寻找契丹:明代中俄的第一次直接接触

First Direct Contact Between China and Russia in the Ming Dynasty

17世纪初俄国佩特林的来华,是明代中俄第一次直接接触,从全球史出发再探讨,其背景应该得到更全面的阐释,可视为西方寻找"契丹"的又一面相,是西方走向全球探寻"契丹"大潮中的一环,即全球化开端时期欧洲对中国初识的一部分。无论从海上,还是从陆上,"契丹"的探寻,即全球财富的追求,正是经济全球化的开启。文章提出佩特林来华不是外交使团,也不具备外交使团的作用与影响,所谓佩特林带回的中国万历皇帝诏书,是当时俄国与中国处于完全隔膜状态的产物。揭开谜团,真正值得我们探究的,是佩特林来华背后曾被遮蔽的全球化开端时期西方探寻"契丹"的历史真相。

Russian Petlin's visit to China marks the first direct contact between China and Russia in the Ming Dynasty by the beginning of the 17th century.Perspective from global history offers a more comprehensive interpretation to this contact,which recognizes it as another aspect of the West's search for "Khitan",part of the exploration of the West's search of "Khitan" in its course of globalization,and the initial knowledge Europe obtained from China at the beginning of globalization.The search,whether from sea or land,for "Khitan" is identified as a pursuit of global wealth,marking the opening of economic globalization.The article holds that Petlin's visit to China bears no diplomatic mission.The mistaken Chinese Emperor Wan Li's edict brought back by Petlin only indicates a lack of mutual communication between Russia and China then.This article argues that what is worth to study is the real historical reason behind Petlin's visiting China why the West began to search "Khitan" by the time globalization began.