Introduction


Both China and Japan has their own rich culture as well as history. The said two countries are considered as one two of the most powerful as well as famous countries in Asia as well as in the whole world. The rich and long history of the said countries also helped them to shape and improve their cultures and traditions as well as other related aspects such as arts, literatures and beliefs.


Both of the country had been a subject for many historical books and their cultures and tradition are one of the most used themes in many of literature forms.


Louise Levathes’ When China Rules the Seas: The Treasure Fleet of the Dragon Throne, 1405-1433, and Pierre Francoi Souyri’s The World Turned Upside Down: Medieval Japanese Society. Both of the said books are dedicated to the rich history of the said countries and how those happenings and events had affected the present cultures and traditions of the said countries.


Differences between Leyathes’ and Souyri’s Books


            Many of the critiques have said that both of the books are ideal for those undergraduates and or those who are considered as starter in terms of history of China and Japan. This is due to the fact that both of the books had been presented and illustrated in clear manner.


One of the primary differences between the two books is the vastness of the scope of the study. Primarily, Levathes focuses on the relationship of China with the foreign country. On the other hand, Souyri’s focuses on the internal affairs of Japan.


Levathes focuses on the settings of China, a hundred years before Columbus and the time where in the Europeans are beginning to make their way to the New World. The book focuses on the story of the voyage of the Chinese people as part of their foreign relations. The book focuses on the time of China, where in the said country is beginning to be involved in the foreign trade as well as to build their name and position in the naval aspect of the world.


On the other hand, Souyri’s book focuses its topic in the subject about the transitional period of the Japan or the time of the age of the warriors. Or considered as the time where in the country is facing the political as well as social developments of the country during the twelfth century.


Another thing is that, while the book of Levathes shows the success of China, and its revolution in foreign relations and trade as well as the peak of career of China in the history of the world, Souyri’s book shows the start or the beginning of the blossoming career of Japan in terms of freedom and economic as well as political development.


In addition to that, Levathes begins the story of China in the voyage of the Ming dynasty up to the decline of the power and authority of the country. On the other hand, Souyri’s book begins the story of the history of Japan during the low status or moment of the country and then continues to narrate the different events and happenings that had helped the country to survive during the darkest moment of the history of the world.


In general, Souyri’s book shows the evolution of Japan from the dark era, where in fear is reigning in the heart of the citizens and where in warriors are following the principle of the weak should die and the stronger will live and reign. It shows the development of Japan, from a country that is full of chaos and war, to a country that is promoting peace, harmony as well as serenity. It also shows how it helped the country to become one of the most powerful countries in the world up until now.


On the other hand, Levathes shows the peak of its career and its fall. It shows the success of the Ming dynasty in becoming one of the most important entities in the foreign trade, but the ending of the story is not that happy.


Cultural Learning


            One of the primary factor that I have learned from the book of Levathes is about how China had been able to discover the West, before the European had explore the Vasco de Gama, and before Christopher Columbus had been able to travel to Asia. It only shows that Europeans cannot be considered as the initiators of voyage and discoveries in Asia and other part of the world. It also shows that Chinese are considered as the traders and business minded, and considered as one of the primary countries who had established foreign trades.


            In addition to that, the book also shows that the notion about the civilized West is the one that discover the Far East is wrong. It only shows that China is one of the leaders or greatest race of all time.


            On the other hand, Souyri’s book had been able to show the determination as well as the fighting skills of the Japanese people.  On the other hand, Japan also faced several problems in terms of peacefulness and harmony in the country. The time of transition had helped Japan to rise from its low status in the world. It had also helped them to be developed in terms of different cultural expression such as poetry, theatre, garden design, tea ceremony and flower arranging as well as its illustrated scrolls that is considered as the national identity of the country.


            All of the said factor can be considered as the root of the rich culture and traditions of the country.


References


Souyri, Pierre Francois, The World Turned Upside Down: Medieval Japanese Society. Translated by Kathe Roth. New York: Columbia University Press, 2000


 


Levathes, L When China Ruled the Seas: The Treasure Fleet of the Dragon Throne, 1405-1433, Oxford: Oxford University Press.



Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com


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