Zheng He and the Galle Trilingual Inscription

This book takes a wide-angle look at the Galle Trilingual Inscription, pulling together insights from history, religion, language, and seafaring. It starts by telling the story of how the stone was found and what people first thought it meant. Then it places the inscription in the world of 15th-century Sri Lanka, a time shaped by politics, trade, and spiritual life.

Each of the three texts on the stone is unpacked to explore what they say, how they're written, and who they were meant for. Th...