Mapping the Chinese and Islamic Worlds: Cross-Cultural Exchange in Pre-Modern AsiaLong before Vasco da Gama rounded the Cape of Good Hope en route to India, the peoples of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia engaged in vigorous cross-cultural exchanges across the Indian Ocean. This book focuses on the years 700 to 1500, a period when powerful dynasties governed both regions, to document the relationship between the Islamic and Chinese worlds before the arrival of the Europeans. Through a close analysis of the maps, geographic accounts, and travelogues compiled by both Chinese and Islamic writers, the book traces the development of major contacts between people in China and the Islamic world and explores their interactions on matters as varied as diplomacy, commerce, mutual understanding, world geography, navigation, shipbuilding, and scientific exploration. When the Mongols ruled both China and Iran in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, their geographic understanding of each other's society increased markedly. This rich, engaging, and pioneering study offers glimpses into the worlds of Asian geographers and mapmakers, whose accumulated wisdom underpinned the celebrated voyages of European explorers like Vasco da Gama. |
Contents
Islamic | 56 |
Chinese Understanding | 91 |
Islamic Knowledge about China | 124 |
Chinese | 161 |
Notes | 203 |
Works Cited 743 | 257 |
Other editions - View all
Mapping the Chinese and Islamic Worlds: Cross-Cultural Exchange in Pre ... Hyunhee Park Limited preview - 2012 |
Mapping the Chinese and Islamic Worlds: Cross-Cultural Exchange in Pre ... Hyunhee Park No preview available - 2015 |
Common terms and phrases
Abbasid Africa al-Idrisi al-Mas‘udi Arabian Arabic Asian Baghdad Balkhi School Beijing Caliph cartographers Central Asia century Chinese Chinese maps circa coast coastline confirms contemporary cultural Dashi detailed Du Huan earlier East eastern emperor envoys first fleets flourished foreign countries geographic accounts geographic information geographic knowledge Guangzhou Hamd Allah Hangzhou History Hormuz Huan Ibn Battuta Ibn Khurradadhbih Ibn Majid Il-khanate Indian Ocean influence Iran Islamic geographic Islamic world Khan Khubilai knowledge about China land Ma Huan Marco Polo maritime routes maritime trade Ming dynasty Mongol empire Mongol period Mongol rule Muslim Muslim geographers Muslim merchants navigational official ofthe overland Persian Gulf political port provides Quanzhou Rashid al-Din reflect regions rulers sailing scholars ships significant societies South Southeast Asia southern specific surviving Tang Tang dynasty tion tradition translation updated voyages Wang Dayuan West Asia western world map Yuan dynasty Zayd Zheng Zhufan