360 the middle east
On May 31, 976, the envoy P’u-hsi-mi from the king (caliph) of
the Arab State offered regional objects (Sung shih 3:11a; 490:17a-17b;
Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 339:56b).^13
On Apr.21, 977, envoys from the Arab State offered regional objects.
They were presented with garments, [porcelain] vessels, and silk (Sung
shih 4:3b; 490:17b; Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 339:56b).
In 979, the Arabs offered gifts (Sung shih 490:17b; Wen-hsien t’ung-
k’ao 339:56b).
In 984, an Arab envoy offered flowered brocade, yüeh-nocloth,
aromatics, white baroos camphor, white granulated sugar, rose water,
and opaque glass vessels (Sung shih 490:17b; Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 339:
56b).^14
In 993, the Arab envoy Li-ya-wu^15 arrived on the China coast at
the same time as the Arab shipmaster P’u-hsi-mi.^16 Because the latter
was old and ill, he was unable to proceed to the palace in the capital.
He therefore added his regional objects to the presents brought by
Li-ya-wu, together with a written inventory. It listed 50 elephant tusks,
1,800 catties of frankincense, 700 catties of fine steel, one item of cot-
ton with red threads, four items of variegated flowered brocades, two
items of yüeh-no cloth, one opaque glass pitcher, one lump of limonite,
and 100 bottles of rose water. Emperor T’ai-tsung presented P’u-hsi-
mi with a letter, a brocade robe, silver vessels, and silk (Sung shih 490:
17b-18b;Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao 339:56b).^17
In the 4th month (May/June) of 994, envoys from the Arab State
offered gifts (Sung shih 5:18b).
In 995, an Arab shipmaster sent an agent^18 with a letter to the
Sung court and presented 100 ounces of baroos camphor, castoreum,
(^13) Sung shih 3:11a, gives K’o-lo-fo (caliph) as the personal name.
(^14) Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao dates this mission 985.
(^15) If he was the same Li-ya-wu who is mentioned in 1008, he was a shipmas-
ter.
(^16) Hirth and Rockhill, Chao Ju-kua, p.123, note 18, equate P’u-hsi-mi with Abu-
Hamid.
(^17) According to Chao Ju-kua, Li-ya-wu received as much gold as the presents
were worth. See Hirth and Rockhill, Chao Ju-kua, p.118.
(^18) According to Wen-hsien t’ung-k’ao, his name was P’u-hsi-mi. This name also occurs
as that of the envoy of 976 and of the shipmaster of 993. While it is barely possibe,
although hardly probable, that the entries for 976 and 993 concern the same person,
this cannot be the case in 995. The P’u-hsi mi of 993 was too old and infirm to travel
to the court and therefore cannot have acted for another shipmaster in 995.