Foreign Astral Sciences in China - From the Six Dynasties to the Northern Song

This book explores the history of foreign astral science in China from the unique viewpoint of the knowledge introduced to the Middle Kingdom by monks, travellers, and merchants from different parts of Eurasia throughout the first millennium CE.
By comparing the extant works in Chinese with parallel materials in their original languages, including texts in Sanskrit and P¿li for the Buddhist materials, and in other languages for works by the Nestorians, Zoroastrians, and Manicheans, this book fills a lacuna in the understanding of the role foreign scientific ideas played in Chinese and East Asian societies.
Including full English translations of a number of Chinese texts of foreign origin for the first time, together with commentaries and the critically edited original Chinese texts, this book will appeal to students and scholars of the history of science, and Chinese history.

List of contents

1. Introduction Part 1: History 2. Early Transmission and Reception 3. Indian Astronomical Knowledge during Sui and Tang 4. Exotic Planetary Lore in China from Mid-Tang to Northern Song 5. Interaction of foreign astral science with indigenous systems from Tang to Northern Song Part 2: Texts 6. Early Vedic and Buddhist Astral Texts 7. Sino-Indian astronomical texts during Sui and Tang 8. Planetary treatises across Eurasia 9. Conclusion

About the author

Bill M. Mak is Professor of History of Science at the University of Science and Technology of China and Research Associate at the Needham Research Institute, Cambridge, U.K.

Product details

• Authors: Bill M. Mak
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Release: 23.03.2026
• EAN: 9781138477599
• ISBN: 978-1-138-47759-9
• No. of pages: 520
• Weight: 453 g
• Illustrations: schwarz-weiss Illustrationen, Raster,schwarz-weiss, Tabellen, schwarz-weiss
• Series: Needham Research Institute Series
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Geosciences > Geography; Social sciences, law, business > Social sciences (general); China, History, RELIGION / General, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Regional Studies, RELIGION / Buddhism / General, RELIGION / Buddhism / History, HISTORY / Asia / China, Philosophy of Science, Buddhism, History of Religion, History of Science, Regional Studies, Regional / International studies, Philosophy of religion, Philosophical traditions and schools of thought, Non-Western philosophy, Religion and science, Religion & science, Oriental Religions, East Asian religions and spiritual beliefs