Imagery of China in ancient texts (Case study: the Asar- Al-Bilad and Akhbar-Al-Ibad Qazvini and its comparison with previous geographical texts)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Azad University, Takestan, Iran

2 Farhangian University, Qazvin, Iran

3 Azad university, Takestan, Iran

4 PROFESOOR IMAM KHOMEINI INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY(IKIU)

10.22081/hiq.2023.63199.2244

Abstract

The aim of the current research was to investigate and explain the position of China among Muslims by comparing the book of Asar-al-Bilad and akhbara-al-Ibad with other geographical works before it in a descriptive-analytical way and using library resources. In this regard, the contents of the book Asar-al-Bilad and akhbara-al-Ibad Zakariai Qazvini about the political, social and economic situation of China were compared with the geographical texts of the first six centuries of Islam, and they were analyzed. Although in the sources of the first Islamic centuries, especially from the third to the sixth century, there is not much documented material about China in various books, especially by geographers, but with the arrival of the Mongols in Iran and the formation of the Ilkhanate government, Iran's relations with China expanded and the knowledge of Iranian and Islamic elites about this country increased. It was in the shadow of these wide relations that Zakaria Qazvini has written important information about the political, social and economic situation of China in his book.
Although it is clear that Qazvini extracted some of the information contained in the works of Al Balad from the sources of geographers before him, but many findings are also from his own observations and hearings. The main question of the current research is, what are the differences and similarities between the information of Athar al-Blad and Akhbar al-Abad about China with the books of Islamic geographers before it?

Keywords

History of Islam

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 04 May 2023

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