All
 
|
 
 


Missionary Activity and Civilization of Western Missionaries: a Case of Cochinchina (Vietnam) During the XVI and XVII Centuries
 
PIIS086919080010743-4-1
DOI10.31857/S086919080010743-4
Publication type Article
Status Published
Authors
Duy Phuong Nguyen 
Occupation: Lecturer, Head of Department, University of Science and Education, The University of Danang
Affiliation: The University of Danang – University of Science and Education
Address: Vietnam, Da Nang
Van Sang Nguyen
Occupation: Lecturer, Deputy Head of Department , University of Science and Education, The University of Danang
Affiliation: The University of Danang – University of Science and Education
Address: Vietnam, Da Nang
Journal nameVostok. Afro-Aziatskie obshchestva: istoriia i sovremennost
EditionIssue 1
Pages106-117
Abstract

As in many other religions, missionary activity is seen by Catholics as a self-fulfilling mission, a sacred act to expand the scope of God’s kingdom. The geographical discoveries, along with the progress of the maritime industry in the 15th–16th centuries, opened a great prospect for “spreading the Gospel” to faraway lands, including Cochinchina (Vietnam). Along with missionary activities, Western civilization also followed the missionaries, who introduced it into the indigenous social life, contributing to the creation of the West–East connection, and the world integration of this land. Based on the many sources, such as the memoirs and correspondence of the missionaries themselves in Cochinchina and the works on the Catholic history of some Vietnamese and foreign researchers, especially the latest studies of Vietnamese historians, the article focuses on studying about missionary activities along with the introduction of Western civilization by missionaries in Cochinchina from the 16th century to the 18th century. The resusts show that the activities of the missionaries under the encouragement policy of the Cochinchina government are the basic factors promoting the process of spreading Western civilized values in Vietnam. This is an inevitable result of the spread of Catholicism which is an important role in the cultural exchange between East and West in Cochinchina in the 16th and 17th centuries. The paper contributes to clarifying the history of the development of Catholic doctrine in Vietnam and affirm the merits of Western missionaries as a bridge to bring European scientific and technical knowledge to Cochinchina.

