Portrait of China in the Book Selsela-t-o-Tavarikh

History attests to longstanding ties between Iran and China. For various reasons, namely trade by land and sea routes, in the Islamic era Muslims set off for China and some wrote down their observation in the course of their journey through this ancient land. Among the travellers who produced written acounts of their travels was Soleiman Tajer Sirafi (the merchant from Siraf) whose memoir of China was compiled in the book Selsela-t-o-Tavaikh, aka Akhbar-o-Sin val Hend (News from China and India. A melange of myth and reality this book is an account of Chinese economic, social, cultural and judicial life in the thrid century (AH). The descriptive-analytical account of China in that era reveals a country under a tyrannical monarchy enjoying vast income grossed from per capita tax and monopoly over commodity. As regards education, unlike many other world regions, literacy was quite prevalent in China, and its economy prospered on its unique tax system and agriculture and handicrafts. Last but not the least, China’s judicial system was systematically capable.