Talk by Hyunhee Park, History, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY

This presentation delves into the historical interactions and perspectives of Muslims concerning East Asia during cross-cultural exchanges in the premodern era. The Islamic civilization, which emerged in the early seventh century, rapidly expanded and evolved into one of the world’s most prosperous and influential societies during the medieval period. Muslim merchants from the Middle East played a dominant role in the Indian Ocean trades, regularly undertaking voyages to reach China, a paramount commercial hub in premodern Afro-Eurasia. Their contributions greatly facilitated the exchange of people, goods, and ideas across Afro-Eurasia, thereby shaping the global nature of the medieval period. The premodern interactions between the Middle East and East Asia serve as exceptional case studies for understanding the Global Middle Ages, as they offer a wealth of literary and cartographic sources left behind by scholars and firsthand observers from both societies. By comparing evidence from these sources, including written records and maps, we aim to identify patterns of continuity and change in geographic understandings, particularly during the Mongol and post-Mongol eras when both worlds experienced significant political transformations. This exploration allows us to comprehend how Muslim societies developed their conceptualization of the wider world, while also being influenced by it. Importantly, it reveals the active participation of Asian civilizations in global interactions well before 1492, challenging the notion that globalization began solely with European expansion.