1368: China and the Making of the Modern World

A new book by Ali Humayun Akhtar explores China's rise since the Age of Exploration and its historical impact on the modern world. The Ming dynasty's establishment in 1368 paved the way for China's first modern global era, with diplomatic missions across the South China Sea and Indian Ocean. Chinese princesses arrived in Melaka with gifts of porcelain and gold, and Iberian mariners charted new passages to China. The British Industrial Revolution enabled the export of commodities once imported from China, and Chinese and Japanese reformers called for their own industrial revolutions to propel them into the twentieth century.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 22 January 2024
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 facilitated the exchange of goods, ideas, and cultural influences between China and other regions, marking a pivotal moment in global trade and connectivity.

The rise of China during this period is vividly depicted in 1368 maps, which trace the trajectory of China's ascendance from the embassies of Admiral Zheng He to the arrival of European mariners and the subsequent shock of the Opium Wars. The book by Ali Humayun Akhtar, titled "China's Current Rise: Evoking an Earlier Epoch," provides a fresh perspective on China's current rise and sheds light on the direction in which Beijing is heading today.

Spectacular accounts in Persian and Ottoman Turkish describe the opulence and grandeur of Beijing's Forbidden City, adorned with silk and jade. Malay legends recount stories of Chinese princesses arriving in Melaka, carrying precious gifts of porcelain and gold. During Europe's Age of Exploration, Iberian mariners charted new passages to China, which were subsequently 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. This shift in trade dynamics had profound consequences for China and the rest of the world. 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.

The book by Akhtar offers valuable insights into what the world has learned from China since the Ming dynasty and how China reemerged as a manufacturing superpower in the 1970s. It provides a much-needed context for understanding China's rise today and the future of its relationships with both the West and a resurgent Asia. By examining the historical trajectory of China's rise, Akhtar helps readers gain a deeper appreciation of the complex and multifaceted nature of China's interactions with the global community.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781503638136