The political relations between the Tang court and the Islamic Caliphate in West Asia, particularly during the first four centuries of the Islamic Hijri calendar, hold considerable importance. Tang dynasty historians referred to the Arab caliphs as "Shah Dashi." An examination of classical Chinese texts reveals novel dimensions of these relations that have thus far received limited attention in Iranian research. While China had achieved national unity after centuries of fragmentation, the fall of the Sasanian Empire and the emergence of the Islamic Caliphate generated concerns for the Tang rulers, as the expanding influence of the Arabs in Central Asia posed a threat to China's political and economic interests in the region. This article aims to analyze Chinese accounts regarding the Islamic Caliphate and to examine the nature of the Islamic caliphs' interactions with the Tang court. The authors posit that formal relations commenced during the caliphate of Uthman and gradually expanded. The Tang rulers, observing the advance of the Muslims in Central Asia, implemented various policies in an attempt to contain the Arabs and safeguard their political and economic interests in the area.
