DOCSLIB.ORG

Why Did the Catholic Missionaries Fail to Convert

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Why Did the Catholic Missionaries Fail to Convert PEOPLE: International Journal of Social Sciences ISSN 2454-5899 Gunay Heydarli, 2019 Volume 5 Issue 3, pp. 1003-1019 Date of Publication: 27th November 2019 DOI- https://dx.doi.org/10.20319/pijss.2019.53.10031019 This paper can be cited as: Heydarli, G. (2019). Why Did the Catholic Missionaries Fail to Convert the Armenian and Georgian Community of the Safavid Empire in the 17th Century? PEOPLE: International Journal of Social Sciences, 5(3), 1003-1019. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA. WHY DID THE CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES FAIL TO CONVERT THE ARMENIAN AND GEORGIAN COMMUNITY OF THE SAFAVID EMPIRE IN THE 17th CENTURY? Gunay Heydarli Faculty of History, Baku State University, Azerbaijan [email protected] This work was supported by the US Embassy in Azerbaijan Abstract In the early modern period the Protestant Reformation weakened the Roman Catholic Church and it lost its influence over Europe. The Church turned its policy to the East to propagate the faith. For nearly a century, the missionaries were represented in the Safavid provinces and attempted to win the Eastern Christian Population for the Catholic Church. On the other hand,with the flow of Catholic missionaries caused the increase of intercultural and interreligious exchanges. This paper examines the Catholic missionaries’motives to bring the Safavids’ Eastern Christian Community under papal jurisdiction as well as the reception that the Safavid rulers, Armenian Church and Georgian Church offered vis-a- vis this group. The aim of the study is to investigate the missionaries’ attempts to create a ‘fifth column’ by proselytizing the Eastern Christian Community in the Safavid territories. Keywords Catholic Church, Safavids Empire, Eastern Christian Community, Armenian Church, Georgian Church 1003 PEOPLE: International Journal of Social Sciences ISSN 2454-5899 1. Introduction 1.1 A Religious Policy of Popes and the Safavid Empire Close relations between the European countries and the Safavid Empire during the early 17th century gave an opportunity for the catholic missionaries to penetrate into the Safavid lands. A considerable number of friars from the major Catholic Orders, such as the Augustinians, Carmelites, Jesuits, and Capuchins served to disseminate Catholic belief among the Eastern Christian community of the Safavids Empire. (Shaked & Moreen, 1986, p.247). This paper attempts to address the following questions from a historical perspective: Why did the missionaries want to penetrate to the Eastern Christian Community? Why were they frustrated in converting the Eastern Christians? Before discussing the missionary activities in the Safavids Empire, let’s clarify what are missionaries? Missionaries are sent by the Catholic Church for spreading the faith or proclaiming the Gospel in non-christian countries. According the Church, at the core of all missionary work is the order, which Jesus gave them in Matthew 28:19, when he said, “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”(United Church of God. Does Matthew 28 verse 19 Prove the Trinity?, 2011) Some scholars identify missions with the notion of “tablig” (propaganda) in the Quran. In responding to this approach, it is important to note that propaganda is merely to proclaim the message of Islam. This targeted audience can be both Muslim and non-Muslim. The verse of the Quran, An-Nur is instance of it: “Obey Allah and obey the Messenger; but if you turn away - then upon him is only that [duty] with which he has been charged, and upon you is that with which you have been charged. And if you obey him, you will be [rightly] guided. And there is not upon the Messenger except the [responsibility for] clear notification.” (The Holy Qur’an, 2015, p.402) No violent methods or compulsion are allowed in this propaganda. However, during the Age of Exploration, missionary activities became inseparable with colonial policy. There are many bullas and briefs which were published by the popes supporting colonial activities. (Mahmudov, 2006, p.45).In 1453, in the brief Dum Diversas Pope V Nicholas granted Alonso V of Portugal the right “to invade, conquer, take by force and bring about the submissions of Saracens and pagans, as well as other infidels and enemies of Christ, whoever and wherever they may be..” (Housley, 2010, p. 