Immigrants and Strangers: From Cosmopolitanism to Confucian Universalism in Tang China

A n immigrant monk from northern India named Amoghavajra ^ S H j i c (705-774) served as Preceptor of State for three midTang dynasty emperors, held ministerial court rank, and enjoyed lavish honors. Earlier, in 638, a Nestorian Christian church was erected at the Tang capital by imperial decree, w i th the explanation that "the Tao has no constant name, the Sage has no constant form, and religions are established according to their [different] places." Over the course of the entire dynasty the top executive office of Grand Councilor was filled by no fewer than forty-three persons of traceably nomadic (and therefore, in some eyes, not Chinese) H u £E descent. One recent study reveals that at least