KeywordsCatholics, Missionary, Western, Vietnam, Vietnamese script, Cochinchina, Jesuits
Received17.01.2022
Publication date07.03.2022
Number of characters38935
Cite  
100 rub.
When subscribing to an article or issue, the user can download PDF, evaluate the publication or contact the author. Need to register.
Размещенный ниже текст является ознакомительной версией и может не соответствовать печатной
1 INTRODUCTION
2 The connection of the trade routes between Europe and the Eastern countries, which began around the 16th century, prompted the Catholic clergies to begin embarking on an extensive “gospel spreading” mission in new lands. Cochinchina which was the trading gateway of international merchant fleets at that time soon attracted the attention of Western missionaries1. The mission of the Catholic missionaries was to expand “the kingdom of Christ” but to achieve this goal, the missionaries also had to associate missionary activities with the cultural and social activities of Cochinchina of that time. This process introduced Western civilization into the indigenous social life, contributing significantly to the creation of the West–East connection, and the world integration of this land. 1. The 16th and 17th centuries were a turbulent period of Vietnamese history. From 1527 to 1592, the Southern–Northern Dynasty war took place between the Mac family in Thang Long (North Dynasty) and the Le family in Thanh Hoa (Southern Dynasty). In the 17th century, Vietnam continued to experience the Trinh-Nguyen war. Specifically, from 1627 to 1672, the Trinh family in the North and the Nguyen family in the South fought each other seven times but could not settle the dispute. After 46 years of constant fighting, both sides were exhausted in their manpower and properties, so they had to accept a truce, a long-term separation. Song Gianh, known as Linh Giang, became the boundary that divided Dai Viet into two areas: from Linh Giang to the South called Cochinchina, which was under the control of the Nguyen Lord, and from Linh Giang to the North called Tonkin, which was under the management of King Le Trinh's administration. This situation lasted until the end of the 18th century when the Tay Son peasant movement broke out (1771), in turn destroying the Nguyen lordship in Cochinchina (1777) and Trinh Lord in Tonkin (1786) [Le, 2014, p. 291–352; Truong et al., 2006. p. 335–362].
3 Normally, Western missionaries came to China or Japan and, for many varied reasons, they came to Cochinchina. One of the important reasons was that, at this time in Cochinchina, under the rule of Nguyen lords, the Vietnamese had inherited the achievements of Champa ports of the ancient Champa and constructed Hoi An (Quang Nam) into a bustling international trading port city. It is the strong development of Hoi An port and the open policy of Nguyen lords that made this place a “fertile” land for missionaries. Christoforo Borri, one of the missionaries to Cochinchina [Borri, 1998, p. 21]2, remarked that all Eastern countries considered Europeans as strangers, and of course, they hated them so much that when Europeans entered their territory. However, on the contrary, in Cochinchina, the locals were willing to approach the Europeans and invited the European missionaries to dine with them. In short, the people of Cochinchina were very social, polite, and friendly to Westerners. Borri wrote: “This happened to me and my colleagues when we first came to this country. People have regarded us as very close friends and as if people have known us for a long time. It is a very nice door open to the missionaries of Christ to preach the Gospel” [Borri, 1998, p. 27]. 2. Christoforo Borri was born in Milan (Italy) in 1583, entered the Jesuit church (order) in 1601, traveled through India in 1615, and arrived in Cochinchina. He was in Cochinchina until 1622 and then returned to Macao. On May 24th, 1632, he died at a relative's home. The Land of Cochinchina in 1621 was written in Italian and published in 1631. This book was translated into French, Latin, Dutch, German, and English during the years 1631–1633. Vietnamese version was translated by Hồng Nhuệ, Khắc Xuyên, and Nguyễn Nghị. According to Father Léopold Cadìere, Christoforo Borri was one of the first Europeans after Father Francois de Pina was in Cochinchina. He was diligently studying An Nam. His narrative shows that he had a very complete and wonderful knowledge of that era and the native language [Borri, 1998, p. 3–5].
4 CHRISTIAN MISSIONARIES OF WESTERN CLERGIES IN COCHINCHINA DURING THE 16th–18th CENTURIES
5 Disregarding the previous random Christian missionaries who had visited Cochinchina, the new wave of evangelism in Cochinchina was promoted by clergies of various religious orders from the close of the 16th century to the beginning of the 17th century [George, 2017, p. 9]. At the beginning of this wave were the missionaries of the Spanish Franciscans, who came to Quang Nam in 1583, but did not enter into Cochinchina due to harsh weather conditions [Truong, 2008, p. 29; Barron, Borri, 2006, p. 138; Tang, 2016]3. In 1593, three Spanish Dominicans – Alfonso Ximénez, Diego Aduarte, and Huynh Juan Bautista Deza sailed three Spanish ships stopped at Cua Han (Da Nang) and Cachan (Ke Cham, Quang Nam) [Phan, 1967, p. 574; People’s Committee of Quang Nam Province, 2016, p. 587]4. Priests Alfonso Ximénez and Diego Aduarte remained on the mission for a long time in both Quang Nam and Thuan Hoa. By the winter of 1595–1596, they had already left there5. While the Spanish Dominican missionaries were in Quang Nam, in 1595, two Portuguese Augustinians in Macau, Miguel dos Santos and Rafael da Madre de Deus, also came there in the hope of starting Christian missions in Cochinchina, Tonkin, and Siam. They were warmly welcomed by the authorities and the people of Cochinchina, helping them to set up a church (possibly at Cua Han). The work of the Augustinian monks at first was very agreeable, but they only stayed there until 1605 and then left because the monks opposed the government in Quang Nam that protected them [Tran, 2018(1), p. 217]6. 3. Franciscans include those who followed St. Francis of Assisi (1182–1126). In 1583, a Spanish Franciscan mission was led by a missionary, Diego de San Jose o de Oropesa (?–1590), and seven other members including Bartolome Ruiz, Francisco de Montilla, Ortiz Cabezas, Cristobal Gomez, Diego Jimenez, Franssico de Vllarino, and Manuel de Santiago, from Manila (Philippines) to Vietnam and China. When they arrived in Tonkin, they were welcomed by King Mac Mau Hop (1562–1590). After that, they moved to Cochinchina. Due to the harsh weather conditions, the boat could go into Cochinchina and took shelter at a border gate six miles away (Cua Han) for a while and then let the boat anchor down. In the end, a typhoon hit the Hainan island of China. Here, Diego de San Jose was imprisoned. Because of the intervention of Father Matheo Ricci, a Jesuit missionary, he was released. Diego de San Jose arrived in Macao, then returned to Manila in 1585. He died near Acapulco while returning to Spain in 1590 [Truong, 2008, p. 29; Tang, 2016, p. 130].