56) Moreover, the bull Romanus Pontifex of 1455 granted to Alfonso and his successors the right to "found, establish and build all the churches, monasteries and other holy places in the provinces, islands and other places already acquired by him, or those to be acquired and to send all willing ecclesiastical persons, secular or regular, of all Orders, including even the mendicants, always under license of their superiors.” (Housley, 2010, p.62) Consequently, Estado da İndia, or Portuguese İndia, played a crucial role in the dissemination of Christianity. According to J. Flannery, approximately twenty-six missions were established from Goa, 1004 PEOPLE: International Journal of Social Sciences ISSN 2454-5899 the capital of Estado da India to different countries, including the Safavid Empire, during the period of 1515 to 1695. (Flannery, 2013, p.45) Shah I Abbas (1587-1629) devoted the first ten years of his reign to strengthening domestic and foreign policy in order to regain Safavid territories taken by the Ottoman Empire. This included a series of ambassadorial visits to the European courts during his reign. Two main issues dominated the messages that diplomats conveyed: 1) the desire to establish an alliance with the European countries 2) to divert the silk trade from an overland east-west route that went through Ottoman territory to a north- south route that went by sea. (Quinn, 2015, p.104) The second part of his offer contained not only trade concessions for European enterprises, but also privileges for Christian missionaries. The Safavid shah gave them a permit to construct convents in various provinces and became residents. Furthermore, the Catholic Church endeavored to gain special privileges for the missionaries that supported their activities in Safavid Empire, including: 1. Freedom of residence and ownership; 2. Immunity from taxation; 3. Freedom of trade; 4. The right of movement throughout the Empire; 5. Political protection 6. Respectful treatment by Safavid officials 7. The right of an audience with the Shah anytime 8. Permission to set up convents in various places, became residents, and open ecclesiastical, educational, and other institutions; (Matthee, 2009, p.154) 1.2 The Armenian and Georgian Community of the Safavid Empire and Catholicism-Related Activities of Catholic Missionaries Armenians and Georgians had great privileges during the reign of Shah Abbas I. They were significant silk traders. Some part of the Georgian and Armenian population accepted Islam and acted as “ghulams” (slave soldiers) in the army, even some of them were promoted to state positions. The Safavid Empire had not violated the faith of the Armenian and Georgian population and gave a free hand to them, thus, caused concerns to some countries in Europe that were religious initiators. Since this tolerance could undermine the reign of the Rome over the Christians. Created in Rome in 1622, the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith (Propaganda Fide) concentrated its efforts on all missionaries and strengthened its supervision. Schools educating in many languages had been opened and publishing houses had been established in Rome since 1627. The school provided education to students from other countries. Religious books in different languages, including Armenian and Georgian, 1005 PEOPLE: International Journal of Social Sciences ISSN 2454-5899 were published at the publishing house and delivered to missionaries. During the next two decades, new groups of missionaries armed with these publications began to arrive in the Safavid lands. Shah Abbas II’s vizier Mirza Muhammad Tagi beg was known as an organizer of scientific discussions. This vizier’s successor, Muhammad Mirza Mehdi studied engineering and mathematics. (Matthee, 1991, p.19) R. Matthee emphasizes that (1998) the Jusuit missionary Pier Abroise was invited to the court to teach mathematic and astrology. (Matthee, 1991, p.25). Blaise de Nautes gave French lessons to the Safavid officials. İn the middle of the 17th century the Muslim clerics assembled in Isfahan, on the maydan to debate theological issues with the missionaries. (Ferrier & Chardin, 1996, p.195). In a result of such disputes, the both sides, the Catholic missionaries and Shiite clerics created various works relating with Christianity and Islam. According to J. Chardin (1996, p.190), the Safavid shahs and governors asked send them books on Latin, inventions, mathematics and Christianity. He describes that Mirza Tahir, “son of the governor of Azerbaijan” had learned the art and the science from missionaries. (Griffith, 2010, p.88). The first section of the research paper examines the events in the context of political and religious concerns and interests of the Safavid rulers-Shah Abbas I and Shah Safi. During this period Armenians maintained a close relationship with the Catholic missionaries in order to gain more privileges and support. It then goes on to divisive issues arisen between
