[current_date format=l,] [current_date]

Jesuit Priests: The Ambassadors Between King Louis XIV and the Qing Emperor Kangxi

595 Views

By Tim Gebhart

"If you’ve been waiting for an invitation, this calligraphy is it. Commissioned by Facebook, this is a hand-lettered design for a poster. Quote is Facebook mine "

- Massimo Vignelli

Dignitaries from kingdoms around the world, from India, Vietnam, to Tunisia paid their respects to the Sun King, King Louis XIV of France, the principal Monarch in Europe during the 1600s. His supreme rule, his dutiful focus on all aspects of French society propelled the Baroque era and its arts to its heights and gave him an omnipresence on the world stage. In a land far beyond, as Laura Hostetler described in her essay A Mirror for the Monarch: A Literary Portrait of China in Eighteenth-Century France, “Louis XIV may have been the Sun King in his own court, but other constellations existed.” A man endowed with a similar aura, paralleled in kingdom, reigned far away in China, he was Emperor Kangxi of the Qing dynasty. The two rulers,

Dignitaries from kingdoms around the world, from India, Vietnam, to Tunisia paid their respects to the Sun King, King Louis XIV of France, the principal Monarch in Europe during the 1600s. His supreme rule, his dutiful focus on all aspects of French society propelled the Baroque era and its arts to its heights and gave him an omnipresence on the world stage.

In a land far beyond, as Laura Hostetler described in her essay A Mirror for the Monarch: A Literary Portrait of China in Eighteenth-Century France, “Louis XIV may have been the Sun King in his own court, but other constellations existed.” A man endowed with a similar aura, paralleled in kingdom, reigned far away in China, he was Emperor Kangxi of the Qing dynasty.

The Palace of Versailles circa 1668, as painted by Pierre Patel (Versailles Museum). King Louis XIV’s palace, the crown jewel of Baroque architecture spared no expense. The palace had been constructed to consolidate power to himself and end the disputes between the French nobles. Commoners were welcome within its walls to present their issues before the court.

The two rulers, though a world apart, took interest in each other. The communication, inquiringness, and admiration the Monarchs offered each other crossed over 5,000 miles to grace the other. The main mode of connection between the two were Jesuit missionaries. They doubled as educators and tutors in the early universities in Western Europe and were well versed in many languages and areas of study. The Jesuit priests were often given a seat nearer the rulers that most others could only dream of at the time.

Jesuit Missionaries described many wonders and customs within China. They wrote about Chinese fishermen training cormorants to fish for them. Many of these observances were thought of as tall-tales concocted by the authors to help sell their books on China. “Imagining China: the View from Europe,” 1500–1700

The Jesuits brought back and forth between the two kingdoms fanciful illustrations, books, knowledge, beliefs, lavish decorations, medicines, silk, spices, tea, and maps that offered glimpses into a very different and exotic world that set the imagination a-flight.

A healthy competition and affection between the rulers developed through their exchanges. The Jesuit missionaries shared flowery comparisons between the two. Laura Hostetler quoted from Bouvet’s Histoire de l’Empereur de la Chine, 1699 “The Jesuits whom your Majesty sent to him several years ago were astonished to find at the ends of the earth, that which had not been seen up to this time outside of France, that is to say a prince, like you Sir, in which is joined to a mind as sublime as it is solid, a heart that is even more worthy of empire; who is master of himself as of his subjects, equally adored by his peoples and respected by his neighbors; who, glorious as he is in his great enterprises, has even more valor and drive than good fortune: a prince in one word who unites in his person the majority of those qualities which make heros, and would be the most accomplished monarch to reign on this earth in a long time were it not that his reign coincided with that of Your Majesty.”

The Kangxi Emperor (1654-1722), the 4th Emperor of the Qing Dynasty,at the age of 45, painted in 1699

Emperor Kangxi, having dutifully memorized the Confucian classics and hundreds of other works on moral etiquette and humility from Chinese literature, won the hearts of the Jesuit priests with his caring affection for his own citizens. In 1670, Kangxi issued the Sacred Edict for his citizens to follow. It consisted of sixteen maxims that instructed the average citizen in the basic principles of Confucianism:

