Chapter 27 Section Three

Long before the founding of the Yuan Dynasty, Genghis Khan made an expedition to India (1219-1224 A.D.). Although he returned without success, the historical traces left by the Mongols in India are indelible.Large swaths of Central Asia were under Mongol control. In 1271, the Yuan Dynasty was established, and the Mongols still had fresh memories of the situation in India.At that time, there were no major artificial obstacles in the land transportation between China and South Asian countries.Therefore, Volume 125 of "Yuan Shi" contains the biography of Tie Ge from Kashmir, and Volume 203 "Fang Ji Zhuan" contains the biography of Ani Ge from Nepal.They were all officials in the Yuan Dynasty.

Although the Yuan Dynasty has a history of less than a hundred years, its records on maritime traffic are no less than those of the previous dynasties.For example, "Yuan History·Waiyi Biography" records the communication between China and India: "Of the overseas foreign countries, only Ma Baler and Julan are enough to guide the countries, and Julan is Ma Baler's hindrance, from Quanzhou to his country. One hundred thousand li. From the country to Abuhe Dawang City, the waterway is easy to wind, and it can be reached in about 15 days. It is the largest country in Yu. From the ancestors to the Yuan Dynasty, Zuo Cheng, the Minister of Xingzhong, etc., wrote ten letters in the seal, and issued an imperial edict. Not long after, Zhancheng and Mabalan countries were proclaimed vassals, and Yu Julan countries were not conquered." Here, Mabalan and Julan were both in the south of the Indian Peninsula, and they were the big countries in South India at that time. "Zhiyuanjian" refers to the period when Kublai Khan ruled China (AD 1271-1294).This period was one of the most frequent in Chinese history with India.According to the records of "Yuan Shi", a general chronology can be listed for the exchanges between China and India during this period:

In the ninth year of Zhiyuan (AD 1272), an envoy was sent to Xindu State (referring to North India). In June of the sixteenth year (1279 A.D.), the Mabaer Kingdom sent envoys to pay tribute to an elephant and a rhinoceros.In December, Guangdong recruited Sida Luhua Chiyang Tingbi to recruit Julan.Arrived in March of the seventeenth year. In August of the seventeenth year (AD 1280), Ma Ba'er sent envoys to the court to offer treasures, rhinos, and elephants.In November, Julan and Ma Ba'er sent envoys to Biao. In the first month of the eighteenth year (AD 1281), Yang Tingbi and others entered the sea from Quanzhou and sailed for three months to Ceylon. In April, they arrived in Mabaer Kingdom.In August, countries in the South China Sea came to pay tribute to rhinoceros elephants.

In February of the 19th year (AD 1282), Yang Tingbi arrived in Julan Kingdom, and the ruler and his prime minister Hema greeted him with the seal letter.In March, his ministers were sent to wish Arisa a busy tribute.In September, Julan and other countries sent envoys to pay tribute, including treasures and black apes. In November, the Mabaer Kingdom sent envoys to the court to present gold leaf books and earthen objects. In the first month of the 20th year (1283 A.D.), Yang Tingbi was sent to Julan and other countries by imperial edict as a consolation envoy.In February, King Wani of Julan was bestowed with a golden talisman.Ma Ba'er sent monks and bands to the court.

In the first month of the 21st year (AD 1284), Ma Ba'er sent envoys to pay tribute to pearls and so on. In June of the 22nd year (1285 A.D.), an envoy was sent to Maba'er Kingdom with a thousand silver ingots to ask for rare treasures, and a tiger talisman and gold talisman were given.In the first month of the 23rd year (AD 1286), Ma Ba'er sent envoys into the bronze shield.In September, all foreign countries came to pay tribute.In the first month of the twenty-fourth year (AD 1287), the Julan Kingdom sent envoys to the court.In February, Ma Ba'er Kingdom came to pay tribute to Fangwu.In March, Ma Ba'er sent envoys to Zebra.

