تبيين تاريخي روابط سياسي و فرهنگي خلافتهاي اسلامي با چين عصر تانگ در چهار قرن نخست هجري

The Historical Explanation of Political an‎d Cultural Relations between Islamic Caliphates an‎d Tang Dynasty of China in 7 - 10 Centuries

تاريخ

The relations between the Islamic Caliphates an‎d the Chinese Empire during the first four centuries of Hijra constitute one of the most significant arenas of civilizational contact in the premodern world. The simultaneous expansion of the Islamic Caliphate across West an‎d Central Asia an‎d the consolidation of the Tang dynasty (618–907 CE) created the conditions for the encounter of two universal empires, each claiming to organize an‎d define world order within its own distinct intellectual an‎d political framework. This study aims to provide a historical analysis of the political an‎d cultural relations between the Islamic Caliphates (Rashidun, Umayyad, an‎d Abbasid) an‎d Tang China, examining the formation, development, an‎d consequences of these interactions during the first four centuries of Hijra. The central question of this research concerns the political an‎d geopolitical contexts in which relations between the Islamic Caliphate an‎d the Tang Empire emerged, an‎d how these relations were conceptualized within the frameworks of Tianxia in Chinese political thought an‎d the concept of the Ummah in Islamic tradition. Adopting a historical-analytical approach an‎d drawing upon the theory of cultural contact an‎d interaction, the study investigates these relations at three levels: political-diplomatic exchanges, geopolitical competition in Central Asia, an‎d cultural-civilizational interactions. The findings indicate that Muslim expansion into Khurasan an‎d Transoxiana, alongside the active Tang presence in the Tarim Basin, constituted the principal context for direct contact between the two powers. This overlap led to diplomatic exchanges beginning in 651 CE, as well as military confrontations such as the Battle of Talas (751 CE). Nevertheless, bilateral relations were not confined to military conflict. Through the overlan‎d an‎d maritime Silk Roads, merchant migration, an‎d the formation of Muslim communities within China, sustained cultural interaction developed. The study concludes that relations between Tang China an‎d the Islamic Caliphate resulted neither in complete integration nor in continuous confrontation. Rather, they produced a pattern of “competitive coexistence,” in which political rivalry, formal diplomacy, an‎d cultural exchange operated simultaneously. By drawing upon Chinese sources alongside Islamic materials, this research offers a balanced an‎d multidimensional account of these relations.

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