The Book of China A Persian Merchant’s Description of the Ming State for the Ottoman Court

In the early 16th century, a Central Eurasian Muslim merchant named Ali Akbar Khatai traveled to China and stayed there for six years, observing government agents and soldiers, interacting with the common people, and even obtaining inside information about the Ming court. He then traveled thousands of miles west to Istanbul, where he presented an account of the Chinese state to the Ottoman emperors on the eve of their rise to regional hegemony.Khatai's book is the most in-depth and meticulous study of China's government, society, and culture written by any foreigner before the era of the European colonial empires. Now translated into English for the first time, with an introduction designed for students and lay scholars, The China Book provides a unique record of Eurasian perceptions of China at the dawn of the gunpowder age.In contrast to travelers such as Marco Polo who introduced new geographical information to Europe in the Middle Ages, Khattayi wrote for an informed Muslim audience in the early modern period, and through his writings he sought to provide systematic explanations of the wealth and power of Ming China. How can a society steeped in luxury raise strong and disciplined armies? The answer to my sins was government institutions, technology, and laws that bound everyone, including the Emperor.His book vividly describes diverse scenes, from the imperial palace, temples, gardens and brothels, to the construction of new cities and the interior of a vast prison. China opens a window into the colorful world of the Ming court and the civic heritage of Silk Road travelers, showing how travel and cultural contact can inspire political imagination across continents.