851: Soleiman al-Tajir (苏莱曼)
Frequented the Marine Silk Road
Soleiman al-Tajir was an Arabic merchant who frequently travelled throughout China and India during the mid 9th century. His routes included the ancient Marine Silk Road (海上丝绸之路), the Persian Gulf (波斯湾), and the Indian Ocean (印度洋).
Mesmerised by porcelain
In 851 CE, Tajir reached the city of Guangzhou. However, he claimed the trip was dangerous because piracy and storms were both common at sea.
Tajir was mesmerised by China. He found porcelain to be remarkable and exotic, both the process of creation and the end products. He also visited the granary systems and tea farms.
High tax on imported goods, kept fingerprints of foreigners
Tajir described how the Guangzhou municipal government ran itself and noted that the local officials were not particularly friendly to the foreigners. Not only did they tax imported goods at excessively high rates, but they also kept fingerprint records of foreign merchants and travellers.
Muslim Iman of Guangzhou appointed by emperor
Tajir recorded that there was a sizeable Muslim population in Guangzhou. They had their own mosques (清真寺) and bazaars. In addition, the community had its own Imam (伊瑪目) who was personally appointed by Emperor Xuan-zong (唐宣宗, reign 846–859).
Might have met Jews
Scholars have suggested that al-Tajir may have encountered Jews during his visits.