Summary of Chapter

Valerie Hansen (2020) describes the globalization and its effect on China. Under the Tang dynasty, eunuchs inspected foreign merchant ships’ cargo, selected what they wanted to buy for the royal courts, and then allowed the merchants to sell whatever was leftover. From the early Song to 1030, the emperor invited and continued the tribute system with trading partners. Later, the system halted and shifted to taxing foreign goods. Superintendents, who oversaw trade, taxed foreign merchant ships three times. The first tax was a 10-20% tax on the total cargo value of the ship. The second tax was a lowering of prices on luxury goods that only the Song government could buy. The third tax was on bulk goods, which could be sold directly to Chinese consumers. One port, Quanzhou, did not have a superintendent, but it still prospered through smuggling. Later, once a superintendent was assigned, this city surpassed Guangzhou in prosperity. This prosperity changed the lives of Fujian residents. Many stopped farming subsistence items in favor of cash crops such as lychee, sugarcane, and hemp. Most farmers bought food from the markets, or quit farming to work in the mines, to fish, or to harvest ocean salt. 5-10% of Fujian population of 5 million were involved in manufacturing of ceramics.

The biggest and most fashionable import from overseas was aromatics or scented woods. Regardless of their socioeconomic class, everyone in China purchased or used aromatics in the daily lives. They used them to fragrant their houses, clothing, and their bodies. They were used in drinks, snacks, and foods. They were included in their medicines. The wealthy consumed large qualities of them and used them to display their wealth. Emperors created their own brand of incense. Chinese merchants experimented with multiple scents to improve the taste of snacks, which were bought even by the poorest of customers. A rebellion in Central China was caused because the locals did not like how the government made them buy aromatics in large quantities.

Interesting Tidbits

There were a lot of interesting trivia included in this chapter about maritime trade and the impact of China’s participation. One trivia point is that Chinese coins were circulated and used as currency in Japan and Java during this time period. Also, under the Yuan Dynasty, Chinese learned more about the geography of Southeast Asia as well as new navigational technology. However, they all thought the world ended beyond the Philippines and that any ship there will just drain out. Therefore, Chinese navigators did not explore the area beyond the Philippines.

Connection to Guiding Question

This chapter’s main focus was the impact of aromatics had on the lives of Chinese under the Song and Yuan dynasties. Aromatics, like scented woods, were not a Chinese local item. They came from trade with Southeast Asia and Indian. Chinese people used them as perfumes, as flavors for their snacks, and as medicines. They were a product everyone used. In exchange for aromatics, they traded ceramics, silk, metals, cash crops, and other materials. Since oversea countries wanted those products, Fujian province focused their economy on those items. About everyone in Fujian was involved in the growing, mining, and manufacturing of exports. Globalization affected the Quanzhou and its province of Fujian.

Hansen, V. (2020). The most globalized place on Earth. In The Year 1000: When Explorers Connected the World. Scribner.