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Cabinet of Armenia, 1920
    Cabinet of Armenia, 1920 MUNUC 32 TABLE OF CONTENTS ______________________________________________________ Letter from the Crisis Director…………………………………………………3 Letter from the Chair………………………………………….………………..4 The History of Armenia…………………………………………………………6 The Geography of Armenia…………………………………………………14 Current Situation………………………………………………………………17 Character Biographies……………………………………………………....27 Bibliography…………………………………………………………………...37 2 Cabinet of Armenia, 1920 | MUNUC 32 LETTER FROM THE CRISIS DIRECTOR ______________________________________________________ Dear Delegates, We’re very happy to welcome you to MUNUC XXXII! My name is Andre Altherr and I’ll be your Crisis Director for the Cabinet of Armenia: 1920 committee. I’m from New York City and am currently a Second Year at the University of Chicago majoring in History and Political Science. Despite once having a social life, I now spend my free-time on much tamer activities like reading 800-page books on Armenian history, reading 900-page books on Central European history, and relaxing with the best of Stephen King and 20th century sci-fi anthologies. When not reading, I enjoy hiking, watching Frasier, and trying to catch up on much needed sleep. I’ve helped run and participated in numerous Model UN conferences in both college and high school, and I believe that this activity has the potential to hone public speaking, develop your creativity and critical thinking, and ignite interest in new fields. Devin and I care very deeply about making this committee an inclusive space in which all of you feel safe, comfortable, and motivated to challenge yourself to grow as a delegate, statesperson, and human. We trust that you will conduct yourselves with maturity and tact when discussing sensitive subjects.
    [Show full text]
  • A Brief Overview on Karabakh History from Past to Today
    Volume: 8 Issue: 2 Year: 2011 A Brief Overview on Karabakh History from Past to Today Ercan Karakoç Abstract After initiation of the glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) policies in the USSR by Mikhail Gorbachev, the Soviet Union started to crumble, and old, forgotten, suppressed problems especially regarding territorial claims between Azerbaijanis and Armenians reemerged. Although Mountainous (Nagorno) Karabakh is officially part of Azerbaijan Republic, after fierce and bloody clashes between Armenians and Azerbaijanis, the entire Nagorno Karabakh region and seven additional surrounding districts of Lachin, Kelbajar, Agdam, Jabrail, Fizuli, Khubadly and Zengilan, it means over 20 per cent of Azerbaijan, were occupied by Armenians, and because of serious war situations, many Azerbaijanis living in these areas had to migrate from their homeland to Azerbaijan and they have been living under miserable conditions since the early 1990s. Keywords: Karabakh, Caucasia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Ottoman Empire, Safavid Empire, Russia and Soviet Union Assistant Professor of Modern Turkish History, Yıldız Technical University, [email protected] 1003 Karakoç, E. (2011). A Brief Overview on Karabakh History from Past to Today. International Journal of Human Sciences [Online]. 8:2. Available: http://www.insanbilimleri.com/en Geçmişten günümüze Karabağ tarihi üzerine bir değerlendirme Ercan Karakoç Özet Mihail Gorbaçov tarafından başlatılan glasnost (açıklık) ve perestroyka (yeniden inşa) politikalarından sonra Sovyetler Birliği parçalanma sürecine girdi ve birlik coğrafyasındaki unutulmuş ve bastırılmış olan eski problemler, özellikle Azerbaycan Türkleri ve Ermeniler arasındaki sınır sorunları yeniden gün yüzüne çıktı. Bu bağlamda, hukuken Azerbaycan devletinin bir parçası olan Dağlık Karabağ bölgesi ve çevresindeki Laçin, Kelbecer, Cebrail, Agdam, Fizuli, Zengilan ve Kubatlı gibi yedi semt, yani yaklaşık olarak Azerbaycan‟ın yüzde yirmiye yakın toprağı, her iki toplum arasındaki şiddetli ve kanlı çarpışmalardan sonra Ermeniler tarafından işgal edildi.
