The Portrayal of China in the Works of Muslim Writers of ‘Ajāyib-Nāmih up to the Ninth Century A.H.

The world of wonders and mysterious phenomena provides man with amusement and at times fills him with dread. Wonders are a source of fascination to him. Man has always expressed a strong desire for understanding such phenomena and making contact with them. This desire is represented in the culture and literature of some human societies in forms of imagination, legend, and myth. Muslims, too, were extremely fond of this topic. The publication of multiple books titled ‘Ajāyib-Nāmih (Books of Wonders) in Islamic culture and civilization proves this fact. In composing such works, Muslim authors relied on the books written by the ancients, as well as anecdotes told by their own contemporaries and perhaps personal observations. They were intrigued by a wide array of wonders, ranging geographically from a large part of the Great Muslim land, to non-Muslim countries located near and far from it. Among the countries referred to as Dār al-Kufr (The Abode of Unbelief), China was perceived as a mysterious land in the Muslims’ mind and imagination. This was due to a its long distance and a lack of communication between the Muslims and the Chinese, resulting in a lack of knowledge about the culture.  The present study aims to explore the portrayal of this large country (China) as explained in the Muslim ‘Ajāyib-writers up to the ninth century A.H./fifteenth century A.D., using the descriptive-analytical method.