HISTORY OF CHINESE IN THE CROSS-ASIA TRADE

Can ensure that when the Prophet Muhammad ordered the Muslims to seek knowledge through to China (early 7th century) no one else the Chinese people who had been converted to Islam. If calculated by the straight-line distance between the Medina (the approximate time he said:) with the city of Xi'an (the ancient city in China) reached 6720 kilometers. Across Iraq, Iran, Pakistan (India), and the vast Chinese mainland.

Why China? Because China has indeed known as a nation that has a high civilization in the eyes of the Arabs.

China land border as it has protected a large wall (great wall) is built in stages from dynasty to dynasty from the 3rd century BC until the end of the 15th century AD. Behind the great wall that the Chinese civilization and culture develop. Various kinds of beliefs and a large number of influential thinkers in the world civilization was behind the wall.

The first relationship is between the Arab Muslims and the Chinese nation through the world of cross-continent trade (countries). This occurred after the first years of the death of the Prophet Muhammad. Not only for trade, among other religious missionaries such as Jews and Christians, the merchants did the message of Islam in the country. Therefore, some researchers argue that Chinese history is the first nation to embrace Islam outside the Arab nation. Islam has been regarded as the ancestral religion of the Chinese nation in addition to religions and other beliefs.

Morris Rossabi, a historian from the University of New York (Encarta 2003) gives a picture, the fall of the Han Dynasty in the early 3rd century is the cause of reduced trade "silk route".
However, the rise of the Tang Dynasty in the 7th century revived the commercial world. In fact, in the Tang period can be seen a large number of events in the flow of merchandise across Asia.
It occurs as a result of increased inter-cultural relations, as many in the Islamic influence on Chinese civilization dances and music, especially in the nations of Central Asia.

Opening the Middle East map in the past is open the map of religion, trade, politics, and culture. Religions and followers in the circle area, turned out to be traders and missionaries great religions of the world. This occurred starting in the year 1000 BC to 1400 AD Around 2400 years they struggled in the world of trade and establish a path known as the "silk route". Began to Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hindu, Buddhist, Zoroastrian, and Manichaeis involved in the mixing.
Middle East map is the most vulnerable in the world in various conflicts of interest. Religions have had a tremendous role in giving color to the area. Until now the conflict in the region was focused on four issues, namely, religion, trade, politics, and culture. There are times when the conflict had on the damping. However, other times a battle.

Dr.Richard Foltz, a historian from Columbia University in Religion and Overland Trade in Asia, 1000 BC to AD 1400 (Encarta Reference Library 2003), explaining his analysis with interest. At the beginning of the past century AD, some followers of world religions to do a similar pattern to the growth and spread from west to east through the trade routes of the trans-Asia known as the "silk route". Buddhism, Christianity, Manichaeism (one of the widespread belief that disappeared in the 16th century), and send most of Islam through the merchants and missionaries who joined the caravan merchants.
Religion is a basic view (belief) that is different from one another. However, culture is a neutral point that can be crossed by any religion, including those who do not believe in god or not religious ones. Culture and culture is a "highway" is used also as an entry point for any purposes, including commercial businesses such as trade.

As a new religious community that comes across Asia, they continually demonstrate their identity to ensure the expansion of the spirit of the fellow merchants. Dus, the relationship of religious traditions to trade with each other are interdependent; word history, there's always the idea of religious and cultural world as a relationship that can be understood through long-distance commercial activity.

The name "silk route", as in Foltz stated, obtained from east to west traffic on the famous Chinese silk during Roman rule. When he returned, the merchant took the gold, silver, and wool to China.
Scrap pieces of silk found in Egyptian tombs dated from around 1000 BC was the beginning of the facts such as traffic, but some scholars believe it is an active route in the beginning of the century.
Persian with his pasture likely play a major role in delivering the product as a broad range. The ancient Israelites - Jewish ancestors - also allows a long trade "silk route".

Traditional religions in China are not developed to the west (Foltz) because it does not have a large influence compared with other religions. Although the teachings of Confucius and the Tao is more seen as a philosophy rather than religious doctrine, it has a tremendous influence. In fact, Khong Hu Chu himself by some Chinese people have regarded as a "prophet" who can renew the morality of society.
Therefore, Foltz was still in sight, as a model for traditional beliefs, Taoist and Confucian go outside the territory of China for their ideas converge in the Chinese culture. A very strong influence of Chinese teaching in other communities in east Asia is very much a function into a force of civilization in East Asia.

Trade mission to reach the Arab Muslims of China in a small group after the early years of the death of the Prophet Muhammad. They make the relationship between Persian and Sogdian Muslims who are preserved. All the faiths in the West reached a position in China under the Mongols in 1200's and 1300's, but they tie up the fate of his patron (Foltz).
Keep the record of the year 1200 until 1300 was a century Mongol invasion, as did Genghis Khan in 1227 in the Kingdom Singasari. Though the invasion had failed, as its impact has been to reconcile the two great cultures, between China and Java, which merged with the Mongol army was left with the indigenous population.

The meeting was as much the culture described in the Chronicle (tradition of Java) is estimated to begin the development of Chinese science pertabiban. The tradition of herbal medicine-making based on the royal courts of Java probably derived from the 11th century.
After the era of Genghis Khan's invasion of the archipelago led to such a large empire of Majapahit and Sriwijaya was the beginning of the journey Chinese intellectuals in the kingdom. Cheng Ho (Zheng He) in the early 14th century Cirebon landed in the waters. He cited as an admiral (naval general) Muslim and Sunan Gunungjati could meet.

With the fall of the Mongols, Yuan in 1368, as described Foltz, a period of peace which is also a gift inter Asian trade since coming to the end. With their relationship to cultural centers in the western denominations, Zoroastrian, Jewish, Manichaeis, and Christian faded from the screen in South Asia. Vain belief of Islam as a minority in Turkey and China's Hui Muslims. Only Buddha can adapt and blend them to taste the remnants of a vital force in Chinese society.

Formation of trade of the past traditions is that until now remains a moral force menggamangkan the West. In Samuel Huntington's thesis - The Class of Civilizations - is mentioned, after the collapse of the Soviet Union as a balancing force of the West, other forces in Asia is considered as a new opponent for the West, especially America. These forces include the Islamic (Middle East), Confucius (Chinese), Hindu (India), Shinto (Japan), and Buddha.
Religious strength in Huntington's view is also rooted in the real culture of the past that never ripped from its roots. Huntington may be aware, if the United States who is now a superpower the world has no historical background is strong on religion, culture, and trade as the Eastern nations.