  1. Highly esteem filial piety and brotherly submission to give due weight to social relations (敦孝弟以重人倫);
  2. Behave generously toward your family to promote harmony and peace (篤宗族以昭雍睦);
  3. Cultivate peace within the neighborhood to prevent quarrels and lawsuits (和鄉黨以息爭訟);
  4. Respect farming and the cultivation of mulberry trees to ensure sufficient clothing and food (重農桑以足衣食);
  5. Be moderate and economical in order to avoid wasting away your livelihood (尚節儉以惜財用);
  6. Give weight to schools and academies in order to honor the scholar (隆學校以端士習);
  7. Wipe out strange beliefs to elevate the correct doctrine (黜異端以崇正學);
  8. Elucidate the laws in order to warn the ignorant and obstinate (講法律以儆愚頑);
  9. Show propriety and tactful courtesy to elevate customs and manners (明禮讓以厚民俗);
  10. Work diligently in your chosen callings to quiet your ambitions (務本業以定民志);
  11. Instruct sons and younger brothers to keep them from doing wrong (訓子弟以禁非為);
  12. Hold back false accusations to safeguard the good and honest (息誣告以全善良);
  13. Warn against sheltering deserters lest you share their punishment (誡匿逃以免株連);
  14. Promptly and fully pay your taxes lest you need be pressed to pay them (完錢糧以省催科);
  15. Join together in hundreds and tithings to end theft and robbery (聯保甲以弭盜賊);
  16. Free yourself from enmity and anger to show respect for your body and life (解仇忿以重身命).
Three Jesuit scientists at work in China. Jean-Baptiste Du Halde, Ausführliche Beschreibung des Chinesischen Reichs und der grossen Tartarey (Rostock, 1747-1749). By courtesy of the Department of Special Collections, Memorial Library, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

A Portuguese Jesuit priest, Alavaro Semedo, praised Chinese society in his book, History of That Great and Renowned Monarchy of China, he states “We have seen that the allure of the Chinese derives from their difference. This difference does not make them inferior. On the contrary, the readership “of whatsoever profession” can learn much and profit by reading about their “Politicks, Oeconomicks, Sciences, Mechanicks, Riches, Merchandise, &c.” thereby “reap[ing] no small benefit.” In moral virtue too, we are told, the Chinese are to be admired: “though wilt find them so far to transcend us therein, that they may be proposed as an excellent patterne, (as also they are a shame) to Christian States.” The logic here parallels that of Confucius whose Analects state “Even when walking in a party of no more than three I can always be certain of learning from those I am with. There will be good qualities that I can select for imitation and bad ones that will teach me what requires correction in myself.”

Jesuit astronomers of the Jesuit China missions, with the Kangxi Emperor (Beauvais, 1690–1705). In the early hours of the morning, Emperor Kangxi would meet his missionary tutors to learn about a range of Western fields of study.

The Jesuit missionaries were often accomplished linguists, astronomers, cartographers, artists, or mathematicians. Emperor Kangxi employed the missionaries as tutors or sought literature from them. First and foremost, on the minds of the Jesuits however, was to spread Christianity in China. The Jesuit missionaries were openly welcomed to preach. Kangxi’s tolerance of Christianity was one of the main factors that helped open China to Western ideas, achievements, and trade. Emperor Kangxi gave his approval and blessings to a church founded in Beijing, writing a poem to commemorate its opening:

Emperor Kangxi’s (China’s Qing dynasty) Poem:

When the work of the cross is done, blood flowed like a river,
Grace from the west flowed a thousand yards deep,
On the midnight road he was subjected to four trials,
Before the rooster crowed twice,
three times betrayed by a disciple.
Five hundred lashes tore every inch of skin,
Two thieves hung on either side, six feet high,
Sadness greater than any had ever known,
Seven words, one completed task,
ten thousand spirits weep.

16th century Jesuit Map of China
16th century Jesuit Map of China. During the Baroque era in France, people were fascinated by mystery as much as by the empirical world. Jesuit priests exchanged maps with the Chinese. The Jesuit priests sometimes left areas of the maps in their reproductions blank or inaccurate on purpose with fanciful illustrations of dragons and mythical creatures to enhance the “mystery” and spurn the imagination to wonder, or to sell their updated and more complete version of a map again a few years later…

Western and Eastern medicine, along with remedies, herbs, and other cures were exchanged. Timothy Billings, in Imagining China: the View from Europe, said that “Chinese medical practices such as acupuncture, acupressure, and moxibustion from alternative and homeopathic remedies [are] still practiced today, and these were introduced to Europeans in the sixteenth century.” Billings noted that many plants common in the West came from China thanks to the Jesuit missionaries. Rhubarb, now a popular vegetable used in desserts, was once brought to the West from China as a potent medicine to treat cancer, and was excellent in expelling toxins from the body.

These exchanges of knowledge helped the two civilizations flourish. King Louis XIV and Emperor Kangxi both invested heavily in their relationships with one another which allowed them to become centers of trade and cultural advancement in their own spheres. The rulers became two of the most renowned, longest reigning Monarchs in history thanks in part to the Jesuit priests and their invaluable services.