    [Show full text]
  • Art. VII.— the Early Years of Shāh Isma'īl, Founder of the Ṣafavī Dynasty
    JOURNAL THE ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY. ART. YII.—The Early Years of Shah Isma'll, Founder of the Safavi Dynasty. By E. DENISON BOSS, PH.D., M.R.A.S. THE most exhaustive, if not the best known, source for the history of Shah Isma'll the Safavi, is undoubtedly the Habib-us-Siyar of Khwandamlr. Though this large and important work has been lithographed, both in Tihran and in Bombay, it is but too little known in Europe, where it has generally been regarded as a mere epitome of the Rauzat-us-Safa; whereas, besides being an original source for much valuable biographical and geographical matter, it contains detailed accounts of many little-known dynasties. Khwandamlr's work is thus in many respects more interesting than the ponderous universal history of his grandfather.1 Now, there is a work, of which the British Museum possesses one copy,2 and the Cambridge University Library a second,8 1 Dr. Rieu (see "Catalogue of the Persian MSS. in the British Museum," vol. i, p. 87) was the first to point out that Mlrkhwand was the grandfather of Khwandamlr, and not his father, as hitherto generally supposed. 8 B.M. Oriental, 3248 (see Dr. Bieu's Supplement). 3 Cambridge University Library, Add. 200 (see Mr. Browne's Catalogue, p. 147). J.E.A.S. 1896. 17 Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. INSEAD, on 09 Feb 2018 at 08:10:52, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0035869X00023698 250 THE EARLY YEARS OF SHAH ISMA'IL.
    [Show full text]
  • Current Readings on the Iran-Iraq Conflict and Its Effects on U.S. Foreign Relations and Policy
    Reference Services Review, v. 17, issue 2, 1989, p. 27-39. ISSN: 0090-7324 DOI: 10.1108/eb049054 http://www.emeraldinsight.com/journals.htm?issn=0090-7324 © 1989 MCB UP Ltd Current Readings on the Iran-Iraq Conflict and Its Effects on U.S. Foreign Relations and Policy Magda El-Sherbini The conflict between Iran and Iraq is not new; it dates from long before September 1980. In fact, the origins of the current war can be traced to the battle of Qadisiyah in Southern Iraq in 637 A.D., a battle in which the Arab armies of General Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas decisively defeated the Persian army. In victory, the Arab armies extended Islam east of the Zagros Mountains to Iran. In defeat, the Persian Empire began a steady decline that lasted until the sixteenth century. However, since the beginning of that century, Persia has occupied Iraq three times: 1508-1514, 1529-1543, and 1623-1638. Boundary disputes, specifically over the Shatt al-Arab Waterway, and old enmities caused the wars. In 1735, belligerent Iranian naval forces entered the Shatt al-Arab but subsequently withdrew. Twenty years later, Iranians occupied the city of Sulimaniah and threatened to occupy the neighboring countries of Bahrain and Kuwait. In 1847, Iran dominated the eastern bank of the Shatt al-Arab and occupied Mohamarah in Iraq. The Ottoman rulers of Iraq concluded a number of treaties with Iran, including: the treaty of Amassin (1534-55); treaties signed in 1519, 1613, and 1618; and the treaty of Zuhab, signed in 1639. Yet another treaty, the treaty of Erzerum in 1823, failed once again to resolve the dispute.
    [Show full text]
  • Tribes and Empire on the Margins of Nineteenth-Century Iran
    publications on the near east publications on the near east Poetry’s Voice, Society’s Song: Ottoman Lyric The Transformation of Islamic Art during Poetry by Walter G. Andrews the Sunni Revival by Yasser Tabbaa The Remaking of Istanbul: Portrait of an Shiraz in the Age of Hafez: The Glory of Ottoman City in the Nineteenth Century a Medieval Persian City by John Limbert by Zeynep Çelik The Martyrs of Karbala: Shi‘i Symbols The Tragedy of Sohráb and Rostám from and Rituals in Modern Iran the Persian National Epic, the Shahname by Kamran Scot Aghaie of Abol-Qasem Ferdowsi, translated by Ottoman Lyric Poetry: An Anthology, Jerome W. Clinton Expanded Edition, edited and translated The Jews in Modern Egypt, 1914–1952 by Walter G. Andrews, Najaat Black, and by Gudrun Krämer Mehmet Kalpaklı Izmir and the Levantine World, 1550–1650 Party Building in the Modern Middle East: by Daniel Goffman The Origins of Competitive and Coercive Rule by Michele Penner Angrist Medieval Agriculture and Islamic Science: The Almanac of a Yemeni Sultan Everyday Life and Consumer Culture by Daniel Martin Varisco in Eighteenth-Century Damascus by James Grehan Rethinking Modernity and National Identity in Turkey, edited by Sibel Bozdog˘an and The City’s Pleasures: Istanbul in the Eigh- Res¸at Kasaba teenth Century by Shirine Hamadeh Slavery and Abolition in the Ottoman Middle Reading Orientalism: Said and the Unsaid East by Ehud R. Toledano by Daniel Martin Varisco Britons in the Ottoman Empire, 1642–1660 The Merchant Houses of Mocha: Trade by Daniel Goffman and Architecture in an Indian Ocean Port by Nancy Um Popular Preaching and Religious Authority in the Medieval Islamic Near East Tribes and Empire on the Margins of Nine- by Jonathan P.
