The King’s Road

Diplomacy and the Remaking of the Silk Road

Xin Wen

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Hardback

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English

Princeton University Pres
01 May 2025

History; Asian history; Globalization; Diplomacy

An exciting and richly detailed new history of the Silk Road that tells how it became more important as a route for diplomacy than for trade.

The King's Road offers a new interpretation of the history of the Silk Road, emphasising its importance as a diplomatic route, rather than a commercial one. Tracing the arduous journeys of diplomatic envoys, Xin Wen presents a rich social history of long-distance travel that played out in deserts, post stations, palaces, and polo fields. The book tells the story of the everyday lives of diplomatic travelers on the Silk Road

what they ate and drank, the gifts they carried, and the animals that accompanied them

and how they navigated a complex web of geographic, cultural, and linguistic boundaries. It also describes the risks and dangers envoys faced along the way

from financial catastrophe to robbery and murder.

Using documents unearthed from the famous Dunhuang 'library cave' in Western China, The King's Road paints a detailed picture of the intricate network of trans-Eurasian transportation and communication routes that was established between 850 and 1000 CE. By exploring the motivations of the kings who dispatched envoys along the Silk Road and describing the transformative social and economic effects of their journeys, the book reveals the inner workings of an interstate network distinct from the Sino-centric 'tributary' system.

In shifting the narrative of the Silk Road from the transport of commodities to the exchange of diplomatic gifts and personnel, The King's Road puts the history of Eastern Eurasia in a new light.

'Illuminating.'

Peter Gordon, Asian Review of Books

'A remarkably in-depth analysis of an important topic that has previously received little attention... To the field of Asian Studies, this book is a highly valuable and insightful new contribution.'

Graham Squires, World History Encyclopedia

'A refreshingly new interpretation of the route through the lens of diplomacy centered in Dunhuang.'

Choice

'Wen successfully reconstructs a lively world of diplomatic travelers on the Silk Road between 850 and 1000... Comprehensive in coverage and meticulously researched, The King's Road is a long-awaited addition to the study of Dunhuang documents and the social lives along the Silk Road.'

Hang Lin, Acta Via Serica

'Xin Wen's The King's Road offers a convincing corrective to both Silk Road and ""tributary system"" concepts as applied to medieval China

or, in his useful geographic terminology, Eastern Eurasia.'

James A. Millward, Journal of Chinese History

By: Xin Wen
Imprint: Princeton University Pres
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 235mm, Width: 156mm,
ISBN: 9780691243191
ISBN 10: 0691243190
Pages: 408
Publication Date: 01 May 2025
Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , General/trade , Primary , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Xin Wen is assistant professor of East Asian studies and history at Princeton University.

Reviews for The King’s Road: Diplomacy and the Remaking of the Silk Road

""Winner of the James Henry Breasted Prize, American Historical Association"" ""Winner of the Keimyung Silk Road Award, Academia Via Serica"" ""Winner of the Joseph Levenson Pre-1900 Book Prize, Association for Asian Studies"" ""Illuminating.""---Peter Gordon, Asian Review of Books ""A remarkably in-depth analysis of an important topic that has previously received little attention. . . . To the field of Asian Studies, this book is a highly valuable and insightful new contribution.""---Graham Squires, World History Encyclopedia ""A refreshingly new interpretation of the route through the lens of diplomacy centered in Dunhuang."" * Choice * ""Wen successfully reconstructs a lively world of diplomatic travelers on the Silk Road between 850 and 1000. . . . Comprehensive in coverage and meticulously researched, The King’s Road is a long-awaited addition to the study of Dunhuang documents and the social lives along the Silk Road.""---Hang Lin, Acta Via Serica ""Xin Wen’s The King’s Road offers a convincing corrective to both Silk Road and ‘tributary system’ concepts as applied to medieval China—or, in his useful geographic terminology, Eastern Eurasia.""---James A. Millward, Journal of Chinese History ""A compelling exploration of public and cultural diplomacy. . . . [The King's Road] provides a unique and invaluable perspective on the cultural history of medieval Eurasia.""---Catalin-Stefan Popa, Al-Masāq