Illustrated Gazetteer of the Maritime Kingdoms: Volume 5

Preface to the Southeast Oceans

Preface to the Southeast Oceans

Wei Yuan states: Among the records of maritime nations, none are more muddled than the "Treatise on Foreign Countries" in the History of Ming original: "明史外國傳" (Mingshi Waiguo Zhuan). This was the official history of the preceding Ming dynasty, compiled by the Qing government.. That treatise was finalized during the Qianlong era The reign of the Qianlong Emperor, 1735–1796., and was based only upon the Draft History of Ming and Wang Qi’s Supplement to the Comprehensive Examination of Literature. It suffers from three major flaws.

The first flaw is the failure to distinguish between the Western Oceans original: "西洋" (Xiyang). In this context, it refers to the Indian Ocean and the European powers reached via that route. and the Southern Oceans original: "南洋" (Nanyang). Refers to Southeast Asia.. Places like Calicut original: "古里" (Guli), a major port on the southwest coast of India. and the Coromandel Coast original: "瑣里" (Suoli), referring to the Chola Kingdom or the Coromandel region of southeastern India. are all countries near the Southern Oceans, yet they are grouped in the same volume as the Netherlands and the Franks original: "佛郎機" (Folangji). A term derived from "Franks," used by the Chinese to refer first to the Portuguese and later the Spanish.. Italy is located at the furthest western reaches of the Great Ocean, yet it is grouped in the same volume as Cochin original: "柯枝" (Kezhi), in modern Kerala, India. and Bengal. To claim that the "Franks" are near Malacca is like saying the ancient states of Qin and Yue Two states from ancient China located at opposite ends of the known world; an idiom for things that are vastly far apart. share the same mat. This is the first flaw.

The second flaw is the failure to distinguish between island nations and coastal nations. To claim that Brunei original: "淳泥" (Chunni). is the same as Patani original: "大泥" (Dani), a kingdom on the Malay Peninsula. is to move an island onto the coast. To claim that Aceh original: "亞齊" (Yaqi), on the tip of Sumatra. is the same as the Tazik original: "大食" (Dashi). A traditional Chinese term for the Arabs. or Persia is to move the coast onto an island. To claim that Johor is the "Land of the Buddha" Wei Yuan is criticizing the confusion between Johor and India, the birthplace of Buddhism., or that the "East and West Zhu Islands" are the same as India original: "天竺" (Tianzhu)., or that Panduranga original: "賓童龍" (Bintonglong), a kingdom of the Champa people in modern Vietnam. is Shravasti An ancient Indian city associated with the life of the Buddha., is to move the "Western Heaven" A common Chinese name for India, particularly in a Buddhist context. into the Eastern Seas. As for Borneo, Java, and the regions below...