Maritime politics changed over time, and so did local perceptions and activities. People involved in maritime commerce had to react to changes in government decrees or instructions. This volume introduces political decisions and their background, agents involved into maritime trade – from private merchants over pirates to government institutions, including military – and practical questions of seafaring (diets, navigation maps, etc.) and diplomacy, but also looks into archaeological evidence and local perceptions of the maritime world, covering the period from ca. 900 to 1800.

Contributors are: Leonard Blussé, Cai Ellen Xiangyu, Patrizia Carioti, John Chaffee, Cheng Weichung, Wim De Winter, Ubaldo Iaccarino, Kimura Jun, Li Man, Ma Guang, Elke Papelitzky, Angela Schottenhammer, Mark Staniforth, Mathieu Torck, and Xu Zhexin.