 “If a man takes no thought about what is distant, he will find sorrow near at hand.” ~ Confucius

 

 

Tag

More on this topic

More Stories

Refreshing and Insights
at No Cost to You!

Cancel anytime

Latest Articles

One Response

  1. Pingback: Ford Everest

Leave a Reply

Trending

Top Products

Contact us

Wherever & whenever you are,
we are here always.

The Middle Land

100 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 700 Santa Monica, CA 90401
Footer Contact

To Editor


Terms and Conditions

October, 2023

Using our website

You may use the The Middle Land website subject to the Terms and Conditions set out on this page. Visit this page regularly to check the latest Terms and Conditions. Access and use of this site constitutes your acceptance of the Terms and Conditions in-force at the time of use.

Intellectual property

Names, images and logos displayed on this site that identify The Middle Land are the intellectual property of New San Cai Inc. Copying any of this material is not permitted without prior written approval from the owner of the relevant intellectual property rights.

Requests for such approval should be directed to the competition committee.

Please provide details of your intended use of the relevant material and include your contact details including name, address, telephone number, fax number and email.

Linking policy

You do not have to ask permission to link directly to pages hosted on this website. However, we do not permit our pages to be loaded directly into frames on your website. Our pages must load into the user’s entire window.

The Middle Land is not responsible for the contents or reliability of any site to which it is hyperlinked and does not necessarily endorse the views expressed within them. Linking to or from this site should not be taken as endorsement of any kind. We cannot guarantee that these links will work all the time and have no control over the availability of the linked pages.

Submissions 

All information, data, text, graphics or any other materials whatsoever uploaded or transmitted by you is your sole responsibility. This means that you are entirely responsible for all content you upload, post, email or otherwise transmit to the The Middle Land website.

Virus protection

We make every effort to check and test material at all stages of production. It is always recommended to run an anti-virus program on all material downloaded from the Internet. We cannot accept any responsibility for any loss, disruption or damage to your data or computer system, which may occur while using material derived from this website.

Disclaimer

The website is provided ‘as is’, without any representation or endorsement made, and without warranty of any kind whether express or implied.

Your use of any information or materials on this website is entirely at your own risk, for which we shall not be liable. It is your responsibility to ensure any products, services or information available through this website meet your specific requirements.

We do not warrant the operation of this site will be uninterrupted or error free, that defects will be corrected, or that this site or the server that makes it available are free of viruses or represent the full functionality, accuracy and reliability of the materials. In no event will we be liable for any loss or damage including, without limitation, loss of profits, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damages whatsoever arising from the use, or loss of data, arising out of – or in connection with – the use of this website.

Privacy & Cookie Policy

September 11, 2024

Last Updated: September 11, 2024

New San Cai Inc. (hereinafter “The Middle Land,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) owns and operates www.themiddleland.com, its affiliated websites and applications (our “Sites”), and provides related products, services, newsletters, and other offerings (together with the Sites, our “Services”) to art lovers and visitors around the world.

This Privacy Policy (the “Policy”) is intended to provide you with information on how we collect, use, and share your personal data. We process personal data from visitors of our Sites, users of our Services, readers or bloggers (collectively, “you” or “your”). Personal data is any information about you. This Policy also describes your choices regarding use, access, and correction of your personal information.

If after reading this Policy you have additional questions or would like further information, please email at middleland@protonmail.com.

PERSONAL DATA WE COLLECT AND HOW WE USE IT

We collect and process personal data only for lawful reasons, such as our legitimate business interests, your consent, or to fulfill our legal or contractual obligations.

Information You Provide to Us

Most of the information Join Talents collects is provided by you voluntarily while using our Services. We do not request highly sensitive data, such as health or medical information, racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, etc. and we ask that you refrain from sending us any such information.

Here are the types of personal data that you voluntarily provide to us:

  • Name, email address, and any other contact information that you provide by filling out your profile forms
  • Billing information, such as credit card number and billing address
  • Work or professional information, such as your company or job title
  • Unique identifiers, such as username or password
  • Demographic information, such as age, education, interests, and ZIP code
  • Details of transactions and preferences from your use of the Services
  • Correspondence with other users or business that you send through our Services, as well as correspondence sent to JoinTalents.com

As a registered users or customers, you may ask us to review or retrieve emails sent to your business. We will access these emails to provide these services for you.

