San Fu Qi, its dependent Port States and the trade among them (a study on the description by Zhao Rukua)
The Zhu Fan Zhi (“A description of different countries”) which was written in the 13th century AD by Zhao Rukua, a customs officer in Quanzhou and a descendent of the royal family, provides precious knowledge about the geography and economy in different Southeast Asian countries, as well as about navigation routes during the Song dynasty. This book, which drew on previous sources as well as on information gathered from foreign merchants, was subsequently studied, copied, translated and reedited by scholars in China and abroad, including in Europe and the USA. The work contains descriptions of San Fu Qi (Srivijaya), the port cities that depended on the kingdom, and the trade that was conducted there. The list of the dependent trading centres also includes Sri Lanka, which indicates close relations between this country and Srivijaya in the 13th century.
