Trade, the Sea Prohibition and the “Folangji” 109
they had sought instructions from the Court. The Portuguese request for
ofβicial relations was referred to the Board of Rites and the deliberation
is mentioned in the Ming shilu (Veritable Records of the Ming Dynasty),
the Court records of the Ming dynasty, under the entry of February 11,
- Not surprisingly, the Board had recommended that the Folangji “be
told to leave and their tribute returned”, and the emperor had accepted
this decision.^43
The Court later reversed this decision and granted permission for
Pires and his suite, numbering 30,^44 to travel to the imperial capital.^45
The standard dynastic history of the Ming explains that “the Portuguese
bribed the eunuch who served in the capacity of Regional Commander
(zhenshou zhonggui) and were thus permitted to proceed to the capital”.^46
The envoy left Guangzhou on January 23, 1520, and arrived in
Nanjing in May. The emperor was in the city, but he decided to meet the
Portuguese ambassador in Beijing, to which he returned in February
1521, in accordance with the conventions governing such occasions.
While these diplomatic moves were underway, other crises occurred.
Simão de Andrade, a brother of Fernão Peres de Andrade, arrived
in Tunmen with a small βleet in August 1519. He was surprised to
discover that Pires had not even left Guangzhou, and his indignation and
irritation led to a regrettable episode. In contrast to his brother, Simão
de Andrade has been described as covetous, selβish and despotic.^47 He
behaved oppressively towards the Chinese, building a fort at Tunmen and
contesting the jurisdiction of the Chinese ofβicials. He was also accused of
“committing acts of piracy, of enslaving the Chinese and kidnapping girls
on the coast”.^48 His activities were “the principal cause of the unfortunate
end of Pires’ embassy, and of all the misfortunes the Portuguese suffered
in China for more than thirty years”.^49
There were also other incidents involving persons associated with
the Portuguese. While in Nanjing, an interpreter in Pires’ suite, a Muslim - Ming Shilu: Wuzong chao 明實錄:武宗朝 [Veritable records of the Ming Dynasty:
Wuzong Reign] (hereafter MSL: WZ), 158: 2a‒b. - Cited in Dai Yixuan, Ming shi folangji zhuan, p. 9.
- MSL: WZ, 194:2b.
- Ming shi 明史 [Standard dynastic history of the Ming) (reprint, Beijing:
Zhonghua shuju, 1974), juan 325, “Folangji”, p. 8430. - Geo. Phillip, “Early Portuguese Trade in Fuhkien”, The China Review, or Notes
and Queries on the Far East (Hong Kong) 19 (1891): 45. - Volpicelli, “Early Portuguese Commerce”, p. 42.
- Cortesão, “Introduction”, p. xxxvi.