Networks of Faith and Profit

Download or read book Networks of Faith and Profit written by Yiwen Li and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2023-05-31 with total page 231 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Between 838 and 1403 CE, there was a six-century lapse in diplomatic relations between present day China and Japan. This hiatus in what is known as the tribute system has led to an assumption that there was little contact between the two countries in this period. Yiwen Li debunks this assumption, arguing instead that a vibrant Sino-Japanese trade network flourished in this period as Buddhist monks and merchants fostered connections across maritime East Asia. Based on a close examination of sources in multiple languages, including poems and letters, transmitted images and objects, and archaeological discoveries, Li presents a vivid and dynamic picture of the East Asian maritime world. She shows how this Buddhist trade network operated outside of the framework of the tribute system and, through novel interpretations of Buddhist records, provides a new understanding of the relationship between Buddhism and commerce.