    [Show full text]
  • Special Report on Religious Life
    Catholic News Agency and women who Year-long MAJOR ORDERS TYPES OF RELIGIOUS ORDERS dedicate their lives celebrations AND THEIR CHARISMS to prayer, service The Roman Catholic Church recognizes different types of religious orders: and devotion. Year of Marriage, A religious order or congregation is Many also live as Nov. 2014- distinguished by a charism, or particular • Monastic: Monks or nuns live and work in a monastery; the largest monastic order, part of a commu- Dec. 2015 grace granted by God to the institute’s which dates back to the 6th century, is the Benedictines. nity that follows a founder or the institute itself. Here • Mendicant: Friars or nuns who live from alms and actively participate in apostolic work; specific religious Year of Faith, are just a few religious orders and the Dominicans and Franciscans are two of the most well-known mendicant orders. rule. They can Year of Prayer, congregations with their charisms: • Canons Regular: Priests living in a community and active in a particular parish. include both Oct. 2012- • Clerks Regular: Priests who are also religious men with vows and who actively clergy and laity. Nov. 2013 Order/ participate in apostolic work. Most make public Congregation: Charism: vows of poverty, Year for Priests, obedience and June 2009- Dominicans Preaching and chastity. Priests June 2010 teaching who are religious Benedictines Liturgical are different from Year of St. Paul, prayer and diocesan priests, June 2008- monasticism who do not take June 2009 Missionaries Serving God vows. of Charity among the Religious congregations differ from reli- “poorest of the gious orders mainly in terms of the vows poor” that are taken.
    [Show full text]
  • Mission Coop 2021 Letter the Assumptionists Are a World-Wide Religious Congregation Founded in 1845 by Venerable Fr. Emmanuel D
    Mission Coop 2021 Letter The Assumptionists are a world-wide religious congregation founded in 1845 by Venerable Fr. Emmanuel d’Alzon to, in his words, “penetrate the world with a Christian idea…and to do so in words that it can understand.” The Congregation is located in 30 countries and numbers some 1,000 priests and brothers. Inspired by the founder’s vision, the Assumptionists are engaged in the great causes of God and society: education, the press, social outreach, pilgrimages, ecumenical work, and foreign missions. Among these foreign missions, one could cite those in Asia (Vietnam, Korea, and the Philippines), in Latin America (Mexico, Ecuador, Chile), in Eastern Europe (Russia, Bulgaria, and Turkey) and in Africa (the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Tanzania, and Madagascar). In the United States, Americans would most probably be familiar with some of our publications like Catholic Digest and the missalette, Living with Christ. We also run a university, Assumption University in Worcester, Massachusetts. This year we would like to draw attention to one of our missions located in Central Mexico, close to the city of Orizaba. This area is mostly populated by various indigenous Mexican tribes which are still using their native languages and some do not even speak Spanish. The Assumptionists have been doing ministry in this region for over twenty years. In the year 2017 the Order assumed the responsibility of the major parish in Tlilapan which consists of 12 missionary churches, some located in the high mountains up to 10 miles away. Three priests and a few brothers provide the daily ministry to all of the people in the area.
