China’s Gate to the Indian Ocean – Iranian and Arab Long-distance Traders

Iranian and Arab merchants were among the first long-distance traders who sailed from the Persian Gulf to China. Many settled in Guangzhou or other coastal cities, establishing diaspora communities in an efficient maritime trade network, at a time when Chinese merchants were not yet actively sailing overseas. Here, I collect and comparatively analyze both textual and archaeological sources to reassess the role of Iranian and Arab merchants in initiating China's expansion of long-distance overseas maritime commerce. Local kilns, for example, were already producing ceramics for Middle Eastern markets during the Tang. I also show evidence that attests to a much more active role of the Tang court in Sino-Arab relations than has hitherto been assumed. But corruption in local management of maritime trade and political conflicts also had far-reaching consequences on the presence of Iranian and Arab merchants in Guangzhou and the functioning of their networks. 伊朗和阿拉伯商人是从波斯湾航行到中国的第一批长途贸易商。 他们中许多人定居在广州或其他沿海城市，在高效的海运贸易网络中建立起侨民社区 。 在本文中，我收集并通过比较分析文本材料和考古材料，重新评估他们在中国海运贸易兴起中起到的作用，即作为中国所谓长期海外贸易时代的发起者。

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