4. The name of Ke Cham in Vietnam historical sources and Western documents in the 17th–19th centuries was to locate the headquarters of Quang Nam. There were still many different opinions about the position of the current Cham. Some researchers believe that this was the palace of Thanh Chiem town, west of Hoi An today, but others disagree with this view [People’s Committee of Quang Nam Province, 2016, p. 587].

5. Father Rafael da Madre de Deus (1571–1606) was an Augustinian missionary. He went to mission in Quang Nam around 1595–1605 [Jacques, 2012].

6. Before that, in 1572, the Portuguese Congregation of the East Indies built the first monastery in Goa (India). In 1587, Europeans came to Malacca (Malaysia) [Alberts, 2013, p. 30].
6 Around the beginning of 1598, on the invitation of Lord Nguyen, Father Rafael da Madre de Deus and his brother Mateus de S. José, a Portuguese Congregation monk, returned to Quang Nam. They were warmly welcomed by the head of Quang Nam’s government at Sima, given by Paquira [Luong, 2006, p. 33]7, for the “ambassador” function to be more liberal in preaching, building churches and baptizing those who volunteered. Due to the death of his brother, Mateus de S. José, it became difficult for Father Rafael da Madre de Deus to operate efficiently, and he left Quang Nam for Malacca in 1601 to search for an assistant, but he was taken prisoner by the Dutch in Singapore in 1604 and was killed in Malacca in 1606 [Pinto, 2012, p. 139–140]8. During the period between 1606 and 1612, another Portuguese Congregation monk, Fr. Jerónimo de Matos, also came from Macao to in Cochinchina for Christian missionary work. His work was noteworthy, with a church named St. Monica [Jacques, 2002, p. 209]. 7. Sima by Paquira was Tra Kieu Simhapura or the capital of the Avamarati state, one of the five states of the Champa kingdom. Today, this place is located in Duy Son commune, Duy Xuyen district, Quang Nam province (Vietnam) [Luong, 2016, p. 33].

8. After arresting Rafael da Madre de Deus, the Ha Lan people intended to use him to exchange prisoners. However, the Dutch feared Portugal’s revenge for the arrest of their missionary. After a while, they allowed him to leave Malacca on a Japanese boat. However, a few days later, he was found dead on the beach on October 2nd, 1606. There are many theories about his death being caused by the Malay people, although the accuracy of this information is still controversial [Nguyen, 2019].
7 In general, until 1615, before the Jesuits appeared, clergies of the Franciscan, Dominican, and Augustinian orders of Spain and Portugal came to Quang Nam and then to Thuan Hoa, but the most concentrated area was the Ke Cham center. Despite many attempts, the clergies of these religious orders had not yet laid the groundwork to expand the spread of Catholicism in Cochinchina. Only after Japan implemented the policy of prohibition in 1614, expelling all the Western missionaries and Jesuits present in Vietnam, did the missionaries in Cochinchina started to gain more specific results [Bary, 2006, p. 130].

