▁Ak hbar ▁al - S in ▁wa ▁al - H ind ▁( cir ca ▁ 8 5 1 ) ▁and ▁I bn ▁Kur d ad h b ih ' s ▁Book ▁of ▁Ro ads ▁and ▁Provin ces ▁( 8 4 6 - 8 8 5 ), ▁suggest ▁that ▁trade ▁with ▁China ▁was ▁firm ly ▁established . ▁Lane ▁also ▁referred ▁to ▁the ▁passage ▁in ▁a ▁work ▁written ▁by ▁Muhammad ▁ibn ▁al - H us ay n ▁al - B ai h aki , ▁( cir ca ▁ 1 0 5 9 ) ▁where ▁he ▁stated ▁that ▁the ▁governor ▁of ▁Kh uras an , ▁‘ A li ▁ibn ▁‘ Is a , ▁sent ▁as ▁a ▁present ▁to ▁the ▁C ali ph ▁Har un ▁al - R ash id ▁( 7 8 6 - 8 0 9 ), ▁“ tw enty ▁pieces ▁of ▁Chinese ▁Imperial ▁por cel ain ▁( Ch ini ▁f agh f uri ), ▁ ▁the ▁like ▁of ▁which ▁had ▁never ▁been ▁seen ▁at ▁a ▁C ali ph ’ s ▁court ▁before , ▁in ▁addition ▁to ▁ 2 , 0 0 0 ▁other ▁pieces ▁of ▁por cel ain ”. ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁Lane , ▁the ▁influence ▁of ▁Chinese ▁pot tery ▁progress ed ▁in ▁three ▁main ▁phases . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁contact ▁with ▁China ▁took ▁place ▁in ▁ 7 5 1 ▁when ▁the ▁Arab s ▁defeated ▁the ▁Chinese ▁at ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Tal as . ▁ ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁argued ▁that ▁imprison ed ▁Chinese ▁pot ters ▁and ▁paper ▁mak ers ▁could ▁have ▁taught ▁the ▁Muslim