1368: China and the Making of the Modern World

The Ming dynasty established China's first modern global era, sending diplomatic missions across the South China Sea and Indian Ocean. China's current rise evokes an earlier epoch, shedding light on where Beijing is heading today. The book provides context for understanding China's rise and the future of its connections with the West and a resurgent Asia.

Format: Hardback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 19 July 2022
Publisher: Stanford University Press

The establishment of the Great Ming dynasty in 1368 marked a significant turning point in world history, occurring a century before the voyages of Christopher Columbus. Prior to this, Beijing dispatched a series of diplomatic missions across the South China Sea and Indian Ocean, laying the groundwork for China's first modern global era. These missions, led by Admiral Zheng He, facilitated trade and cultural exchange with far-flung regions, including Southeast Asia, India, and Africa.

The 1368 map showcases China's ascendancy from the embassies of Admiral Zheng He to the arrival of European mariners and the subsequent shock of the Opium Wars. In Ali Humayun Akhtar's latest portrayal of world history, China's current rise evokes memories of an earlier era, shedding light on the direction Beijing is heading today.

Spectacular accounts in Persian and Ottoman Turkish describe the opulence of Beijing's Forbidden City, adorned with silk and jade. Malay legends recount tales of Chinese princesses visiting Melaka, presenting gifts of porcelain and gold. During Europe's Age of Exploration, Iberian mariners charted new routes to China, which were later transformed into lucrative tea routes by the Dutch and British East India Companies.

However, during the British Industrial Revolution, the rise of steam engines and factories enabled the export of the very commodities that were once imported from China. By the end of the Opium Wars and the arrival of Commodore Perry in Japan, Chinese and Japanese reformers called for their own industrial revolutions to propel them into the twentieth century.

Understanding China's rise since the Ming and its historical impact on the modern world requires considerable context. Akhtar's book offers valuable insights into China's journey and its future relations with the West and a resurgent Asia.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781503627475