From Court to Local Society: The Dissemination and Representation of the FarangHorse Tribute in the Yuan Dynasty
Vol. 56 No. 3 9/2026
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Title |
From Court to Local Society: The Dissemination and Representation of the FarangHorse Tribute in the Yuan Dynasty |
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Author |
Lee Chia-yu |
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Genre |
Artical |
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Pages |
563~599 |
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Download |
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Language |
Chinese |
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Key words |
Farang 拂郎 horse tribute, gift diplomacy, Farang Heavenly Horse,Yuan poetry, Painting of the Farang Kingdom’s Tribute Horse |
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Abstract |
The tribute of horses from the Farang 拂郎 has long been regarded as animportant basis for the sustained and active interactions between the Mongol Yuan Empire and the Papacy. The extensive corpus of images and poetic compositions surrounding this event further rendered it one of the most representative textual and artistic subjects in the late Yuan dynasty. Centering on the horse tribute of Zhizheng 至正 2 (1342), this article examines its transmission and literary representation in the Yuan dynasty. The study argues that the event should not be understood merely within the framework of a hierarchical “tribute” from subordinate to ruler, but rather as a paradigmatic instance of gift diplomacy during the Pax Mongolica. The Yuan emperor Shundi 順帝 (r. 1333–1370), whose legitimacy was often contested, strategically transformed the tribute horse into the Farang Heavenly Horse, symbolizing the Mandate of Heaven, thereby constructing a political discourse favorable to his rule. Furthermore, this article demonstrates how images and poems were mobilized to serve imperial authority, while also revealing the diversity of non-official responses, ranging from panegyrics to the flourishing age, to laments of frustration, and to nostalgic reflections on a lost past. |
Author:
Lee Chia-yu
Genre:
Article