    [Show full text]
  • Princely Suburb, Armenian Quarter Or Christian Ghetto? the Urban Setting of New Julfa in the Safavid Capital of Isfahan (1605-1722)
    Ina Baghdiantz-MacCabe* Princely Suburb, Armenian Quarter or Christian Ghetto? The Urban Setting of New Julfa in the Safavid Capital of Isfahan (1605-1722) Résumé. Faubourg princier, quartier arménien ou ghetto chrétien ? L’établissement urbain de New Joulfa dans la capitale safavide d’Ispahan (1605-1722). L’article examine les lieux d’habitation des Arméniens à Isfahan et dans le nouveau bourg de la Nouvelle Joulfa, un quartier résidentiel construit spécialement pour recevoir les marchands de soie de Joulfa déportés à Isfahan en 1604 par Abbas Ier (r.1587-1629). Ce quartier se trouve, non sans raison politique, face aux résidences des notables, souvent eux mêmes originaires du Caucase pendant ce règne, dans la nouvelle capitale d’Isfahan. Il est démontré que, contrairement aux villes arabes sous domination ottomane étudiées par André Raymond, comme Alep ou Le Caire, il n’existait pas un quartier arménien. À leur arrivée, seuls les marchands prospères s’étaient vus accorder le droit de séjour dans le bourg de la Nouvelle Joulfa, tandis que les artisans et les domestiques habitaient parmi la population musulmane d’Isfahan même. La Nouvelle Joulfa était strictement réservée aux Joulfains. Aux termes d’un décret, les musulmans, les missionnaires catholiques et les autres arméniens, n’étaient autorisés à y résider. Cette situation changerait vers le milieu du XVIIe siècle. Après 1655, ce qui était un bourg “princier” – car le prévôt des marchands de Joulfa provient, selon les sources, d’une famille considérée princière –, deviendrait un “quartier arménien”, les Arméniens d’ Isfahan, après avoir été chassés de la capitale, ayant été transférés vers le bourg.
    [Show full text]
  • Kaempfer's Album of Famous Sights of Seventeenth Century Japan
    KAEMPFER'S ALBUM OF FAMOUS SIGHTS OF SEVENTEENTH CENTURY JAPAN YU-YING BROWN WITHIN the covers of a large and weighty album bound in western style and preserved in The (Western) Manuscript Collections of the British Library (Add. MS. 5252; bearing Sloane's old classification 'Bibliothecae Sloanianae Min. 47') are to be found three groups of curiously varied material. The first consists of a series of fifty Japanese paintings executed in brilhant colours and in gold, each on paper measuring 215 x 322 mm. (ff. 1-50). They depict famous sights of Japan enlivened by vignettes of people engaged in a variety of activities, though mostly pleasure outings or pilgrimages to shrines, temples and scenic spots. The second comprises seven Japanese figure drawings mounted on ff. 53-59, together with three padded applique pictures (ff. 68-70), now identified as oshie (pressed pictures). The third group seems to be entirely Chinese in origin. It consists of twenty-six floral and figure pictures in silk brocade or embroidery (ff. 51, 52, 60-67, i00"i5)- These otherwise unrelated groups of items have one thing in common. They were all smuggled out of Japan in 1692 by the German physician and traveller, Dr Engelbert Kaempfer (1651-1716), and have all, until recently, lain dormant, in pristine condition, among the British Museum's foundation collections.^ This paper seeks to introduce the first and major part of the album only, namely the remarkable set of fifty miniature paintings. These are of unique importance for all historians of Japanese art and culture as well as for specialists in 'Kaempfer studies'.
    [Show full text]
  • Glimpses of Medicine in Early Japanese-German Intercourse
    九州大学学術情報リポジトリ Kyushu University Institutional Repository Glimpses of medicine in early Japanese-German intercourse Michel, Wolfgang (Michel-Zaitsu) Kyushu University : Professor emeritus http://hdl.handle.net/2324/20441 出版情報：pp.72-94, 2011-12-26. 財団法人 日本国際医学協会 バージョン： 権利関係： Chapter 1 Glimpses of medicine in early Japanese-German intercourse Wolfgang Michel, MA, PhD Permanent Exective Board Member, Japan Society for Medical History, Professor emeritus, Kyushu University For most of the Edo period, encounters between Japanese and Germans took place within the framework of Dutch-Japanese intercourse. World maps and occasional writings such as the “Notes on Western Countries” (Seiyō kibun, 1715) by Arai Hakuseki referred to the existence of Germany (Zerumania), but this was of little significance in actual encounters, as every European setting foot on Japanese soil officially had to be a ‘Redhead’ (kōmōjin) from Holland (Oranda). Nevertheless, a considerable number of merchants, physicians, surgeons, and pharmacists at the trading post at Dejima in Nagasaki came from German-speaking regions. Some of them made significant contributions to mutual understanding between Japan and Europe. Various German books in Dutch translation also provided Japanese 72 scholars with new perspectives on man and nature. This essay discusses the early stage of German-Japanese encounters and the gradual absorption of Western medicine and allied disciplines into Japan. Growing awareness of weaknesses and needs During the 15th and 16th centuries, Japan absorbed a number of foreign innovations in smelting and forging methods and in crafts such as papermaking, silk weaving, and printing. Most of this know-how came from China. It was disseminated not by Buddhist monks or scholars as earlier knowledge had been, but by merchants and artisans; hence it was predominantly of a practical nature.
