Cathay

Cathay is a historical European name for China, derived from the Khitan people who ruled northern China during the Liao dynasty. The term was widely used in Europe from the Middle Ages through the Age of Discovery, popularized by accounts like those of Marco Polo. It evoked a distant, wealthy, and sophisticated land in the East, shaping European geographical conceptions and ambitions. While largely supplanted by "China" in modern contexts, "Cathay" persists in poetic, commercial, and certain cultural usages.

Etymology and historical usage

The name "Cathay" originates from "Catai," the term used by medieval Central Asian and Persian traders, itself derived from "Khitān," the name of the Khitan people. The Khitan established the Liao dynasty (907–1125), which ruled over Manchuria, Mongolia, and parts of northern China, leaving a lasting ethnonym for the region. This term entered European languages through Medieval Latin as "Cataya" and Old French as "Cathai," transmitted via Silk Road commerce and the narratives of Franciscan missionaries. In Middle English, it appeared in literary works like *The Travels of Sir John Mandeville*, which blended fact and fantasy about the East. For centuries in Europe, "Cathay" referred specifically to northern China, often distinguished from southern regions like Mangi or Manzi, another term from Marco Polo's accounts.

Cathay in European exploration

The vivid descriptions of Cathay's wealth in Marco Polo's writings profoundly influenced European exploration in the Age of Discovery. Explorers like Christopher Columbus, who carried a copy of Marco Polo's book, sought a western sea route to Cathay and its fabled riches, leading to his landfall in the Americas. The search for a Northwest Passage or a Northeast Passage by figures such as John Cabot, Martin Frobisher, and Willem Barentsz was similarly motivated by the goal of reaching Cathay. The Spanish and Portuguese crowns also directed expeditions, including those of Ferdinand Magellan, with Cathay as a key objective. This geographical quest was gradually resolved as European knowledge expanded through Jesuit missions and direct contact, culminating in the realization that Cathay and China were the same entity, a conclusion solidified by the journeys of Bento de Góis and the reports of Matteo Ricci in Beijing.

Cathay in literature and culture

In Western literature, Cathay long served as a symbol of exotic splendor, mystery, and philosophical wisdom. It features prominently in Elizabethan literature, such as in the works of William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe, where it represents ultimate distance and wealth. The Romantic poets, including Samuel Taylor Coleridge in his poem "Kubla Khan," drew inspiration from visions of Xanadu, the summer capital of the Yuan dynasty ruler Kublai Khan. In the 20th century, Ezra Pound titled a collection of poems *Cathay*, adapting from Chinese poetic forms. The term also permeates opera, as in Giacomo Puccini's *Turandot*, set in a mythical Chinese capital, and appears in popular culture through brand names like Cathay Pacific airline and references in film and music, maintaining its aura of distant allure.

Modern usage and legacy

While "Cathay" was largely replaced by "China" in standard geographical and political discourse by the 18th century, it survives in specific modern contexts. The most prominent contemporary use is in the name of Cathay Pacific, the Hong Kong-based airline, and its parent company, Swire Pacific. It appears in the names of institutions like the Cathay Hotel in Shanghai and various businesses, often evoking a sense of classic elegance or historical connection to East Asia. In linguistics, it is preserved in the Russian word for China, "Китай" (Kitay), and related terms in other Slavic languages. The term also endures in historical fiction, fantasy literature, and role-playing games like *Dungeons & Dragons*, where it denotes a fictionalized Eastern empire, demonstrating its lasting power as a cultural and imaginative construct. Category:Historical regions Category:Names of China Category:Medieval geography