"Tenjiku - India is a land with a rich history"

 "               Tenjiku 

    "India is a land with a rich history".

                            or 

            "Land Of Heaven".

India is a land of incredible diversity and a history that stretches back thousands of years. Throughout this long journey, India has been known by many names, each carrying its own story and meaning. One of the most poetic and historically significant names is Tenjiku. 

Tenjiku is also a reference in the anime series Tokyo Revengers. Tenjiku Tokubei (1612 - c. 1692) was a Japanese adventurer and writer who traveled to Southeast and South Asia. Tenjiku has multiple meanings, including a Japanese architectural style, a Japanese word for India, and the name of a Japanese adventurer.

The Origin of Tenjiku

• Spiritual Connection: In ancient times, many Buddhist monks and scholars made long journeys from Japan and China to India, the birthplace of Buddhism. They used the name Tenjiku to honor the land where sacred teachings and philosophies first blossomed.

• Cultural Bridge: The use of Tenjiku symbolizes the deep cultural and religious exchange between India and East Asia. It reflects how Indian wisdom, art, and spirituality left a lasting impression far beyond its own borders.

The name Tenjiku (天竺) first appeared in ancient Chinese and Japanese texts. Although the characters literally mean "heaven" (天) and "bamboo" (竺), the term was not meant to be taken literally. Instead, it served as a phonetic approximation of the Sanskrit name used for India by early Buddhist scholars and travelers.

Tianzhu (Chinese: 天竺; pinyin: Tiānzhú) is the historical ancient Chinese name for the Indian subcontinent which means "Centre of Heaven".

Tianzhu was also referred to as Wutianzhu (五天竺, literal meaning is "Five Indias"), because there were five geographical regions on the Indian subcontinent known to the Chinese: Central, Eastern, Northern, Southern, and Western India.

The ancient Chinese had a unique way of understanding the vast land of India. They did not see it as one single, uniform region. Instead, they divided it into five distinct parts, a concept they called Wutianzhu (五天竺), which literally means "Five Indias." Here’s a closer look at what this means:

Why "Five Indias"?

• Diverse Regions:
  The idea behind "Five Indias" was that India was incredibly diverse. The Chinese travelers and scholars recognized that the Indian subcontinent was not a homogenous land but rather a collection of regions with different climates, cultures, and traditions.

• Different Characteristics:
  While modern maps show many states and regions, the ancient Chinese classification highlighted five broad areas:
  • Central India: Known for its rich history and ancient cities.
  • Eastern India: Renowned for its unique cultural practices and river systems.
  • Northern India: Famous for its historical capitals and significant Buddhist sites.
  • Southern India: Recognized for its distinct Dravidian culture and traditions.
  • Western India: Noted for its vibrant trade links and historical connections with other ancient civilizations.

How Did This View Come About?

• Travel and Trade:
  Long before modern maps and satellite imagery, Chinese scholars and Buddhist pilgrims traveled to India. Their journeys exposed them to various customs, landscapes, and traditions across the subcontinent.

• Buddhist Influence:
  The spread of Buddhism played a major role. Buddhist monks, who came to India to learn and then brought back teachings, were some of the first to describe the different parts of India to their Chinese counterparts.

• Ancient Geographical Thought:
  In ancient times, many cultures organized unfamiliar lands into regions or zones to make them easier to understand. For the Chinese, dividing India into five parts was a practical way to capture its vast diversity.

In this article, we explore some of the most well-known names for India and explain why they are used in different parts of the world.

INDIA- The name comes from the River Indus. Ancient Greeks referred to the land beyond the Indus as "Indos," which later evolved into "India."

Bharat (or Bharatvarsha) - The name is derived from ancient Indian scriptures and epics, such as the Mahabharata, which tell the story of King Bharata—a legendary ruler who is believed to have given his name to the land.

Hindustan - The term originated during the medieval period when Persian and Central Asian influences merged with Indian culture.

Al-Hind - The name was adopted after Arab traders and scholars began interacting with the Indian subcontinent. It is closely related to the Greek and Latin derivations from the River Indus.

The term Al-Hind is still used in historical and literary contexts, highlighting the long-standing relationship between India and the Islamic world.

In many European languages, the name for India is very similar to the English name, though it is pronounced or written slightly differently:

• French: Inde
• German: Indien
• Spanish/Portuguese: Índia

Seema Chaudhary