Alvaro Semedo
Encyclopedia
Álvaro de Semedo (1585 or 1586,. Mungello quotes sources for both 1585 and 1586 as Semedo's date of birth. Niza in Alentejo, Portugal
- 18 July, 1658, Guangzhou
, China
), was a Portuguese Jesuit missionary in China
.
Alvaro Semedo was born in Niza, Portugal in 1585 or 1586. He entered Jesuit novitiate
in 1602, and on 29 March 1608, he left for Goa
and the Far East
aboard Na. Sra. do Vencimento. He arrived to Macau
in 1610, and to Nanjing
in 1613. Along with another Jesuit, Alfonso Vagnoni, he was imprisoned during an anti-Christian campaign in Nanjing in 1616, and then sent back to Macau, where he stayed till 1621.
As the persecution campaign in the mainland China abated, Fr. Semedo changed his Chinese name from Xie Wulu to Zeng Dezhao and re-entered China, now working in Jiangsu
and Jiangnan
provinces. He spent most of his term in China in the central and southern provinces; perhaps his only trip north was the one he made to Xi'an
in 1625, during which he was the first European to see the recently unearthed Nestorian Stele
.
In 1636, Semedo went back to Europe as a procurator, sent by his order to recruit more people for the China mission and to ensure continued assistance from the church in Europe. During his sojourn in Europe, he published a long report on China, best known under its Spanish title, Imperio de la China.
After his return to China, Semeda served in Guangzhou
(Canton) as the Vice-Provincial of the Jesuit China Mission. During several years after the fall of Beijing
to the Manchus in 1644, he continued to work with the Ming
loyalist regimes in the Southern China (notably, sending Michał Boym to the court of the Southern Ming Yongli Emperor
),Mungello, p. 139 even as most of Jesuits elsewhere in China were switching their loyalty to the recently established Qing Dynasty
. Once the Qing took Canton, Semedo was detained, but was freed a few months later, reportedly due to the interference of Beijing-based Johann Adam Schall von Bell
. He spent the rest of his life in Guangzhou.
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
- 18 July, 1658, Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
), was a Portuguese Jesuit missionary in China
Jesuit China missions
The history of the missions of the Jesuits in China is part of the history of relations between China and the Western world. The missionary efforts and other work of the Society of Jesus, or Jesuits, between the 16th and 17th century played a significant role in continuing the transmission of...
.
Alvaro Semedo was born in Niza, Portugal in 1585 or 1586. He entered Jesuit novitiate
Novitiate
Novitiate, alt. noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a novice monastic or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether they are called to the religious life....
in 1602, and on 29 March 1608, he left for Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
and the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
aboard Na. Sra. do Vencimento. He arrived to Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
in 1610, and to Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
in 1613. Along with another Jesuit, Alfonso Vagnoni, he was imprisoned during an anti-Christian campaign in Nanjing in 1616, and then sent back to Macau, where he stayed till 1621.
As the persecution campaign in the mainland China abated, Fr. Semedo changed his Chinese name from Xie Wulu to Zeng Dezhao and re-entered China, now working in Jiangsu
Jiangsu
' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...
and Jiangnan
Jiangnan
Jiangnan or Jiang Nan is a geographic area in China referring to lands immediately to the south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, including the southern part of the Yangtze Delta...
provinces. He spent most of his term in China in the central and southern provinces; perhaps his only trip north was the one he made to Xi'an
Xi'an
Xi'an is the capital of the Shaanxi province, and a sub-provincial city in the People's Republic of China. One of the oldest cities in China, with more than 3,100 years of history, the city was known as Chang'an before the Ming Dynasty...
in 1625, during which he was the first European to see the recently unearthed Nestorian Stele
Nestorian Stele
The Nestorian Stele is aTang Chinese stele erected in 781 that documents 150 years of history of early Christianity in China. It is a 279-cm tall limestone block with text in both Chinese and Syriac, describing the existence of Christian communities in several cities in northern China...
.
In 1636, Semedo went back to Europe as a procurator, sent by his order to recruit more people for the China mission and to ensure continued assistance from the church in Europe. During his sojourn in Europe, he published a long report on China, best known under its Spanish title, Imperio de la China.
After his return to China, Semeda served in Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
(Canton) as the Vice-Provincial of the Jesuit China Mission. During several years after the fall of Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
to the Manchus in 1644, he continued to work with the Ming
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
loyalist regimes in the Southern China (notably, sending Michał Boym to the court of the Southern Ming Yongli Emperor
Zhu Youlang, Prince of Gui
Zhu Youlang, Prince of Gui, the Yongli Emperor was the fourth and last emperor of the Southern Ming Dynasty of China. His era name means "Perpetual calendar"....
),Mungello, p. 139 even as most of Jesuits elsewhere in China were switching their loyalty to the recently established Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
. Once the Qing took Canton, Semedo was detained, but was freed a few months later, reportedly due to the interference of Beijing-based Johann Adam Schall von Bell
Johann Adam Schall von Bell
Johann Adam Schall von Bell was a German Jesuit and astronomer. He spent most of his life as a missionary in China and became an adviser to the Chinese emperor.- Life :...
. He spent the rest of his life in Guangzhou.
Works by Álvaro Semedo online
Literature
- L. Carrington Goodrich & Chao-Ying Fang (red.): Dictionary of Ming Biography, 2 bd., New York/London: Columbia University Press 1976