We use the personal data you provide to us for the following business purposes:

  • Set up and administer your account
  • Provide and improve the Services, including displaying content based on your previous transactions and preferences
  • Answer your inquiries and provide customer service
  • Send you marketing communications about our Services, including our newsletters (please see the Your Rights/Opt Out section below for how to opt out of marketing communications)
  • Communicate with users who registered their accounts on our site
  • Prevent, discover, and investigate fraud, criminal activity, or violations of our Terms and Conditions
  • Administer contests and events you entered

Information Obtained from Third-Party Sources

We collect and publish biographical and other information about users, which we use to promote the articles and our bloggers  who use our sites. If you provide personal information about others, or if others give us your information, we will only use that information for the specific reason for which it was provided.

Information We Collect by Automated Means

Log Files

The site uses your IP address to help diagnose server problems, and to administer our website. We use your IP addresses to analyze trends and gather broad demographic information for aggregate use.

Every time you access our Site, some data is temporarily stored and processed in a log file, such as your IP addresses, the browser types, the operating systems, the recalled page, or the date and time of the recall. This data is only evaluated for statistical purposes, such as to help us diagnose problems with our servers, to administer our sites, or to improve our Services.

Do Not Track

Your browser or device may include “Do Not Track” functionality. Our information collection and disclosure practices, and the choices that we provide to customers, will continue to operate as described in this Privacy Policy, whether or not a “Do Not Track” signal is received.

HOW WE SHARE YOUR INFORMATION

We may share your personal data with third parties only in the ways that are described in this Privacy Policy. We do not sell, rent, or lease your personal data to third parties, and We does not transfer your personal data to third parties for their direct marketing purposes.

We may share your personal data with third parties as follows:

  • With service providers under contract to help provide the Services and assist us with our business operations (such as our direct marketing, payment processing, fraud investigations, bill collection, affiliate and rewards programs)
  • As required by law, such as to comply with a subpoena, or similar legal process, including to meet national security or law enforcement requirements
  • When we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect rights or safety, investigate fraud, or respond to a government request
  • With other users of the Services that you interact with to help you complete a transaction

There may be other instances where we share your personal data with third parties based on your consent.

HOW WE STORE AND SECURE YOUR INFORMATION

We retain your information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you Services. If you wish to cancel your account, please contact us middleland@protonmail.com. We will retain and use your personal data as necessary to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.

All you and our data are stored in the server in the United States, we do not sales or transfer your personal data to the third party. All information you provide is stored on a secure server, and we generally accepted industry standards to protect the personal data we process both during transmission and once received.

YOUR RIGHTS/OPT OUT

You may correct, update, amend, delete/remove, or deactivate your account and personal data by making the change on your Blog on www.themiddleland.com or by emailing middleland@protonmail.com. We will respond to your request within a reasonable timeframe.

You may choose to stop receiving Join Talents newsletters or marketing emails at any time by following the unsubscribe instructions included in those communications, or you can email us at middleland@protonmail.com

LINKS TO OTHER WEBSITES

The Middle Land include links to other websites whose privacy practices may differ from that of ours. If you submit personal data to any of those sites, your information is governed by their privacy statements. We encourage you to carefully read the Privacy Policy of any website you visit.

NOTE TO PARENTS OR GUARDIANS

Our Services are not intended for use by children, and we do not knowingly or intentionally solicit data from or market to children under the age of 18. We reserve the right to delete the child’s information and the child’s registration on the Sites.

PRIVACY POLICY CHANGES

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes to our personal data processing practices. If any material changes are made, we will notify you on the Sites prior to the change becoming effective. You are encouraged to periodically review this Policy.

HOW TO CONTACT US

If you have any questions about our Privacy Policy, please email middleland@protonmail.com

Article Submission


Logout

Are you sure? Do you want to logout of the account?

New Programs Added to Your Plan

March 2, 2023

The Michelin brothers created the guide, which included information like maps, car mechanics listings, hotels and petrol stations across France to spur demand.

The guide began to award stars to fine dining restaurants in 1926.

At first, they offered just one star, the concept was expanded in 1931 to include one, two and three stars. One star establishments represent a “very good restaurant in its category”. Two honour “excellent cooking, worth a detour” and three reward “exceptional cuisine, worth a

 

February 28, 2023        Hiring Journalists all hands apply

January 18, 2023          Hiring Journalists all hands apply

More

One Response

  1. Pingback: Ford Everest

Leave a Reply

Forgot Password ?

Please enter your email id or user name to
recover your password

Thank you for your participation!
Back to Home
Thank you for your subscription!
Please check your email to activate your account.
Back to Home
Thank you for your participation!
Please check your email for the results.
Back to Home

Login to Vote!

Thank you for your participation,
please Log in or Sign up to Vote

Thank you for your Comment

Back to Home

Reply To:

New Programs Added to Your Plan


Login Now

123Sign in to your account