At that time, the Song emperor lavished attention and gifts, including a large amount of white gold on them in recognition of their journey. In 1081, Zhengjiani and his group returned to China. The emperor gave a Chinese title to Zhengjiani he became known as “Lord Guardian of Prosperity.” The Song court regarded Zhengjiani and his entourage as ambassadors of their country even though they were simply merchants. Zhengjiani and his party were honored as the first African foreign merchants to be received by Chinese Emperor Shenzong (1067-1085). East African merchant Zhengjiani, for example, in 1071 arrived in China and was treated with the utmost respect and honor. Many of these Africans were treated with respect and honor. While the Kunlun slaves were dehumanized as savage and scary, the Chinese view of free Africans was different. They were also described as savages with unintelligible speech. By this time they were mostly viewed as a displaced people who lacked the ability to adapt to the Chinese environment. Most Kunlun slaves in China lived in Canton Province. Most came from Madagascar and the Comoros Islands and thus indirectly from Africa, since the Arabs brought sub-Saharan Africans to both areas. Most Chinese during this period, however, unless they were very wealthy, had little contact with African slaves, perhaps explaining the differing views of the Kunlun.ĭuring the Song Dynasty the numbers of African slaves increased in China. The Kunlun in the Tang Dynasty era were portrayed in numerous stories of the period as heroic, resourceful, and-ironically culturally Chinese. ![]() These perceptions ranged from strong and mysterious to frightening. By this point Chinese perceptions of the Kunlun became more complex. to 1279 A.D.) dynasties but the number of African slaves taken to China during this 608-year period is unclear. Kunlun slave in ChinaĪfrican slavery in China peaked during the Tang and Song (960 A.D. Although there were far more enslaved Chinese, some wealthy Chinese preferred the exotic Kunlun slaves. They were described as lower class, ignorant, scary, and dangerous. These “dark-skinned” people were known as Kunlun. During this era, the first Chinese cultural perception of African people developed. They comprised one of the many commodities in the Arabs’ large-scale maritime trade with China. During the Tang Dynasty, Arab traders brought African slaves from east Africa to China. Since the 7th century, Africans have maintained a consistent commercial relationship with China. At least one account indicates that Du Huan was the first Chinese to visit Africa, probably in Nubia, during the 8th century A.D. This relationship has evolved over the centuries and led to a migration of Africans to China to study, trade, and act as diplomats. to 907 A.D.) documented evidence of contact and trade exists showing a relationship between China and the city-states of east Africa. ![]() Beginning with the Tang dynasty (618 A.D. but convincing evidence is sporadic or lacking. Some scholars assert that the contacts began as early as 4th century A.D. In the article below independent historian Robin Loftin explores the past, present, and possible future relationship between the world’s most populous nation and people of African ancestry.Īfrica and China have had contact for more than a thousand years.
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