Milestone·Rashidun
Arab Envoys Reach the Tang Court in China
- Date
- 651 CE30 AH1,375 years ago
- Place
- Chang'an, Tang China
- People
- Uthman ibn Affan, Emperor Gaozong
Chinese annals record an Arab embassy to the Tang court in 651, during the reign of Emperor Gaozong. Muslim tradition links the mission to Caliph Uthman. The embassy is often described as the first formal contact between the Islamic state and China. Trade by land and sea between the two regions grew over the following centuries.
Why it matters
The contact marked the start of formal relations between the Islamic state and imperial China.