Monks and merchants: Sino-Indian relations, 618–1281

The period between ninth and tenth centuries witnessed dramatic changes in Indian and Chinese societies. These changes transformed the nature of Sino-Indian contacts from a religion dominated intercourse to one that had greater emphasis on trade and commerce. Merchants replaced Buddhist monks as main players in bilateral relations, non-religious items started occupying a larger share of Indian exports to China, and maritime route between the two countries became more popular than the overland route. These changes led to the exchange of new ideas and sustained mutual understanding and influences during, what can be termed as, the Golden Age of Sino-Indian relations