Daqin
Sign in to savethumb|300px|Daqin Guo (大秦國) appears at the Western edge, third from the bottom, of this Chinese world map, the Sihai Huayi Zongtu.
Article
20 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Daqin
- Fulin
- History
- Early descriptions by Gan Ying
- Geographical descriptions in the Weilüe
- Christianity
- Capital cities
- Characteristics attributed from the Book of Jin to the Romans
- Embassies
- Currency and coinage
- Law and order
- Naming conventions
- See also
- Notes
- References
- Citations
- Sources
- Further reading
- External links
thumb|300px|Daqin Guo (大秦國) appears at the Western edge, third from the bottom, of this Chinese world map, the Sihai Huayi Zongtu.
Daqin (; alternative transliterations include Tachin, '''Tai-Ch'in') is the ancient Chinese name for the Roman Empire or, depending on context, the Near East, especially Syria. It literally means "Great Qin"; Qin () being the name of the founding dynasty of the Chinese Empire. Historian John Foster defined it as "the Roman Empire, or rather that part of it which alone was known to the Chinese, Syria". Its basic facets such as laws, customs, dress, and currency were explained in Chinese sources. Its medieval incarnation was described in histories during the Tang dynasty (618–907 AD) onwards as Fulin (), which Friedrich Hirth and other scholars have identified as the Byzantine Empire. Daqin was also commonly associated with the Syriac-speaking Nestorian Christians who lived in China during the Tang dynasty.