the other direction: Indian interest in Chinese thought or literature.
Moreover, despite their current rivalry, what is going on in China barely catches the attention of the Indian public, unlike India’s other rival — Pakistan.
