MANILA IN THE ZHENG CLAN MARITIME NETWORKS鄭氏家族海事網絡中的馬尼拉
The article examines how Manila articulated itself—as a pole, a mediation node, and a field of competition—within the maritime networks associated with the Zheng clan in the seventeenth century. Arguing that interactions between Manila Spaniards and merchant networks led by Zheng should be conceptua...
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| Published in: | Review of Culture |
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| Format: | Articles |
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Instituto Cultural de Macau
January 2009
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| Online Access: | https://www.icm.gov.mo/rc/viewer/pdfViewerParts/40029/3626 |
| Summary: | The article examines how Manila articulated itself—as a pole, a mediation node, and a field of competition—within the maritime networks associated with the Zheng clan in the seventeenth century. Arguing that interactions between Manila Spaniards and merchant networks led by Zheng should be conceptualized less as isolated "piracy" and more as rivalry and interdependence between two mercantile circuits, the study reassesses the traditional historiographical discourse. Methodologically, the author identifies, values, and critically reads sources produced by missionaries and Iberian authorities, as well as Manila's administrative records aimed at controlling maritime commodities. These testimonies are confronted with contemporary descriptions of the Zheng system (including Francisco Rogemont's *Relaçam*) and with the contextualization of the logics of monopolization and coercion common to East Asian maritime economies, which frequently operated outside international norms. The findings suggest that Manila functioned as an entry point for regional flows and for Atlantic-Asian integration, attracting capital and Chinese intermediaries, while also intensifying conflicts over routes, ports, and markets. Thus, the article contributes to repositioning Zheng and "piracy" within a broader dynamic of networks, control policies, and rivalry strategies in the South China Sea. |
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| ISSN: | 1682-1106 |