CFP: China and the Islamic World: Trade and Knowledge

China and the Islamic World: Trade and Knowledge

Location: Turkey
Call for Papers Date: 2014-04-15

China and the Islamic World:
Trade and Knowledge

 How did a small and obscure kiln in an inland south-central province come to produce wares for the most powerful empire on earth in the eighth century? What kind of multi-national commercial and financial networks were in place to facilitate such cross-regional long distance trade. Was Arabic the lingua franca of transaction?

 But the exchange was never reduced to trading goods only. Philosophies, ideas and not least scientific and technological knowledge moved along the trading routes. They include paper making, medical science, geographical and cartographical sciences, military technology, clock-making and much more. The story of the Tang cargo highlights and lends force to the new perspective this conference is trying to develop. We welcome scholars of China and the Islamic World to join us in a debate that addresses but not limited to the following questions/issues:

 1. Trade, travel and exchange between China and the Islamic World
 2. Flow of knowledge, science, and technology from China to the Islamic World and vice versa
 3. Institutions, mechanisms and significance of their exchange
 To be held at the Prof. Dr. Fuat Sezgin Research Foundation for the History in Islam, Istanbul on 5 and 6 June, 2014.

 Inquiries and abstracts of no more than 200 words, plus 5 lines of biographical information, should be sent to Mr. Balim (ibtav@ibtav.org, www.ibtav.org) before 15 April 2014.


Mr. H. Balim
Prof. Dr. Fuat Sezgin Research Foundation for the History of Science in Islam
Gulhane Parki Ii , Eminonu - Fatih 34122 Istanbul / Turkey
Phone : +90 212 520 20 40
Fax : +90 212 520 20 39

Email: ibtav@ibtav.org
Visit the website at http://www.ibtav.org