Communication between China and Persia in the 13th-14th Centuries: (original) (raw)
This article is a historical study of maritime trade between Tang China and early Islamic Iraq, in the seventh to tenth centuries. While the existence, in this period, of merchant communities from the Arab-Persian Gulf in Chinese ports has been known for a long time, the present study seeks to contextualise their emergence, to articulate the socio-economic conditions of their trade, and to consider the extent to which these were conducive to transmissions of ideas. Building upon scholarly findings accumulated in different disciplines, it outlines patterns of exchange that, while limited in scope, were more systemic than has hitherto been assumed.
Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, 2023
Three centuries after the Mongol-era historian Rashid al-Din (1247-1318) wrote his influential account of China, an émigré Christian convert from Islam translated Matteo Ricci's book on China into Persian in Mughal Delhi. In doing so, he provided a remarkably detailed depiction of the rulers, religions, and regulations of the Ming empire that greatly updated, and superseded, Rashid al-Din's celebrated account. Nonetheless, by the very virtue of its triangulated originsbetween China, Europe, and India; between Chinese, Latin, and Persian-this was a fraught endeavour. For Chinese cultural traditions had to be rendered into Islamicate Persian terms that were approximate equivalents for Latin Christian terms which themselves inevitably misrepresented Confucian terms that in turn provided biased depictions of Buddhist and Daoist beliefs. By looking at two moments of the transmission of Ricci into Persian-in the early modern era of manuscripts and amid the colonial ascent of Indian print-this article uses translation as a lens through which to observe both the reach and limits of the cross-cultural connections that have captivated global historians in recent decades.
BLOG POST: Sino-Persian Exchange Along the Silk Road
Scottish Centre for Global History , 2021
What do the words for “lion” (狮子shīzi), “spinach” (菠菜bōcài), and “grape” (葡萄 (pútáo) all have in common in Chinese? They all derive, directly or indirectly, from either Persian roots or are otherwise etymologically or conceptually linked to Iran. Just how far back can ties between ancient China and early Iranian societies in Central Asia be traced?
An Overview on Commercial Relations between Iran and China in the era of Empires Sassanid
The most important impact of Iran and china relations on each other has been commercial exchanges. The history of the Iran-China trade relations to the late second century BC and the Empire Ashkanis erase. The most important of good which was exchanged between the parties was silk. Silk had many fans in Iranian territory, especially in Roman Empire. Iranian weren't main customers of silks. They were playing the role of business intermediaries and they had the role for 700 years and an important point is the expansion of business relations with China by the Western cities of Empires Sassanid. When we study the history of fights that happened in Iran many years ago, we can understand that the main reason of many fights was commercial issues. Routes that goods could be carried throughout them, had an important role for these fights. So paying attention to history of commercial relationships between Iran and China is so important because we can understand that many great fights in history of human is result of commercial issues (routes, resources, …) and also we can understand that because the Silk Road was passed through Iran, some Iranian kings considered it as a benefit and wanted to impose tax on merchants who wanted to pass through the Silk Road. So we can understand how important commercial issues were in the past by studying commercial history.
The Relations between Iran and China in the Timurid Era (Case Study Ala-ud-Daulah bin Bāysonḡor
In the Timurid era, the relations between Iran and China got appalled day-today as far as only political relations remained and the business relations were not as dynamic as prior periods. Sea route that connected China to Byzantium was as one of the reasons for this problem. Despite all efforts of Shahrukh and his successors, correspondences as well as dispatching ambassadors, this problem remained. Ala-ud-Daulah was one of those sending the ambassador and message to China court. This paper attempts to examine the relationships between Iran and China in the era of the Timurid prince and to investigate the reasons and the grounds of correspondences based on the existing resources.
Between the Silk and Fur Roads: The Qarakhanid Diplomacy and Trade
ORIENTIERUNGEN: Zeitschrift zur Kultur Asiens , 2016
This paper concerns a problem of Sino-Islamic interactions in the pre-Mongol period and the role of the Qarakhanid diplomacy and trade based on Islamic and Chinese sources as well as new numismatic and archeological materials. In order to illustrate the Qarakhanid position in international gifting and trade commodities exchange I will provide a case of the Qarakhanids’ relations with their nearest neighbors in the Islamic and Sinitic worlds: the Ghaznavid Sultanate in Afghanistan and the Liao Empire in China.
Iran-China relations in the Parthian era
In my thesis, I explore the commercial exchange between Iran and China during the Parthian Era, highlighting the significance of these trade relations in fostering cultural and economic interactions. Through a comprehensive analysis of both Iranian and Chinese sources, I aim to understand the nature, extent, and impact of trade between these two regions. I provide a detailed historical background of the Parthian Empire, emphasizing its role as a bridge along the Silk Road. Utilizing archaeological evidence and literary references from Iranian sources, alongside Chinese historical records and accounts of cultural exchanges, I analyze the goods exchanged, trade routes, and the economic and sociocultural implications of these interactions. I also address the challenges in historical research, such as gaps in records and biases in sources. Ultimately, my findings underscore the importance of trade as a catalyst for mutual influence and understanding between Iran and China during this pivotal era.
The Persian language in Yuan-dynasty China – a reappraisal.
East Asian History 39 (2014)
It has often been argued that the Persian language was a lingua franca, and even an official language, of the Yuan empire. A variety of evidence has been adduced for this, including supposed Persian influence on the terminology used by Marco Polo, the use of Persian in letters from Mongol Qa'ans to the Pope, Persian inscriptions on objects from China and Mongolia, and so on. All this evidence is examined, and it is concluded that most of it is illusory, or at least of dubious value. It is argued that Turkic was much more widely spoken and commonly used than Persian. In support of this, it is shown that Turks were probably the single largest group of Semu ren in the Yuan empire, and that many, if not most, of the Muslims in China during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries were Turks.
Raising the Alarm: Defensive Communication Networks and the Silk Roads through Wakhan and Chitral
The Silk Road, 2017
Imperial rivalry between China and Tibet for control in the Pamir region figured prominently in 7th-9th century Inner Asian geopolitics. The two empires competed as patrons for client kingdoms in and around the Pamir, utilizing the diplomatic arts of gift exchange, subsidies, marriage relations, trade and protection against enemies. When these strategies failed to achieve the desired results, the empires resorted to the art of war. Their diplomatic and military strategies are well-documented in imperial records - the Tang Dynasty Annals and the Old Tibetan Annals . The Chinese military campaign of 747 CE is the most notable military action in the Pamir and was first brought to scholarly attention by Aurel Stein. This article, drawing on original field research in Afghanistan, archival research in Peshawar and London and my translation of Russian language material, presents new information about the extent of the defensive communication networks in the Pamir and Hindukush region, examines the events surrounding the campaign, and the impacts on the client states of the region and their relations with their Chinese and Tibetan patrons.