Ji Xianlin‘s Enduring Vision: The Implicit Relevance of Arabic in East-West Cultural Exchange129

Ji Xianlin (1911-2009) remains an towering figure in 20th and early 21st-century Chinese scholarship, widely celebrated as a master linguist, Indologist, historian, and translator. His academic contributions, spanning over seven decades, laid foundational work for the study of ancient Indian languages like Sanskrit and Pali, Tocharian, and the extensive translation of crucial Buddhist scriptures and epics like the Ramayana. Yet, while his direct linguistic expertise primarily revolved around Indo-European and East Asian languages, and his geographical focus was largely on the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia, the implicit relevance of Arabic language and Islamic civilization looms large within the grand tapestry of his intellectual framework. This article explores how Ji Xianlin's overarching vision of cultural exchange, his profound understanding of the Silk Road, and his emphasis on translation as a universal bridge, inherently underscored the importance of the Arabic-speaking world in the narrative of East-West interaction, inviting a deeper appreciation for its role even by those, like himself, whose primary research lay elsewhere.

To understand this implicit connection, one must first grasp the breadth and depth of Ji Xianlin’s academic philosophy. Educated at Peking University and later in Germany at Göttingen, Ji developed a unique perspective that combined rigorous philological methods with a holistic understanding of culture. He famously advocated for the concept of "Eastern Learning" (东方学), arguing for its intrinsic value and independence from Western academic paradigms. For Ji, the study of ancient India, Central Asia, and China was not merely an academic pursuit but a means to understand the complex interweaving of human civilizations. He saw translation not just as a linguistic exercise but as the very lifeline of cultural transmission, the silent river carrying ideas, philosophies, and spiritual insights across geographical and temporal divides. His magnum opus, the translation of the Sanskrit Ramayana into Chinese, was a testament to this belief, bridging millennia and cultures through painstaking linguistic work.

The first significant point of intersection between Ji Xianlin's work and the world of Arabic is the Silk Road. Ji was arguably one of the most prominent scholars to meticulously document and popularize the historical significance of the Silk Road as a conduit for not only goods but also ideas, technologies, and religions. While Buddhism's journey from India to China via the Silk Road was a central theme in his research, he was keenly aware that this ancient network of trade routes was far more complex and multifaceted. The Silk Road, particularly after the 7th century, became a critical artery for the expansion of Islam and the Arabic language. From the Arabian Peninsula, across North Africa, and into Central Asia and parts of China, Arabic became a dominant language of administration, commerce, and scholarship. Ji's writings on the historical interactions between different peoples and cultures along the Silk Road, though often centered on the transmission of Buddhism, implicitly acknowledge the presence and influence of the Islamic world, which became an undeniable force shaping the cultural landscape of Central Asia—a crucial crossroads for his Indological studies.

Consider, for instance, the legendary city of Dunhuang, a pivotal site for Ji Xianlin's research on Tocharian language and Buddhist texts. While Dunhuang's caves primarily contain Buddhist manuscripts in various languages (Chinese, Sanskrit, Tocharian, Khotanese, Sogdian, Tibetan), it was also a cosmopolitan hub. The Silk Road brought together a multitude of ethnicities and religions, including those influenced by Arabic and Islamic culture further west. Ji’s scholarship, by illuminating the multi-ethnic and multi-linguistic nature of such sites, provides a framework that naturally extends to recognizing the broader linguistic tapestry of the Silk Road, where Arabic was an undeniable thread. While his specific textual work might not have focused on Arabic manuscripts, his intellectual landscape was broad enough to encompass the vast geographical and cultural expanse where Arabic had a profound impact.

Furthermore, Ji Xianlin's emphasis on cultural exchange necessitates an understanding of how cultures interact, borrow, and synthesize. The spread of Buddhism, for example, involved interactions with Persian, Greek, and later, Islamic cultures in Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent. The Islamic Golden Age, flourishing roughly between the 8th and 13th centuries, saw an unprecedented intellectual ferment, with Arabic serving as the primary vehicle for scholarship in philosophy, medicine, mathematics, astronomy, and literature. This era involved massive translation movements, where Greek, Persian, and Indian scientific and philosophical texts were translated into Arabic, preserving and advancing knowledge that would later significantly influence the European Renaissance. Ji Xianlin’s own work on the history of science and cultural diffusion, such as his exploration of papermaking’s spread, inadvertently touches upon the key role played by the Islamic world in transmitting technologies and knowledge across continents.

Ji’s lifelong dedication to translation also provides another lens through which to view the implicit significance of Arabic. He believed that translation was a noble and essential task, the "bridge for cultural exchange." His own efforts to bring Indian classics to Chinese readers mirrored, in spirit, the monumental translation efforts of the Islamic Golden Age, where scholars diligently translated countless works into Arabic. This shared commitment to inter-linguistic and inter-cultural communication highlights a profound intellectual parallel. For Ji, understanding the human condition and the progression of knowledge required an open mind towards all forms of human expression. The vast corpus of Arabic literature and scholarship represents a major branch of "Eastern Learning" – a concept Ji championed – and thus, its study implicitly aligns with his vision of comprehensive global scholarship.

Moreover, the influence of Islamic culture on India itself, particularly during the Mughal Empire, added another layer of indirect relevance to Arabic studies within the broader context of Indology. While Ji's work primarily focused on ancient India, the historical legacy of Islamic rule and its cultural fusion with indigenous Indian traditions is undeniable. This historical context meant that any comprehensive understanding of Indian civilization, even ancient one, would eventually need to account for the later layers of influence, some of which were conveyed through Arabic and Persian. Ji Xianlin's deep appreciation for the syncretic nature of cultures provides a framework for acknowledging such influences, even if they were not the direct subject of his linguistic analysis.

In essence, while Ji Xianlin might not have been an Arabist in the formal sense, his intellectual edifice created a compelling case for the study and appreciation of Arabic and Islamic civilization. His advocacy for a comprehensive understanding of "Eastern Learning," his mapping of the intricate pathways of the Silk Road, and his unwavering belief in translation as the bedrock of cultural dialogue, collectively point towards the Arabic-speaking world as an indispensable partner in the global narrative of cultural exchange. He invited scholars to look beyond narrow disciplinary confines and embrace the interconnectedness of human knowledge. His legacy encourages contemporary researchers to master languages such as Arabic to unlock further insights into the profound historical dialogues that shaped the world, continuing the grand tradition of cross-cultural understanding that he so ardently pursued.

In conclusion, Ji Xianlin's profound impact on Chinese scholarship and his enduring vision for cross-cultural understanding resonate far beyond the specific languages he mastered or the cultures he directly studied. His intellectual framework implicitly recognized the pivotal role of Arabic and Islamic civilization in shaping the historical and cultural landscape of Asia and indeed, the world. He taught us that true scholarship requires an expansive mind, capable of seeing the intricate web of connections that bind human societies. Thus, for those inspired by Ji Xianlin's legacy, the study of Arabic is not an extraneous pursuit but a vital component in realizing his grand vision of a harmonious world enriched by the deep understanding of diverse civilizations.

2025-09-29

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