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A NAVEGAÇÃO PORTUGUESA E O COMÉRCIO ASIÁTICO EM MACAU NA VISÃO DE FRANCISCO INOCÊNCIO DE SOUSA COUTINHOFrancisco Inocêncio de Sousa Coutinho 眼中的澳門與亞洲貿易及葡國的海上貿易

The article analyzes the role of Portuguese navigation and Asian commerce in Macau, taking as its starting point the codex “Relação do commercio em os diferente portos da Azia…”, written by Francisco Inocêncio de Souza Coutinho (1779). Arguing that this source, although known, has been insufficientl...

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Published in:Review of Culture
Main Author: Rui D’Ávila Lourido
Format: Articles
Published: Instituto Cultural de Macau July 2005
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Articles
Online Access:https://www.icm.gov.mo/rc/viewer/pdfViewerParts/40015/3797
Summary:The article analyzes the role of Portuguese navigation and Asian commerce in Macau, taking as its starting point the codex “Relação do commercio em os diferente portos da Azia…”, written by Francisco Inocêncio de Souza Coutinho (1779). Arguing that this source, although known, has been insufficiently studied, the author seeks to fill this historiographical gap through a comprehensive reading of the text and the corresponding biographical contextualization of its author within the Pombaline era. The methodology combines a historical survey of Souza Coutinho’s profile and motivations with a systematic analysis of the content: identification of the instruments and systems supporting trade (including the monetary system and units of measurement and their equivalences), examination of references to navigation to Macau and the periodicity of routes, as well as discussion of customs duties and commercial circulation. Particular attention is given to the articulation between Chinese imports and exports from Canton/Macau to Asia, Africa, and Europe through the Portuguese network. The conclusions underscore the geo-strategic vision of the author and the formulation of proposals to overcome the fragility of the mercantile system in the East, situating them within the Asian economic-commercial framework of the mid-18th century and highlighting the utility of the Overseas Historical Archive for Luso-Asian history.
ISSN:1682-1106

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