Number of purchasers: 0, views: 145

Readers community rating: votes 0 

1. Alberts T. Conflict and Conversion: Catholicism in Southeast Asia, 1500-1700. New York: Oxford University Press, 2013.
2. Barron S., Borri Ch. Samuel Barron, Christoforo Borri, Views of Seventeenth-Century Vietnam: Christoforo Borri on Cochinchina & Samuel Baron on Tonkin. New York: Southeast Asia Program Publications, Cornell University, 2006.
3. Bary D.T. Sources of Japanese Tradition, Abridged: Part 1: 1600 to 1868. New York: Columbia University Press, 2006.
4. Borri Ch. Xứ Đàng Trong Năm 1621. Ho Chi Minh: Tong Hop Publishing House, 1998 [Borri Ch. Conchinchina in 1621. Ho Chi Minh: Tong Hop Publishing House, 1998 (in Vietnamese)].
5. Borri Ch. Những người Âu đã thấy Huế xưa. Hue: Thuan Hoa Publishing House, 2003 [Borri Ch. Europeans in Hue Ancient Capital. Hue: Thuan Hoa Publishing House, 2003 (in Vietnamese)].
6. Do Q.C. Lịch sử chữ Quốc ngữ (1620–1659). Saigon: Tu sach ra khoi Publishing Hourse, 1972 [Do Q.C. History of Vietnamese script (1620–1659). Saigon: Tu sach ra khoi Publishing Hourse, 1972 (in Vietnamese)].
7. Do Q.C. Dòng tên trong xã hội Đại Việt, 1615–1773. Ho Chi Minh: An Ton and Duoc Sang Publishing House, 2006 [Do Q.C. The Jesuits in Vietnamese society, 1615–1773. Ho Chi Minh: An Ton and Duoc Sang Publishing House, 2006 (in Vietnamese)].
8. Do Q.H. Công giáo Việt Nam thời kỳ triều Nguyễn. Ha Noi: Ton giao Publishing House, 2007 [Do Q.H. Vietnamese Catholic under the Nguyen Dynasty. Hanoi: Ton giao Publishing House, 2007 (in Vietnamese)].
9. Gaide B. Y học châu Âu tại An Nam xưa và nay. Hue: Thuan Hoa Publishing House, 2001 [European Medicine in An Nam Ancient and Present. Hue: Thuan Hoa Publishing House, 2001 (in Vietnamese)].
10. George E.D. A Vietnamese Moses: Philiphe Binh and the Geographies of Early Modern Catholicism. California: University of California Press, 2017.
11. Jacques R. Portuguese Pioneers of Vietnamese Linguistics. Bangkok: Orchid Press, 2002.
12. Jacques R. The Augustinians in Quang Nam between 1595 and 1605. 24.05.2012. http://conggiao.info/nha-truyen-giao-dong-augustino-o-quang-nam-vao-khao-nam-1595-1605-d-7791  (accessed: 02.11.2019).
13. Lach D.F., Edwin J.V.K. Asia in the Making of Europe, Volume III: A Century of Advance, Book 1: Trade, Mission, Literature. London: The University of Chicago Press, 1998.
14. Launay A. Histoire Génerale de La Société des Missions-Étrangères. Paris: Téqui, 1894.
15. Launay A. Histoire de La Mission de La Cochinchine, Documents Historiques (1658–1823). Paris, 1925.
16. Le T.K. Lịch sử Việt Nam từ nguồn gốc đến giữa thế kỉ XX. Ha Noi: The Gioi Publishing House, 2014 [Le T.K. Vietnamese History from the Beginning to the Second Half of the 19th Century. Hanoi: The Gioi Publishing House, 2014 [(in Vietnamese)].
17. Luong N. Lịch sử vương Quốc Champa. Ha Noi: Viet Nam National University Press, 2006 [Luong N. History of Champa Kingdom. Hanoi: Viet Nam National University Press, 2006 (in Vietnamese)].
18. Maggs B W. Science, Mathematics, and Reason: The Missionary Methods of the Jesuit Alexandre de Rhodes in Seventeenth-Century Vietnam. The Catholic Historical Review. Vol. 86 (3) 2000. Pp. 439–458.
19. Maybon C.B. Những Người Châu Âu ở Nước An Nam. Ha Noi: The Gioi Publishing House, 2011 [Maybon C.B. Europeans in Annam. Hanoi: The Gioi Publishing House, 2011 (in Vietnamese)].
20. Nguyen T.V.L. Hoạt động của các Giáo sĩ Bồ Đào Nha ở Hội An (Thế Kỷ XVI–XVII) [Nguyen T.V.L. Activities of Portuguese Missionaries in Hoi An (16th–17th Century) (in Vietnamese)]. 26.03.2019. https://hoianheritage.net/vi/trao-doi-chuyen-nganh/chuyen-de-nghien-cuu-trao-doi/hoat-dong-thuong-mai-cua-nguoi-bo-dao-nha-o-thuong-cang-hoi-an-the-ky-xvi-xvii-772.html.  (accessed: 02.11.2019).