    [Show full text]
  • Zar-O Zur: Gold and Force: Safavid Iran As a Tributary Empire
    Chapter 2 Zar-o Zur: Gold and Force: Safavid Iran as a Tributary Empire Rudi Matthee Introduction The first decade of the twenty-first century saw a plethora of scholarly writings on the concept of empire and its historical manifestations. Pro- pelled by the terrible events of 9/11 and the overseas wars the United States launched in their wake, this renewed attention to an old state struc- ture introduced and sought to generalize the proposition that, despite its habitual denial-cum amnesia with regard to its status, America consti- tutes a latter-day global empire. Within half a decade, forced to keep pace with evolving events, the emerging discussion changed course to fasten onto the notion that, barely begun, the end of the American empire was already in sight, that America’s imperial decline had set in as soon as its imperial status culminated. Safavid Iran, with a lifespan of 221 years, might sound like a remote and unlikely homologue. Yet, with the caveat that time in the modern world is compressed, that developments playing out over a decade today might have taken a century or more in the past, the simile is, on second thought, perhaps not an unreasonable one: The Safavids, too, “declined” (and collapsed) soon after attaining their peak. That, at least, is one of the arguments I advanced in an article pub- lished in 2010 in which I posed the question of whether the Safavids - 35 - Rudi Matthee presided over an empire at all.1 The very question might seem strange, yet the reason for posing it was simple: In the traditional literature,
    [Show full text]
  • 15 the Regions of Sind, Baluchistan, Multan
    ISBN 978-92-3-103467-1 THE REGIONS OF SIND . 15 THE REGIONS OF SIND, BALUCHISTAN, MULTAN AND KASHMIR: THE HISTORICAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC SETTING* N. A. Baloch and A. Q. Rafiqi Contents THE RULERS OF SIND, BALUCHISTAN AND MULTAN (750–1500) ....... 298 The cAbbasid period and the Fatimid interlude (mid-eighth to the end of the tenth century) ...................................... 298 The Period of the Ghaznavid and Ghurid Sultanates (eleventh and twelfth centuries) . 301 The era of the local independent states ......................... 304 KASHMIR UNDER THE SULTANS OF THE SHAH¯ MIR¯ DYNASTY ....... 310 * See Map 4, 5 and 7, pp. 430–1, 432–3, 437. 297 ISBN 978-92-3-103467-1 The cAbbasid period Part One THE RULERS OF SIND, BALUCHISTAN AND MULTAN (750–1500) (N. A. Baloch) From 750 to 1500, three phases are discernible in the political history of these regions. During the first phase, from the mid-eighth until the end of the tenth century, Sind, Baluchis- tan and Multan – with the exception of the interlude of pro-Fatimid ascendency in Mul- tan during the last quarter of the tenth century – all remained politically linked with the cAbbasid caliphate of Baghdad. (Kashmir was ruled, from the eighth century onwards, by the local, independent, originally non-Muslim dynasties, which had increasing political contacts with the Muslim rulers of Sind and Khurasan.) During the second phase – the eleventh and twelfth centuries – all these regions came within the sphere of influence of the powers based in Ghazna and Ghur. During the third phase –from the thirteenth to the early sixteenth century – they partly became dominions of the Sultanate of Delhi, which was in itself an extension into the subcontinent of the Central Asian power base.
    [Show full text]