Chapter 4 - The Advent of Islam in China

Summary

This chapter aims to examine the process of cultural contact between the Chinese and Islamic civilizations, in particular, between Arab and Chinese cultures. The Arab culture is basically an Islamic culture. In China, most of the Muslims are descendants of Arabs, Persians and Turks from Central and Western Asia. More specifically, this chapter will focus on two aspects of cultural contact between these two great ancient civilizations: the spread of Islam to China in the Tang and Song dynasties (mid-seventh century to 1279) as a result of diplomacy and religious activities, and the emergence of the Hui communities in Yuan China (1271–1368).

ISLAM AND ISLAMIC TEACHINGS

The rapid expansion of Islam can be attributed to a combination of factors, namely, the geography of Arabia, the personality of Prophet Muhammad and his Islamic teachings. Except for the coastal plains by the Red Sea, almost all of the land in Arabia is desert. During the sixth and seventh centuries, most of the Arabs led a nomadic life. They formed tribes and roamed from region to region seeking new land for their livestock. Along the coast of the Red Sea there were a few cities and trade centres such as Yemen and Mecca, where the people made their living on trade and industry. Arabia was caught between two great political and religious powers in the seventh century, the Christian Byzantine Empire in the West and the Zoroastrian Sassanid Empire of Persia in the East. The trade route in the Mediterranean Sea and Persian Gulf was disrupted by frequent wars between the Byzantine and Sassanid empires. As a result, a new sea route to the East through the Red Sea was developed. Arab merchant ships plied from Yemen to India, Africa, China and the Malay Archipelago, while Mecca became an important centre for finance and grew into a powerful settlement. Essentially, the coastal plain of Arabia became a melting pot of cultures and a cross-road for merchants and trade. The prestige of Kaaba in Mecca also drew many Arabs leaving the desert for a more stable life in the cities and so it created a conducive environment for social, cultural, economic and political developments including spiritual and commercial pursuits.