Connected Cartographies: World Geography and the Sino-Western Translation of Knowledge, 1580-1842

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Florin-Stefan Morar (National University of Singapore)

Connected Cartographies

World Geography and the Sino-Western Translation of Knowledge, 1580-1842

Florin-Stefan Morar (National University of Singapore)

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Hardback

Forthcoming
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English

Cambridge University Press
31 July 2025

Asian history; Early modern history: c 1450 to c 1700; Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900; History of science; Cartography, map-making & projections

In the 'Age of Discovery', explorers brought a wealth of information about new and strange lands from across the oceans. Yet, even as the Americas appeared on new world maps, China remained a cartographic mystery. How was the puzzle of China's geography unravelled? Connected Cartographies demonstrates that knowledge about China was generated differently, not through exploration but through a fascinating bi-directional cross-cultural exchange of knowledge. Florin-Stefan Morar shows that interactions between Chinese and Western cartographic traditions led to the creation of a new genre of maps that incorporated features from both. This genre included works by renowned cartographers such as Abraham Ortelius and Matteo Ricci and other less-known works, 'black tulips of cartography,' hidden in special collections. Morar builds upon original sources in multiple languages from archives across three continents, producing a pioneering reconstruction of Sino-Western cartographic exchanges that shaped the modern world map and our shared global perspective.

By: Florin-Stefan Morar (National University of Singapore)
Imprint: Cambridge University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
ISBN: 9781009636032
ISBN 10: 1009636030
Pages: 285
Publication Date: 31 July 2025
Audience: College/higher education , Further / Higher Education
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Florin-Stefan Morar is Assistant Professor of the History of Science at the National University of Singapore working on the global history of science, the history of international relations, and digital humanities.

Reviews for Connected Cartographies: World Geography and the Sino-Western Translation of Knowledge, 1580-1842

'Morar carries forward recent shifts in cartographic history to challenge the idea that Europe 'discovered' the rest of the world by looking closely at how cartographers, both European and Chinese, crossed cultures as they put the world together on paper.' Timothy Brook, University of British Columbia In this masterful study, Morar charts how translation and adaptation-not just exploration-crafted early global perspectives in both China and Europe. 'Connected Cartographies' offers a fresh perspective on how Jesuit maps, Manchu border policies, and Qing expansion reshaped the meaning of 'empire' and 'border' itself, underscoring the importance of hybrid cartographic traditions for modern global history. Hyunhee Park, The City University of New York 'Connected Cartographies' offers a compelling narrative of the interactive co-emergence of early modernity in China and Europe in the fields of world geography and cartography. Qiong Zhang, Wake Forest University