Xuanzang: A Determined, Yet Limited Political Actor
Abstract
Existing scholarship regarding Xuanzang’s contributions to the spread of Buddhism as a dedicated scholar that crucially contributed to the spread of Buddhism in China through translating and documenting various sutras of the Mahāyāna school, versatile diplomat who maneuvered the rulers of the states of the western region to support him, and a courageous explorer who risked his life for the Buddhist creed. Those aspects of Xuanzang were extensively studied, documented, interpreted, and analyzed upon. However, Xuanzang’s role as a political actor is seldom explored. This study find Xuanzang as an active political actor in his role of promoting Buddhism particularly during the reigns of Taizong and Gaozong emperors because he showcased Buddhism’s utility in ruling, persuaded Tang emperors to patronize Buddhism through involving them into Buddhist text translations by inviting them to write prologues, and even attempted to make the eldest son of Gaozong emperor and Empress Wu a Buddhist monk by employing close-reading of primary and secondary sources.
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