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

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

Monks and Merchants Sustained Trade

Despite the suspension of official tribute relations, Buddhist monks and merchants actively sustained Sino-Japanese trade and religious exchange.
Monasteries needed material goods while merchants gained advantages and spiritual protection through collaboration with monks.

INSIGHT

Early Monk-Merchant Cooperation

Monks shifted from traveling with tribute delegations to relying on merchants' boats, engaging in mutual gift exchange and social interaction.
Merchants sought access to Buddhist networks, enhancing their trade opportunities through these cultivated relationships.

INSIGHT

Monks' Diaries as Strategic Records

Monks' travel diaries were often edited or crafted to highlight the prestige and practical benefits of obtaining Buddhist ritual objects.
These documents served semi-public, political purposes, boosting monastery status and competition.

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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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