Ming-Dynasty China and the World Along the Silk Road

This book, the first of a multi-volume set on the Silk Road during the Ming Dynasty, takes a holistic and global view of the origin and development of the Silk Road. The multi-volume work revisits the history of the Silk Road and analyses the evolving relationship between China and the world from the late 14th century to the mid-17th century. It reveals the historical significance of the Silk Road and cultural exchange for world history. This first volume focuses on China's foreign relations in the early Ming Dynasty, with its 'non-invasive' foreign policy and ideal of 'common peace', which differed from the foreign policies of all previous dynasties. The discussion also extends to the continued development of the Silk Road routes, both land and sea, in the late Ming Dynasty, a time when the West discovered China through the footprints of the Khitan people. It illuminates the historical contribution of China during the Ming Dynasty to the world of a shared future for mankind. This title is essential reading for historians and students of world or Chinese history, as well as anyone with a keen interest in historical global connections, Silk Road studies or Sino-foreign relations.