Suvarṇapuṣpa (सुवर्णपुष्प ''Suvarnapushpa'', "Gold Flower" in

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

, ''Swarnabūspe'' in Tocharian, or directly translated as '' Ysāṣṣa a Pyāpyo'' "Golden Flower",

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...

: 苏伐勃𫘝 ''Sufaboshi'') was a King of the

Tarim Basin The Tarim Basin is an endorheic basin in Northwest China occupying an area of about and one of the largest basins in Northwest China.Chen, Yaning, et al. "Regional climate change and its effects on river runoff in the Tarim Basin, China." Hydr ...

city-state of Kucha from 600 to 625. He was known in Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit (BHS) as ''kucīśvara Suvarṇapuṣpa'' "Suvarṇapuṣpa, lord of Kucha". He was known in Chinese as ''Bái Sūfábójué'' (白蘇伐勃駃, the prefix "白" means "white", possibly pointing to the fair complexion of the Kucheans) as he sent an embassy to the court of the

Tang Dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...

in 618 CE acknowledging vassalship.

Epigraphy

Suvarṇapuṣpa is illustrated with his Queen in Cave 69 of the

Kizil Caves The Kizil Caves ( zh, t=克孜爾千佛洞, s=克孜尔千佛洞, l=Kizil Caves of the Thousand Buddhas; ug, قىزىل مىڭ ئۆي, translation=The Thousand Red Houses; also romanized Qizil Caves, spelling variant Qyzyl; Kizil means 'red') ar ...

, with an inscription in

Brahmi script Brahmi (; ; ISO: ''Brāhmī'') is a writing system of ancient South Asia. "Until the late nineteenth century, the script of the Aśokan (non-Kharosthi) inscriptions and its immediate derivatives was referred to by various names such as 'lath' o ...

on his halo: Suvarṇapuṣpa is known to have ruled between 600 and 625, and his three sons died before 647 CE according to Chinese sources."On the lunette of the front wall is painted a scene of the preaching of the Buddha in the Deer Park. On the left of the Buddha are painted the king and his wife; on the halo of the king is inscribed the dedication, which was interpreted by Pinault in his paper of 1994, 'Temple Constructed for the Benefit of Suvarnapousa by His Son' (this material is referred to in Kezier shiku neirong zonglu p. 2). From Chinese historical records it is known that this king reigned between the years 600 and 625, and his three sons died before 647: to date, this is the most accurate dating for the cave" in

Visit of Xuanzang

When he visited Kucha in 630 CE, the Chinese monk

Xuanzang Xuanzang (, ; 602–664), born Chen Hui / Chen Yi (), also known as Hiuen Tsang, was a 7th-century Chinese Buddhist monk, scholar, traveler, and translator. He is known for the epoch-making contributions to Chinese Buddhism, the travelogue of ...

received the favours of Suvarna-deva (Chinese: 白蘇伐疊 ''Bái Sūfádié'', ruled 625-645 CE), the son and successor of Suvarna-puspa, and king of Kucha. Xuanzang described in many details the characteristics of Kucha (屈支国, in "大唐西域记" "Tang Dynasty Account of the Western Regions"), and probably visited Kizil:
1) "The style of writing is Indian, with some differences"
2) "They clothe themselves with ornamental garments of silk and embroidery. They cut their hair and wear a flowing covering (over their heads)"
3) "The king is of Kuchean race"
4) "There are about one hundred convents (saṅghārāmas) in this country, with five thousand and more disciples. These belong to the Little Vehicle of the school of the

Sarvāstivādas The ''Sarvāstivāda'' (Sanskrit and Pali: 𑀲𑀩𑁆𑀩𑀢𑁆𑀣𑀺𑀯𑀸𑀤, ) was one of the early Buddhist schools established around the reign of Ashoka (3rd century BCE).Westerhoff, The Golden Age of Indian Buddhist Philosophy ...

(Shwo-yih-tsai-yu-po). Their doctrine (teaching of Sūtras) and their rules of discipline (principles of the Vinaya) are like those of India, and those who read them use the same (originals)."
5) "About 40 li to the north of this desert city there are two convents close together on the slope of a mountain". These events were soon before the

Tang campaign against Kucha The Tang campaign against Kucha was a military campaign led by the Tang dynasty general Ashina She'er against the Tarim Basin oasis state of Kucha in Xinjiang, which was aligned with the Western Turkic Khaganate. The campaign began in 648 and ...

in 648 CE. Suvarna-deva is known from an inscription in which he is called in Tocharian "Swarnatepe": Haripuspa was the son and successor of Savarnadeva.

Cave 69 in Kizil

Suvarṇapuṣpa is illustrated with his Queen in Cave 69 of the

, with an inscription in

on his halo. File:Vajrapani, Cave 69, Kizil.jpg,

Vajrapani (Sanskrit; Pali: Vajirapāṇi, meaning, "Vajra in ishand") is one of the earliest-appearing bodhisattvas in Mahayana Buddhism. He is the protector and guide of Gautama Buddha and rose to symbolize the Buddha's power. Vajrapāni is also c ...

, Cave 69, Kizil File:Cave 69, lunette with King Suvarnapusa.jpg, Cave 69, lunette over the front door: the Buddha preaching at Sarnath (佛鹿野苑初转法轮) with King Suvarnapusa and his Queen as attendants. File:Kizil Cave 69, King and Queen of Kucha.jpg, King Suvarnapuspa and his Queen (龟兹国王与王后供养像) in Cave 69 (dated 600-647 CE per Chinese sources).

Sources

References

{{reflist 7th-century rulers in Asia Chinese Buddhist monarchs