MACAU, MANILA E OS HOLANDESES澳門，馬尼拉與荷蘭人
This study analyzes European encounters in the South China Sea, with particular attention to Macau, Manila, and the Dutch presence, in order to demonstrate how the dynamics among Portuguese powers, modern states, and local mercantile networks shaped commerce and the politico-cultural configurations...
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| Published in: | Review of Culture |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Articles |
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Instituto Cultural de Macau
July 2004
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| Online Access: | https://www.icm.gov.mo/rc/viewer/pdfViewerParts/40011/3840 |
| Summary: | This study analyzes European encounters in the South China Sea, with particular attention to Macau, Manila, and the Dutch presence, in order to demonstrate how the dynamics among Portuguese powers, modern states, and local mercantile networks shaped commerce and the politico-cultural configurations of the region. The central argument holds that the intertwining of two Portuguese systems of power—a Estado da Índia supported by naval and military apparatus, and a shadow empire fueled by the private initiative of merchants—produced a network of commercial bases extending from Malacca to the southern coast of China, with Macau emerging around 1557 as a logistical hub articulating Canton with the markets of the South China Sea and beyond. The circulation of valuable commodities (silks, porcelains, spices, metals) was only feasible through concessions recognized by the Chinese authorities, whose policy oscillated between encouragement and restriction. The study also considers historical language: the term 'Portuguese' encompasses diverse and hybrid identities, reflecting the cosmopolitan character of merchants in the region. The treatment of Manila and the Dutch highlights European competition and the necessary renegotiations of commercial networks, as well as the opportunities and tensions between state intervention and private initiative. It concludes that Macau functioned as a crucial link in the diffusion of Sino-European trade, while the Dutch ascendancy reconfigured the mercantile map of Southeast Asia and the Yangtze delta. |
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| ISSN: | 1682-1106 |