History of the Cultural Exchanges between China, Ancient India and the Middle East: A Socio-religious Perspective

Author(s) : Dr. Muhammad Abrar Zahoor

Abstract:

The post-World War II era, while transformed European polities, engendered far reaching socio-political, religious, cultural and economic changes in Asia. India got independence in 1947, soon after the end of World War II, from the British Raj and two newly born nation states, India and Pakistan, were carved out. These states fashioned their alignments afresh depending upon their historical legacies and perceived future trajectories. Pakistan initially developed dependence on United States which was leading the West in post WWII period. However, Pakistan under Zulfikar Ali Bhutto realigned itself, with fresh thrust, into developing close ties with China and the Middle East. Middle East had a legacy of religious ties with Pakistan and people of both countries had sympathies with each other even before the establishment of Pakistan. However, developing close cultural and political ties with China was a unique re-enactment of past, of a long history of cultural sharing between the region now constituting Pakistan and China from the ancient period. Pakistan-China border sharing is basically the physical dimension of their cultural sharing of many centuries. The present initiative of One Belt One Road is yet another recent creative projection which will transform the cultural exchanges of these three regions into economic exchanges. The twenty first century—rightly being projected as Asian century—will solidify the economic links between regions and then transcend from economic to cultural exchanges further. An example in point is the increasing popularity of Chinese language in Pakistan and the Middle East noticeable even on billboards. On the other hand, the Chinese—in their interaction with Pakistanis and the Middle Easterners—have already started absorbing words of Urdu and Arabic languages. Similarly, cultural exchange has started in other cultural forms too, such as arts and crafts. But it is important to discuss the centuries old historical legacy of cultural exchanges among these regions. This paper will highlight the importance of historical legacy of religious and cultural exchanges between these regions and the way this legacy can work to foster and solidify future trajectories of cultural exchanges