THE PORTUGUESE SETTLEMENT AT MACAO. THE PORTUGUESE POLICY OF EXPANSION IN THE FAR EAST, IN LIGHT OF THE HISTORY OF CHINESE AND JAPANESE INTERCOURSE AND MARITIME ACTIVITIES
This article examines the establishment of the Portuguese settlement at Macao in 1557 within the broader context of 16th-century Sino-Japanese maritime relations and illicit trade networks. Moving beyond traditional Eurocentric historiography, the study employs a comparative methodology that integra...
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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
April 2003
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| Online Access: | https://www.icm.gov.mo/rc/viewer/pdfViewerParts/40006/2709 |
| Summary: | This article examines the establishment of the Portuguese settlement at Macao in 1557 within the broader context of 16th-century Sino-Japanese maritime relations and illicit trade networks. Moving beyond traditional Eurocentric historiography, the study employs a comparative methodology that integrates Portuguese, Chinese, and Japanese sources to address the complexities of early modern East Asian expansion. The author argues that Macao’s development was fundamentally shaped by the activities of Chinese (*haikou*) and Japanese (*wokou*) maritime adventurers, whose smuggling and piracy networks created the necessary conditions for Portuguese intervention.
A key finding is the role of Japan as an "invisible hand" that financed and protected Chinese maritime smugglers, effectively acting as a silent partner in the region's illicit commerce. The article emphasizes that the Portuguese arrival in Tanegashima in 1543—mediated by Chinese adventurers—was a critical precursor to the founding of Macao. By analyzing the intersection of the Ming dynasty’s maritime bans and Japan’s internal political shifts, the author demonstrates that the Portuguese settlement served as a vital strategic nexus. Ultimately, the paper concludes that the Macao outpost was less an isolated colonial achievement and more a product of the intricate, interdependent maritime dynamics between China and Japan during a period of transition in international relations. |
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| ISSN: | 1682-1106 |