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The title and intro of this article are based on a misunderstanding. As far as etymology goes, it's true enough that the word "China" is derived from Cīna (चीन), which appears in the Mahābhārata. But the writers of the Mahābhārata were unlikely to have known anything about China. The relevant portions of the epic were composed in the 4th century BC and based, not on up-to-date geographic knowledge, but on legends that were already ancient at that time. Meanwhile, the Qin state was not prominent until the 4th century BC. The word Cīna was presumably reinterpreted centuries later when the importation of silk created a psychological need to explain where the material came from. Kauffner (talk) 03:17, 10 February 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Except for the "not prominent" bit, a-yep. — LlywelynII 08:59, 21 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]
Proposed merge into Chinas, which handles the same material better and more comprehensively. Discuss at Chinas' talk page. — LlywelynII 08:59, 21 September 2011 (UTC)[reply]
