About this book:

*Dragon Roads* provides a comprehensive historical analysis of the Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE), positioning it as a pivotal era of early globalization. The book explores how the dynasty’s territorial expansion and sophisticated statecraft created a cosmopolitan crucible fueled by the "Dragon Roads"—a vast mesh of overland Silk Road trails and maritime "monsoon highways." By integrating archaeological findings with primary texts like the Dunhuang manuscripts, the narrative illustrates how the empire functioned as a central node for the exchange of luxury commodities, such as silk and tea, and transformative technologies, including papermaking and advanced astronomy.

The text emphasizes the human infrastructure of this connectivity, highlighting the role of ethnic middlemen—specifically Sogdian and Uighur merchants—and the diverse religious communities that thrived under imperial patronage. From the planned urban grids of Chang’an and Luoyang to the bustling southern ports of Guangzhou and Yangzhou, the book depicts an empire that managed cultural difference through pragmatic legal codes and ethnic quarters. It also sheds light on the significant roles played by women in court, commerce, and monasteries, challenging traditional patriarchal narratives by showcasing their agency in a world in motion.

A major theme of the work is the resilience of these networks in the face of crisis, particularly the cataclysmic An Lushan Rebellion. The book details how this mid-eighth-century upheaval forced a strategic reconfiguration of China's global engagement, shifting the economic center of gravity from the northern overland routes to the southern maritime corridors. This transition not only sustained the empire’s fiscal foundations through new monopolies and taxes but also ensured the survival of Tang-era cosmopolitanism through the subsequent Five Dynasties period and into the Song Dynasty.

Ultimately, *Dragon Roads* invites a rethinking of globalization by demonstrating that the integration of Eurasia began centuries before European maritime expansion. The author argues that the Tang Dynasty’s history of managing long-distance trade, religious pluralism, and technological diffusion provides an essential historical perspective on how modern polities navigate the tensions of an interconnected world. The legacy of the Tang—found in its enduring artistic styles, legal frameworks, and cultural myths—continues to shape Chinese identity and its contemporary global ambitions.