This session delves into the global historical significance of the Khataynameh (Book of China), a Persian description of Ming China’s government and society written in 1516 for the Ottoman court. The author was Sayyid `Ali Akbar Khatayi, a merchant from Central Asia who had traveled through China for six years in the first decade of the sixteenth century. He then traveled west to Istanbul and produced the most substantial description of China written in any western language before the late-sixteenth century. The book is based on much relatively accurate information about the Ming government’s structure and Chinese culture, and thus offers unique insights as a source for Chinese history, and as a record of how China, its culture and statecraft were understood by Central Asians who interacted with the Chinese state as merchant visitors, and as subjects. The Book of China also engages in substantial ways with Islamicate political theory, and was received in Ottoman court circles as a “law-book” articulating what are now known as Weberian principles of bureaucracy and a vision of an absolutist state whose every member, including the emperor, were strictly subject to the law. By juxtaposing this Central Asian merchant’s perspective with contemporary Chinese, Arabic, Turkic, and European sources, our discussion aims to showcase the Khataynameh’s distinctive insights into governance, societal structures, and the complexities of international relations during the early modern period. Our objective is to reframe the Khataynameh as not merely a regional source but as a pivotal document of early modern global integration.

Our first paper, by Hyunhee Park, presents a comparative study of the Khataynameh against Chinese and Arabic sources, analyzing its layered narratives, such as its portrayal of Confucius and the Shaolin monastery. This study reveals a blend of local lore and broader regional perceptions, influenced by Arabic tropes and frontier events, underscoring the need for collaborative, multi-disciplinary approaches in translating and annotating historical texts. The second paper, by Carol Fan, offers a comparative analysis between the Khataynameh and Chen Cheng’s Xiyu fanguo zhi, a 1415 travelogue by Chinese diplomat visiting Timurid Central Asia, and argues that by the sixteenth century, while the Mongol legacy no longer acted as a unifying force between these two worlds, remnants of Mongol ideas of sovereignty lingered as both regions grappled with the challenge of forging their own ideologies while navigating the new international order. Our third paper, by Kaveh Hemmat, examines the deep similarities between the Khataynameh and late-16th-century Spanish works on China, arguing that these themes and structures arise from common social worlds of travelers and cultural brokers. Our discussant, Morris Rossabi, renowned for his contributions to global history and culture, will provide insightful commentary, enriching the panel’s exploration of the Khataynameh’s insights into governance, societal structures, and international relations during the early modern period.

This session aims not only to reposition the Khataynameh within global historical studies but also to highlight its critical role in enriching our understanding of early modern global integration.