From the "History of the Great Chinese Empire", we can see the European view of China in the 16th century

Juan González de Mendoza (1545-1618) was a well-known scholar and missionary in Spanish history. He never set foot on Chinese soil in his life, nor did he understand Chinese, but he wrote a work with great influence in Europe, "History of the Great Chinese Empire", which cannot but be amazing. The book provides a panoramic introduction to China in the 16th century and became the authoritative "Sinology" work in Europe at that time, which had a lasting and profound impact on the cultural exchanges between the East and the West.

Introducing China to 16th-century Europe

Mendoza was well educated as a child and traveled to Mexico at the age of 17 to become a missionary. With the Spanish occupation of the Philippine Archipelago, various information about the Eastern World became a hot topic in Mexico and also aroused Mendoza's interest in China.

In 1581, the King of Spain ordered Mendoza to lead a delegation from Mexico across the Pacific Ocean to China via the Philippines. But the political situation suddenly changed, which led to the failure of the plan. In desperation, Mendoza returned to Spain from Mexico the following year. In 1583, he met Pope Gregory XIII in Rome. At that time, the Holy See wanted to expand its power in the East and paid special attention to China, but suffered from information blockage, so it commissioned Mendoza to write a book about China. Mendoza collected and sorted out the letters, writings, documents, and reports of his predecessors, and published the book "History of the Great Chinese Empire" in 1585.

The book is divided into two parts. The first part is an introduction to China's national conditions, which is divided into 3 volumes. The following 10 chapters in Volume 1 introduce China's territory, geographical overview, climate, soil classification, and administrative divisions. Volume 2 also has 10 chapters that introduce Chinese religious beliefs and the worship of supernatural forces. Volume 3, Chapter 24 deals with the lineage, taxes, servants, armies, administration, justice, and imperial examinations of ancient Chinese emperors. The second part consists of travel notes from three missionaries in China.

In Mendoza's pen, China is a vast ancient civilization, Chinese called itself the "Daming People", and the country was divided into 15 provinces (two capitals and thirteen declared envoys), each of which was a large area. There is an excellent road network in China, connecting towns and cities. The "official road" is smooth and wide, and can accommodate 15 people on horseback in parallel. The roadside shops are lined with trees, just like the avenues of Roman times. Some cities are connected by waterways. Chinese rich in architectural talent. Building materials are unparalleled in the world, a kind of square (i.e. brick) made of "white clay" is so hard that it is difficult to smash without a hoe. In Beijing, the mansions are like manors. China has a majestic Great Wall, which is a very important military defense project.

According to Mendoza, China is the richest country in the world with very low prices. China is rich in products, and there are far more varieties of vegetables than in Spain, and there are three varieties of oranges alone, namely sweet, sour and sweet and sour. Sugar in China is very good, very white, and the price is low. Silk is bright in color and higher in quality than in the Spanish city of Granada. The low prices of velvet, silk and cloth in China will surprise those familiar with the prices of textiles in Spain and Italy. China's farmland is well managed, and in the countryside, the fields are scattered like gardens. The handicrafts produced in China are extremely exquisite. Porcelain is inexpensive, and the most exquisite porcelain is a tribute, as thin as glass. China's commerce is developed and trading is booming. Merchants belonging to the same industry often set up shops on the same street, and people can see the first store to know what goods the street is selling. There are many kinds of chinese currencies, and gold and silver are used by weight. The craftsmanship of Chinese craftsmen is mainly passed down within the family.

According to Mendoza, the Chinese army has infantry and cavalry. China not only has warships, but it can also be recruited and deployed relatively quickly. China's soldiers were more numerous than Europe's and were on a par with each other in terms of equipment. In China, the emperor holds the power to rule the country. Administrative officials at all levels are elected through the imperial examination and can also exercise their own powers. China has a unique legal system.

In Mendoza's view, China has a long history, a unique education system, and a wealth of books. Chinese are civilized and educated, they have high achievements in science and technology, and China's shipbuilding, papermaking and other processes are superior to similar technologies in Europe. Many Chinese also have a certain artistic accomplishment, and China has its own unique musical instruments.

In summary, the book introduces the natural environment, history and culture, customs and etiquette, religious beliefs, and political economy of China in the 16th century, and analyzes the characteristics of Chinese civilization. Therefore, after its appearance, it became a sensation, and was soon translated into many languages and widely disseminated, setting off a "Chinese fever" in Europe.

Has a wide range of impacts

After reading this book, many people of insight in Europe were obsessed with the brilliant Chinese civilization. For example, the British philosopher Francis Bacon was influenced by the book to argue that China was more interested in obtaining silver than in obtaining gold, and that the price of gold in China, like the price of gold in Italy, is often floating, but the price of silver in China is generally more stable. In addition, Bacon also mentioned in his works the use of artillery in China and the legal provisions that foreigners are not allowed to enter the country without permission. The French thinker and writer Michel de Montaigne, in the third volume of His Collected Essays, said: "We exclaim as miraculous artillery and printing, which China on the other side of the world used a thousand years ago." "We have certain advantages over others when it comes to social governance and craft development. China does not understand this, let alone communicate with us, but it has surpassed us in these aspects. China's history has taught me that the world is far bigger and more colorful than we know. All of the above can be found in the History of the Great Chinese Empire. In addition, the Dutch merchant and navigator Jan Huyghen van Linschoten was a fan of the book, and his essay on China in His Journey to the East Indies (1596 in German and 1598 in English) was also based on a history of the Great Chinese Empire. The British scholar Geoffrey Francis Hudson, author of Europe and China, argues that the publication of The History of the Great Chinese Empire "can be seen as a dividing line that has since provided European intellectuals with a wealth of knowledge about China and its system." The French sinologist Henri Bernard-Maitre said, "Even Matteo Ricci's Notes on China ... Neither can compete with it."

So why did this book have such a wide impact? In the final analysis, it answered the question that Europe desperately wanted to understand at that time, that is, what kind of country China was, and provided the basis for European countries to formulate strategies toward China. In short, the book caters to the needs of the times.

In the late 15th and early 16th centuries, the commercial upheavals that accompanied the great geographical discoveries brought opportunities for industrial and agricultural production in Europe. However, after the middle of the 16th century, a large number of precious metals plundered from the Americas flowed into Europe, causing silver prices to fall and prices to rise, and Europe experienced economic recession. Western scholars refer to the socio-economic shocks of this period as the "price revolution" (also known as the "price revolution"). At the height of the "price revolution," the European economy was in a deep depression, with soaring prices and a shortage of commodities. At the same time, China was under the rule of the Ming Dynasty, and its economy was booming, even providing the international market with good-quality and inexpensive goods. Fine Chinese silk, porcelain and various crafts continue to pour into Europe. Through the trade in goods, Chinese culture even influenced the living customs and fashions of Europeans. In the context of such an era, the History of the Great Chinese Empire came into being, which opened a window for European countries to understand China at the right time. It was also through this book that European countries at that time realized that they could only regard China as a trading partner rather than a target of aggression, which curbed the attempts of Western colonists to invade China to a certain extent.

(Author Affilications:College of Literature, Guizhou University of Finance and Economics)

Editor: Chen Xuanyu