When Asia Was the World: Stewart Gordon's Traveler Accounts

Introduction

For roughly a millennium, Asia represented one of the most advanced societies in the world at a time when the West was undergoing a period later referred to as the "Dark Ages." China, by contrast, was a cultural and economic powerhouse in which religion, commerce, and intellectual life flourished. This contrast would have been readily apparent — and enthralling — to any individual who traveled from the West to the East. Many people made that journey to engage in trade, and many merchant travelers kept journals documenting their experiences in this vibrant culture.

Stewart Gordon bases his work on the actual accounts of these merchant travelers and the people who lived and worked throughout the region. These personal accounts provide unique insights into the period in which Asia was the center of human progress. This analysis discusses some of the insights Gordon provides and the historical lessons they offer.

Background on Asia's Place in the World

It is common for people in the West to assume that their civilization was at the forefront — or at least in the vicinity — of the development of advanced societies. Given that Western countries are currently among the most technologically and economically developed in the world, it is easy to imagine a linear arc of progress that stretches back through history. However, as Stewart Gordon clearly illustrates, this assumption is far from accurate. For a substantial portion of recorded history, European societies were considerably less advanced than other civilizations, and the current global landscape is a relatively recent development by historical standards.

To tell the story of Asian society and its diversity during the period in question, Gordon draws on the accounts of a variety of individuals who traveled through different regions within the broader Asian geography. Most of these stories resemble what might today be called a traveler's tale — a tradition that continues with contemporary travel writers and bloggers. The majority of the individuals whose accounts appear in the book were fairly ordinary citizens. One notable exception is a man named Babur, a conqueror of Kabul and Afghanistan. The rest included merchants, doctors, scholars, monks, and regional leaders.

The Travelers Gordon Profiles

While much of recorded history focuses on those who held substantial power — kings, emperors, and heads of state — Gordon deliberately foregrounds the perspectives of more common travelers. As Gordon notes:

"By the twelfth century there existed — for the first time — a world largely without borders for educated men … who felt at home everywhere within the vast region stretching from Spain to the port cities of China."

This borderless world of educated travelers reflects the extraordinary geographic reach of Asian civilization during this era. Asia's influence extended from Japan, through the Middle East, across North Africa, and as far as Spain. To fully appreciate the diversity encompassed by the phrase "Asia was the World," one must reckon with the vast geography the term implies.

Conclusion

Stewart Gordon's work offers a valuable corrective to Western-centric assumptions about the history of civilizational progress. By centering the voices of ordinary travelers — merchants, pilgrims, scholars, and opportunists — Gordon brings medieval Asia to life in ways that traditional political histories cannot. The accounts he assembles demonstrate that Asia was not simply a parallel civilization to the West during this period; it was, in many respects, the world's defining center of culture, commerce, and intellectual exchange. These historical insights remain relevant today as a reminder that the global order is never fixed, and that the societies which lead in one era are not guaranteed to do so in the next.