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AS RELAÇÕES SINO-PORTUGUESAS DURANTE A DINASTIA QING ATRAVÉS DOS OFÍCIOS DAS CHAPAS SÍNICAS

This article analyzes the evolution of Sino-Portuguese relations during the Qing dynasty, focusing on the study of the "Chapas Sínicas" (Macau Sino-Portuguese Archives) held at the Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo. The author examines the formal transition in the models of official correspondence...

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Published in:Review of Culture
Main Author: Liu Jinglian
Format: Articles
Published: Instituto Cultural de Macau October 2003
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Articles
Online Access:https://www.icm.gov.mo/rc/viewer/pdfViewerParts/40008/3882
Summary:This article analyzes the evolution of Sino-Portuguese relations during the Qing dynasty, focusing on the study of the "Chapas Sínicas" (Macau Sino-Portuguese Archives) held at the Arquivo Nacional da Torre do Tombo. The author examines the formal transition in the models of official correspondence exchanged between the government of Guangdong, representing the Qing government, and the Leal Senado of Macau, highlighting the importance of the terminological and structural changes in these documents. The study focuses primarily on the use of the *bingwen* (禀文) and its subsequent replacement by the *zhaohui* (照會). The research demonstrates that this documentary change is not merely bureaucratic but reflects a profound transformation in the political status of Macau and in the nature of diplomatic interactions. Before 1844, the predominance of the *bingwen* — a petitionary formula that presupposed a relationship of inequality and subordination on the part of the sender — evidences the recognition of Chinese imperial sovereignty and the dependent position of the Macau government. Through the qualitative and quantitative analysis of these official communications, the article exposes how administrative terminology served as a barometer for fluctuations in political power, allowing one to trace the transition from a regime of subordination to a more egalitarian model of communication after the First Opium War. In sum, the study reaffirms the historical value of the "Chapas Sínicas" for understanding the political, administrative, and legal history of Macau.
ISSN:1682-1106

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