Publisher's Synopsis
Maritime politics changed over time, and so did local perceptions and activities. People involved in maritime commerce had to react to changes in government decrees or instructions. This volume introduces political decisions and their background, agents involved into maritime trade - from private merchants over pirates to government institutions, including military - and practical questions of seafaring (diets, navigation maps, etc.) and diplomacy, but also looks into archaeological evidence and local perceptions of the maritime world, covering the period from ca. 900 to 1800. Contributors are: Angela Schottenhammer, Kimura Jun, Mark Staniforth, Li Man, John Chaffee, Ma Guang, Elke Papelitzky, Mathieu Torck, Xu Zhexin, Cheng Weichung, Leonard Blussé, Ubaldo Iaccarino, Cai Xiangyu (Ellen), Wim De Winter, and Patrizia Carioti.
