Continuities in European descriptions of continental East Asia from the thirteenth to the mid-seventeenth century

: Continuities in European descriptions of continental East Asia from the thirteenth to the mid-seventeenth century

Abstract

This thesis examines the continuities in the European perception of continental East Asia until the mid-sixteenth century. Scholarship tends to separate the contacts between Europe and continental East Asia into two separate periods: the medieval (1245-1350s) and the early modern (from 1500) contact period. This strict division does not hold up to scrutiny. To highlight the continuities between the two contact periods, the thesis examines the religious image of the East contained in European travel reports from the thirteenth century onwards. It finds that the overall image of continental East Asia as a region which shows a pro-Christian disposition is retained for the entirety of the examined period. Contrary to an Orientalist understanding of the contacts, local Asian communities played an instrumental role in shaping and perpetuating this image. While there are some changes in the perception, they cannot be attributed to the period of no direct travel. Medieval narratives like the legend of prester John, St. Thomas, or the positive predisposition of the East Asian people continued to influence the European image of the East, even after intercontinental travel declined in the mid-fourteenth century. Based on these findings, the early modern Jesuit interest in and approach to China is reframed. It is seen not as a radically new approach, but rather as the result of a slow process of transformation, which mostly took place in the early modern period.

Date of Award	15 Jan 2026
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Nottingham
Supervisor	Joseph Askew (Supervisor) & Matteo Salonia (Supervisor)