Wei Yüan and Images of the Nan-Yang

-23- " r WEI Y U A N AND IMAGES OF THE N A N -YANG ( ) Jane Kate Leonard A s s o ciate P r o f e s s o r of History Kean College of New Jersey 1. The Treat ise on the sea kingdoms and the Chinese g e o g r a p h i c a l tradition 2. A statecraft a p p r o a c h to g e o g r a p h i c a l wr i t i n g 3. The structure of the T r e atise 4. C h inese sources and images of the N a n -yang Conclu s ions Notes Wei Yuan's Treat ise on the sea kingdoms (H a i -kuo t'u- $ ( D ) has been the object of scholarly attention as one of C h i n a ’s first responses to the West during China's initial clash wit h the B r itish during the First Opium War. Emphasis has been placed on Wei's geo g r a p h i c a l d e s cription of the West and on his use of W e s t e r n sources, both of whi c h are generally seen as e v i dence of the impact of the 1 West. W h i l e it is quite true that We s t e r n sources w ere used in the text and this c o n t r i b u t e d to the e x p a n s i o n of Chinese geographical knowl e d g e of the West, this W e s t e r n info r m a t i o n did not s i g n i f i c a n t l y alter Wei Yu a n ' s vie w of the m a r i t i m e tributary order nor the na t u r e of the m a r i t i m e world. Moreover -24studies which focus on the impact of the West and Western geographical knowledge have obscured the fact that 1) the Nanyang (maritime Asia), not the West, was the central focus of Wei's Tre ati se, 2) that Chinese geographical writings constituted Wei's most important sources in terms of shaping his geopolitical views of the maritime world, and 3) that his use of Western sources was determined by his need for current information about conditions in the Nan -y a n g . In other words, the Treatise on the sea kingdoms was a traditionally inspired work in terms of its purpose, structure, underlying geopolitical assumptions, and sources. This paper seeks to clarify the nature of the Treatise and to interpret its significance as a traditional Chinese statement about the foreign maritime world. It will consider Wei's purpose in writing the Treati se, its structure and format, and Wei's use of source materials, and will conclude with comments about the validity of using the "Western impact" approach to nineteenth-century Chinese history. The "Treatise on the sea kingdoms" and the Chinese geographical tradition The Treatise was a part of a long tradition in geographical writing which dates back to the Warring States period when the earliest geographical text was written. From that time, geographical writing developed as a special genre of Chinese literature which included special essays on geography in the official dynastic histories, local gazeteers, accounts of private travelers, imperial encyclopedias as well as fantastic accounts of remote barbarian regions. Chinese geographies have traditionally dealt with both China proper and the less- -25civilized , non-Chinese world, and have encompassed a broad range of practical subjects, from local customs and topography to history, politics, and economic conditions. Treatments of China proper, which describe local characteristics with meticulous care, served to acquaint officials with local conditions, helping them to govern wisely in response to local needs. Writings about the barbarian world served to alert the Chinese to conditions in neighboring border regions which affected trade and security on China's frontiers. Information...