In November of the twenty-fifth year (AD 1288), Ma Ba'er sent envoys to the court. In the twenty-sixth year (1289 A.D.), two zebras were brought into the Mabaer Kingdom. In April of the twenty-seventh year (AD 1290), he sent envoys to the country of Mabaer to visit and seek Fang technicians. In August of the twenty-eighth year (AD 1291), Ma Ba'er sent envoys to Huaniu Er and Buffalo Tubiao.In September, two batches of envoys were sent to Julan and Mabaer countries.In October of the 30th year (AD 1293), he sent an envoy to Gelan (southwest of the Indian Peninsula). In September of the thirty-first year (AD 1294), he sent envoys to Gelan.

There has never been such frequent exchanges between the Chinese and Indian governments in previous history.Kublai Khan played a decisive role in this. Kublai Khan paid special attention to Nanyang and had a very strategic vision.At first, the Mabalan Kingdom on the east coast of India established relations with the Yuan Dynasty. In order to make the Julan Kingdom on the west coast "surrender", he did not hesitate to send Yang Tingbi to India repeatedly until the Julan Kingdom "paid tribute".This may seem high-handed, but it has its own political and economic needs.From the background point of view, since Genghis Khan's Western Expedition, the Mongols have controlled Central Asia, China and other places for decades, and their sphere of influence has extended to the northern border of India.The descendants of Genghis Khan each established their own spheres of influence, among which Kublai Khan ruled China.Responding to the Mongol forces in Central Asia, he started from the south and explored the South China Sea, putting great pressure on India.In addition, India was in the period of the Delhi Sultanate at that time, and the north and the south were not united. Even the south was full of small countries and did not unite with each other.Taking advantage of this situation, he not only satisfied his personal ambition of domination, but also ensured his economic interests at sea.This was 300 years before Europeans entered the region to make a fortune.Later history proved that the political and economic status of this region was very important because it was at the intersection of the East and the West.Kublai Khan's actions objectively played a role in promoting mutual understanding between the Chinese and Indian peoples, and objectively also played a role in promoting cultural exchanges between China and India.

After Kublai Khan, although the Yuan Dynasty still had contacts with South India, the situation was not as good as before, but private commercial trade was still going on in an orderly manner. In the Yuan Dynasty, Wang Dayuan visited Nanyang twice with his ship. He went to sea for the first time in 1330 and returned four years later.The second time was in 1337 and returned two years later.He had been to many places in South Asia, and after returning to China, he wrote the book "Records of Daoyi" in 1349.The book contains detailed records of various places in India, which is extremely helpful for understanding the maritime cultural exchanges between the Yuan Dynasty and India.Everywhere he went, he paid great attention to the geography, soil quality, products, trade, race, folk customs, etc. there.For example, when talking about "Pengala" (that is, Bengal, present-day Bangladesh and West Bengal, India), it is written:

Wuling Cuiwei, the trees are outstanding.The people live together.At the age of 10, he used farming as his industry, so there was no open land in the wild, and the fields were extremely beautiful.One year old and three harvests of grain, all things are cheap.That is, the capital of ancient Xindu.The climate is always hot, and the customs are the most honest.Men and women wrap their heads in fine cloth and wear long gowns.The official tax is to choose two out of ten.The national minted silver coins, named Tangjia, weigh two cents and eight cents each, and are used in circulation...produce pyrene cloth, Gaoni cloth, Douluo brocade, and Cuiyu.The goods for trade use north-south silk, five-color silk satin, cloves, cardamom, blue and white flower vessels, and white tassels.

Judging from this record, the general situation of the Bangladesh region is already on paper.However, Wang Dayuan paid special attention to economy and trade, and explained agriculture, harvest, market, taxation, currency, special products and trade goods, etc.It can be seen from this that his intention of writing this book may be mainly to provide Chinese businessmen with business information on the countries in the South China Sea.The specific content of material exchanges between China and India can be ascertained from the records of local products and trade goods.