Reseña De" Um Porto Entre Dois Impérios, Estudos Sobre Macau E As Relações Luso-Chinesas" De Jorge M. Dos Santos Alves

Bulletin of Portuguese - Japanese Studies ISSN: 0874-8438 [email protected] Universidade Nova de Lisboa Portugal Pina, Isabel Reseña de "Um Porto entre dois Impérios, Estudos sobre Macau e as Relações Luso- Chinesas" de Jorge M. dos Santos Alves Bulletin of Portuguese - Japanese Studies, núm. 1, december, 2000, pp. 141-143 Universidade Nova de Lisboa Lisboa, Portugal Disponible en: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=36100112 Comment citer Numéro complet Système d'Information Scientifique Plus d'informations de cet article Réseau de revues scientifiques de l'Amérique latine, les Caraïbes, l'Espagne et le Portugal Site Web du journal dans redalyc.org Projet académique sans but lucratif, développé sous l'initiative pour l'accès ouverte Book Reviews 141 Luís M.R. Saraiva and João Manuel deal with the Portuguese presence in S.A.Miranda contribute with articles Macao and the history of Luso-Chinese about debates and new data brought up relations. As the author emphasises, to light in Europe and its echoes and these are two fields of research that can replies in the East, as well as the encounter easily overlap when dealing with certain of different systems of knowledge. Not historical periods, but should not be only science, but also art served as a most confused with each other. powerful vehicle of evangelization and a Although the subject of this book connective bond between missionaries does not deal directly with Luso- and local people in India and China, as Japanese relations, it is a very important Nuno Vassalo e Silva and Gonçalo work to understand the Portuguese Couceiro’s texts and pictures allege. presence in the Japanese archipelago, The last part, entitled “The Jesui- given that Macao was of critical impor- tical Sources”, includes five expositions tance as a trade and missionary centre. by Carmen Radulet, José Manuel Garcia, These are extremely interesting Jorge dos Santos Alves, Hugues Didier and stimulating essays, that span the and António Vasconcelos de Saldanha in period from the 16th to the 18th regard to some sources respecting the century, in which the author analyses Jesuits’ presence in India, Japan, Macao and compares both Western and Eastern and Tibet, as well as P. António Vieira’s sources, to avoid relying excessively on political ideas, thus closing, but not just the Portuguese sources, a factor putting and end to a most interesting and which was responsible for a certain promising debate of ideas of such a inertia that prevailed in the Portuguese complex, rich and wondrous theme. historiography of Macao and Luso- Chinese relations. ALEXANDRA CURVELO On the other hand, one can see Portuguese Institute for that the author is mindful of the fact Conservation and Restoration that a study of Macao must take into consideration it’s vast historical and geographical context. Firstly, the Jorge M. dos Santos Alves general historical context of the Portuguese presence in the Orient, Um Porto entre dois Impérios, particularly in Eastern Asia (S.E. Asia Estudos sobre Macau e as Relações Luso- and the Far East), in which two Chinesas, Macao, Instituto Português do branches, which are not always easy to Oriente, 1999, pp. 229. distinguish, are evident - the official expansion, based in the territory of the The six essays collected in this State of India, and the private expan- book, written between 1993 and 1999, sion, which was the result of multiple, 142 Book Reviews and often contradictory interests (both Japan, which constitutes a complex Portuguese and Luso-Asiatic). phenomena still to be studied in detail. The second factor, that the author By the early 17th century, Macao had to considers to be of fundamental impor- deal with the competition from Chinese tance, is the history of East Asia itself, traders based in the Fujian coast who particularly that of China. It is in this operated illegally in Japan. The context that he seeks to identify the main Macanese merchants likewise had to figures in the Chinese world, be it on a compete with the Chinese junks that provincial or on an imperial level, to the operated in Japan by way of Manilla or extent that the sources allow, and to Taiwan, after the establishment of the follow the opinions and the political, Dutch feitoria in that island in the cultural and intellectual trends with 1620’s. Last but not least, Macao also regard to Macao and the activities of its had to contend with competition from inhabitants. Finally, as a further contex- Japanese traders in the markets of conti- tualization, he traces the constant factors nental South East Asia (Vietnam, Siam and broad outlines in Luso-Chinese rela- and Cambodia), which was legalized tions, that can be better understood when after 1604. linked with the fundamental principles of The two other essays mentioned are Portuguese foreign policy in various based on the same topic: the end of the maritime or continental backdrops. considerable autonomy that Macao Of the six essays, three are of parti- enjoyed till the end of the 16th century, cular interest in the context of Luso- with regard to the Estado da Índia and Japanese history. Thus, we have “O the Chinese Empire, whose interference Principio do Estabelecimento dos intensifies with the beginning of the Portugueses em Macau (1555-1565)” following century. One sees the attempts (“The beginning of the Portuguese estab- to absorb Macao into the politico-institu- lishment in Macao (1555-1565)”), in tional and juridical orbit of the two which the author, in the form of a brief States. In these two articles, entitled “Um monograph, outlines the early period of tempo de Ajustamento. Macau, O Estado the Portuguese presence in Macao, and da Índia e os Ming no Primeiro Quartel consequently the trade with Japan. In the do século XVII” (“A time of adjustment. course of this essay, he refers to the ever Macao, the State of India and the Ming in increasing difficulties faced by not only the first quarter of the 17th century”) and the Portuguese and Luso-Asiatic “A “Contenda da Ilha Verde”, Primeira merchants of Macao, but also the Discussão sobre a Legitimidade dos merchants of Malacca and Goa, in main- Portugueses em Macau (1621)” (“The taining an active participation in the “Contention of the Green Island”, The South East Asian trade networks to first debate about the legitimacy of the China and Japan and from China to Portuguese presence in Macao (1621)”), Book Reviews 143 the author studies the ways in which the city dealt with the pressures from both States, trying to manage its relationship with both entities in the best possible manner. In the context of an increased Chinese bureaucratic and military control on Macao, the Code of 1617 was imposed, by which an attempt was made to regulate some aspects of life in the city. Amongst the five articles regulating what was prohibited, there is one that deals with the presence of Japanese in Macao. On the other hand, it was in the context of this ever increasing intervention that the so called controversy of the Ilha Verde erupted, which peaked in 1621. This constituted the first major crisis in Macao’s relations with the Chinese empire, and at the same time, caused a rift between the Jesuits and the Senate of Macao, which soon resulted in the first debate amongst the Portuguese about the legitimacy of their own presence in this settlement. It was, according to the author, a time of adjustment for all the parties involved, which resulted in an apparent paradox: all of them retained what was essential for their own particular interests, conceding only what in time would prove to be of little importance. Thus, this is indeed a remarkable work, which contributes immensely towards the understanding of the Portuguese presence in the Far East. ISABEL PINA Centro de História Além-Mar New University of Lisbon.

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