Yiwen Li, "Networks of Faith and Profit: Monks, Merchants, and Exchanges Between China and Japan, 839-1403 CE" (Cambridge UP, 2023)

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Aug 13, 2023

Yiwen Li, an associate professor of history at City University of Hong Kong, delves into the intriguing dynamics between monks and merchants in her new book. She reveals how, despite a pause in official ties, a robust religio-commercial network flourished between China and Japan from 839 to 1403 CE. Listeners will learn about key historical sources and figures, the resilience of this network during Buddhist persecution, and the transformative role of Chinese merchants in promoting Zen Buddhism in Japan. It's a captivating exploration of faith meeting commerce!

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INSIGHT

Buddhism Persecution's Limited Impact

The 9th-century persecution of Buddhism in China briefly hindered monks like Anin but did not stop Japanese pilgrimages.
The resilient network allowed Buddhist exchange to continue shortly after the anti-Buddhist measures ended.

INSIGHT

Why Tribute Relations Were Suspended

Both Song China and Japan declined to resume tributary relations due to Japan's self-sufficiency and Song's internal threats.
The Song instead regulated maritime trade through a system favoring private merchants and customs revenue.

INSIGHT

Chinese Merchants' Permanent Settlement

The establishment of the Chinese quarter in Hakata enabled Chinese merchants to reside permanently and build lasting local ties.
Merchants aligned with Japanese monasteries, cultivating protection and strengthening Sino-Japanese religious-commercial networks.

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In her book, Networks of Faith and Profit: Monks, Merchants, and Exchanges Between China and Japan, 839-1403 CE (Cambridge UP, 2023), associate professor of history at City University of Hong Kong Yiwen Li studies the period when the tribute relationship between China and Japan was suspended. Although this official, diplomatic relationship ceased, Li reveals the related development of a vibrant religio-commercial network of Buddhist monks and merchants, who greatly facilitated both trade and Buddhist activity between China and Japan. Carefully analyzing a rich array of sources–both Chinese and Japanese–including Buddhist writings, letters, poems, legal records, archeological findings, and material culture, she recovers relationships vital to Sino-Japanese relations.

In this episode, Li shares how she first developed her research interests in Chinese and Japanese history. She then walks listeners through her book, considering major shifts in the network. She touches upon key figures and moments as monks shifted from practices and procedures developed during formal tribute missions to their collaborations with merchants, who helped transport them and material objects–both ritual and commercial–across the sea in exchange for access to their Buddhist networks and political connections. This network deepened over time, especially when Japanese authorities allowed Chinese merchants to permanently reside in Hakata, Japan, and they became important agents in the transmission of Zen Buddhism to Japan. Yiwen Li has crafted a solid, accessible history of maritime East Asia, shedding light on a private network that sustained Sino-Japanese commerce and religious exchange during a 600-year gap in formal tributary relations.

Laurie Dickmeyer is an Assistant Professor of History at Angelo State University, where she teaches courses in Asian and US history. Her research concerns nineteenth century US-China relations. She can be reached at laurie.dickmeyer@angelo.edu.

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