Shipwrecked TANG TREASURES and Monsoon Winds

Foreword George Yeo, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Singapore

The ninth-century Arab dhow that carried the Tang Shipwreck Treasure and sank some 400 miles south of Singapore was part of an earlier era of globalization. It was the age of the Tang, China’s greatest dynasty, and the height of the Abbasid Empire. The cities of Chang’an and Baghdad were linked by commerce transported via both overland and maritime silk routes. In the previous century, at the battle of Talas, an eastward-moving Abbasid army had defeated a Tang army that crossed the Tian Shan mountain range in Central Asia. According to one account, the Abbasids captured Chinese papermakers and learned how to mass-produce paper. That technology, which the Chinese had kept secret for centuries, quickly moved westward, transforming the Islamic world and, much later, Europe. After Talas, no Chinese army would cross the Tian Shan again. It was enough to trade. Trade flowed over land and sea, linking diverse parts of Asia. As ships could carry a much greater load than camels could, the maritime route from East Asia through Southeast Asia to South and West Asia became more important, with the Gulf serving as an important hub. Buddhism and Islam were the portable religions of the time. In Southeast Asia, Buddhist Srivijaya held sway. In South Asia, the great Buddhist university, Nalanda, received monks who traveled through Central and Southeast Asia. The encounter between Buddhism and Islam was largely peaceful, a relationship that continues to this day. Indeed, the Tang Shipwreck Treasure collection was found with pieces bearing Buddhist and Islamic motifs sitting side by side. We hear echoes of that world in this century. In a new age of globalization, different parts of the world are connected once again by trade. By researching the voyage of the collection, its content, and the global economy of that period, we can learn lessons that apply today. Diversity may be a reason for conflict, but it also can be a source of learning and creativity. In celebrating that glorious past, we can draw inspiration for the future.

Source:

https://www.asia.si.edu/Shipwrecked/downloads/01Intro.pdf

The adventures of ninth-century Arab seafarers inspired the tales of Sinbad the Sailor. In this exhibition, you can discover the stories behind a real ninth-century shipwreck. Explore the world of the ship, meet the sailors who crewed it, and learn more about its remarkable cargo.

Source:

https://www.asia.si.edu/Shipwrecked/catalogue.asp