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Kurz: Boni in Chinese Sources NSC Working Paper No. 4What we learn thus from the Ming shilu is that for two decades relations were rather closebetween Boni and China, and that this occurred during the reign of the Yongle emperor,who had had a profound interest in Southeast Asia. After his death, the interest in thisregion was replaced by a turn inwards, the focus of the imperial government and theemperors turning from overseas to inland.Interestingly all diplomatic relations in 1412, 1413, 1415, 1417, 1421, 1426, were handled bymembers of the royal family of Boni, and in most cases these were uncles or grand‐uncles ofking Xiawang, with the possible exception of Sheng Alie Weinuoyeshaban whose familialrelation with the king is uncertain. Note also that while the tribute products in the laterentries are never more specifically addressed as “local products”, the Chinese took greatcare how well they treated the envoys with presents. Thus the tribute seems not to haveplayed such a big role, but it was the Chinese court that wanted to impress the envoys andconvince them of the wealth and power the Chinese empire possessed.The entries themselves do not help to verify the location of Boni. What is clear is, that itformed part of several Southeast Asian countries that came to the Ming court. There is nodirect indication however if it belonged to mainland or maritime Southeast Asia.The country of Boni 浡泥 in the Record of the Customs of the Tributaries in the WesternOcean (Xiyang chaogongdian lu 西洋朝貢典錄 ), 152044
Kurz: Boni in Chinese Sources NSC Working Paper No. 4In 1520, Huang Shengzeng 黃省曾 (jinshi of 1531) who hailed from Wuxian (modern daySuzhou in Jiangsu) finished his work on the countries that had come to the court andsubmitted tribute. Entitled Record of the Customs of the Tributaries in the Western Ocean(Xiyang chaogongdian lu 西洋朝貢典錄 ; hereafter XCD), 142 this drew on earlier works suchas the Xingcha shenglan 星槎勝覽 (1436) by Fei Xin 費信 and the Yingyai shenglan 鷹涯勝覽(1451) by Ma Huan 馬歡 , and especially in the sections on local products that were includedin all entries, supplemented the earlier works in more detail.This country is situated six thousand li southwest of Zhancheng. It comprisesfourteen prefectures (zhou 洲 ). In their customs they cultivate Buddhist teachings(futu jiao 浮圖教 ), they worship statues, and they well maintain fasting. Thebuildings of the royal palace are covered with leaves from the Nipa palm. Thehouses of the people are [covered] with grass. The men and women [wear their hair]in a topknot, they cover their thighs with multi‐colored brocade and use floweredcotton cloth for shirts.Their customs are plenty. When they happen upon a Chinese on their path, who isdrunk, then they will help him return and let him sleep in their house. The climate ofthat place is cold in summer and hot in winter. It is rich in fish and salt. Its grainconsists of rice and sorghum. It produces sorghum liquor (shujiu 秫酒 ), duojiangzhen多降真 incense, and bee’s wax, and there are camphor and tortoise shell. Itsdefending locality is called “Mountain Ever Peacefully Protecting the Country”(changning zhenguo zhi shan 長寧鎮國之山 ). (Commentary: In the sixth year of theYongle era (1408) its king Manarejiana 麻那惹加那 addressed the emperor: “I havebeen enfeoffed with [the title of king and] all the territory of my country is subject toyour administration. Behind the country there is a mountain and I humbly requestthat it be enfeoffed as the protector of the country.” After the king’s death, his sonXiawang repeated this request. Consequently it was given the present name, andthe emperor composed an inscription for a stele to be carved in stone on top of themountain.)The country regularly sent tribute. (Commentary: In the fourth year of the Hongwuera (1370) the king Mamosha 馬謨沙 sent his official Yisimayi 亦思麻逸 to present agolden memorial and a silver letter together with local products. In the third year ofthe Yongle era (1405) an envoy was dispatched from the court to enfeoff kingManarejiananai 麻那惹加那乃 as king (wang 王 ), giving him a seal, a tally and a titlepatent (gaoming 誥命 ). In the sixth year [of the Yongle era (1408)] the king leadinghis consort, his family and officials to court, arrived in Fujian. A court eunuch was142 See Wolfgang Franke, An Introduction to the Sources of Ming History (Kuala Lumpur: University of MalayaPress, 1968), 221; Huang Shengzeng 黃省曾 , Xiyang chaogongdian lu jiaozhu 西洋朝貢典錄校注 , Xie Fang 謝方 (rev. and annot.) (Beijing: Zhonghua shudian, 2000), preface 5‐6.45
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