Imagine a world with a strong China reshaping Asia; India confidently extending its reach from Africa to Indonesia; Islam spreading its influence; a Europe replete with crises of legitimacy; sovereign city-states holding wealth and driving innovation; and private mercenary armies, religious radicals and humanitarian bodies playing by their own rules as they compete for hearts, minds and wallets. It sounds familiar today. But it was just as true slightly less than a millennium ago at the height of the Middle Ages.
想像一下這樣一個世界：強大的中國重塑亞洲格局；印度自信地將觸角從非洲伸向印尼；伊斯蘭教擴大自己的影響力；歐洲充滿了合法性危機；主權城市國家持有財富、推動創新；私人僱傭軍、宗教激進分子、人道主義組織按照自己的規則，爭奪心靈、頭腦與錢包。這在今天聽起來並不陌生。但在不到一千年前的中世紀鼎盛時期，情況也是如此。
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