21. People’s Committee of Binh Dinh Province. Bình Định với chữ Quốc ngữ Ho Chi Minh: Ho Chi Minh General Publishing House, 2016 [People’s Committee of Binh Dinh Province. Binh Dinh and Vietnamese script. Ho Chi Minh: Ho Chi Minh General Publishing House, 2016 (in Vietnamese)].
22. People’s Committee of Quang Nam Province. Dinh trấn Thanh Chiêm và chữ Quốc Ngữ. Quang Nam: Da Nang Publishing House, 2016 [People’s Committee of Quang Nam Province. Thanh Chiem Palace and Vietnamese Script Quang Nam: Da Nang Publishing House, 2016 (in Vietnamese)].
23. Pham H.T. Ảnh hưởng qua lại giữa văn hoá Công giáo và văn hoá Việt Nam. Religious Studies. Vol. 2. 2000. Pp. 56–60 [Pham H.T. The Interplay between Catholic Culture and Vietnamese Culture. Religious Studies. Vol. 2. 2000. Pp. 56–60 (in Vietnamese)].
24. Phan K. Việt sử Xứ Đàng Trong, 1558–1777: cuộc Nam tiến của dân tộc Việt Nam. Saigon: Xuan Thu Publishing House, 1967 [Phan K. Vietnamese History in Cochinchina, 1558–1777:  The Southern Advancement of the Vietnamese Nation. Saigon: Xuan Thu Publishing House, 1967 (in Vietnamese)].
25. Phan H.L., Nguyen T.Q., Vo D.D., Truong A.T. Chữ Quốc ngữ từ Nước Mặn đến Làng Sông. Dong Nai: Dong Nai Publishing House, 2018 [Phan H.L., Nguyen T.Q., Vo D.D., Truong A.T. Vietnamese Script from Nuoc Man to Lang Song. Dong Nai: Dong Nai Publishing House, 2018 (in Vietnamese)].
26. Phan P.C. Mission and Catechesis: Alexandre de Rhodes & Inculturation in Seventeenth-Century Vietnam. New York: Orbis Books, 1998.
27. Pinto P.J. de Sousa. The Portuguese and the Straits of Melaka, 1575-1619: Power, Trade and Diplomacy. Singapore: National University of Singapore Press, The Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, 2012.
28. Rhodes A. Divers Voyages et Missions. Paris: Sebastien Cramoisy, Imprimeur ordinaire du Roy & de la Reyne, 1653.
29. Rhodes A. Từ Điển Annam Lusitan Latinh. Ho Chi Minh: Social Sciences Publishing House, 1991 [Rhodes A. The Vietnamese-Portuguese-Latin Dictionary. Ho Chi Minh: Social Sciences Publishing House, 1991 (in Vietnamese)].
30. Tang K. Setting off from Macau: Essays on Jesuit History during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Boston: Brill, 2016.
31. Thompson L.C. A Vietnamese Reference Grammar. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1987.
32. Tran A.Q. Gods, Heroes, and Ancestors: An Interreligious Encounter in Eighteenth-Century Vietnam: Errors of the Three Religions. New York: Oxford University Press, 2018(1).
33. Tran A.Q. The Historiography of the Jesuits in Vietnam: 1615–1773 and 1957–2007. Jesuit Historiography Online. First published online: 2018(2). https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/jesuit-historiography-online/the-historiography-of-the-jesuits-in-vietnam-16151773-and-19572007-COM_210470  (accessed: 11.02.2019).
34. Tran Q.C., Tran V.H. Các đời vua chúa nhà Nguyễn – Chín Chúa, mười ba Vua. Hue: Thuan Hoa Publishing House, 2017 [Tran Q.C., Tran V.H. Kings and Lords under Nguyen Dynasty – Nine Lords, Thirteen Kings. Hue: Thuan Hoa Publishing House, 2017 (in Vietnamese)].
35. Tran V.G., Lang T., Hoang X.V. Cultural Dictionary of Ho Chi Minh City. Hồ Chí Minh: Ho Chi Minh General Publishing House, 1998.
36. Truong B.C. Lịch sử phát triển Công giáo ở Việt Nam. Ha Noi: Ton Giao Publishing House, 2008 [Truong B.C. The History of Christianity in Vietnam. Hanoi: Ton Giao Publishing House, 2008 (in Vietnamese)].
37. Truong H.C., Dinh X.L., Le M.H. Đại cương Lịch sử Việt Nam. Ha Noi: Education Publishing House, 2006 [Truong H.C., Dinh X.L., Le M.H. General History of Viet Nam. Hanoi: Education Publishing House, 2006 (in Vietnamese)].
38. Zwartjes O. Portuguese Missionary Grammars in Asia, Africa and Brazil, 1550–1800. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company, 2011.

Система Orphus

Loading...
Up