Lord Macartney To China And The Catholic Missionaries

In1793, British diplomatic corps which was led by the Lord of Macartney , in order to send as an envoy to Qing Dynasty to run after fame to congratulate to Qianlong Emperor on birthday. This is associating among the first formal country between China and Britain.The rapid development of the capitalism, made Britain eager to expand outwards, sought to dump the market. He cast sight on China of the east; Because the country of Imperial Palace of Qing Dynasty tendency at that time was holding, it was impossible for the government of Great Britain to take the military force measure to open the Chinese market; Therefore British government decided to send the diplomatic corps to visit China, hope to negotiate with Imperial Palace of Qing Dynasty, improved trade existing problems of two countries, and then established frequent diplomatic relations.Since the 16th century, the western missionary of Catholicism came to the east. During about 200 years, the missionary introduced the Chinese society , custom , history and culture to the west, At the same time they introduce the western culture and science to China .Having facilitated it when the Ming and Qing Dynasties, a stage of prospering of Chinese and Western cultural exchanges. These missionaries became the earliest "Sinologist ", understood Chinese westerners in the first group of real meanings.Such western countries as Portugal, the Spain, and the Holland etc, kept in touch with Ming Qing Government gradually. The group of their organizing many times trader or the diplomatic corps came to China. Regarded as westerners who understood the East, the missionary became media that the Midwest associates. They were not merely regarded as the translations of both sides, it was "guiding the passerby" that the western envoy entered China too.The British envoy to China got in touch and kept in touch with these missionaries in China unavoidable. Then which kind of function had thesemissionaries played while the first British ambassador entered China? Was it only as the language translation and existing of Chinese and British sides? Have played more influence? This thesis exactly attempts to do a preliminary discussion to this question.The article has four parts altogether. First part it is the introduction of this text. Summarize scholars in the past made research on the British envoy of MaCartney, mainly. Some scholars proceed from angle of Qing Dynasty, because the policy " of seclusion " of Qing Dynasty that the failure that the British envoy of MaCartney; Another some scholars proceed from such angles as etiquette , culture , trade ,etc, to study the British envoy of Macartney. Most scholars concentrated the research of the problem on Chinese and British sides, Seldom mentioned the function that the third party played in the course of sending as an envoy to China this time. So this text puts forward the question on this: Missionary played a positive or passive role on earth of the British envoy?A second part narrates and analyzes the British sent as an envoy to preparation relation with the missionary before mainly. Analyze British government sent Macartney to China made background and purpose of China at first, pointing out Sino-British development of trade develop and capitalism in Britain it developed to be the background that Macartney to China; And through the diplomatic channel, came to improve the state of Sino-British trade and treatment of the British businessmen in China, and then established frequent diplomatic relations, but the purpose that was sent as an envoy this time. Then described MaCartney was sent as an envoy the preparation, especially expound the fact in detail the diplomatic corps need translating and media. The missionary had exactly served as this role. Stressed that analyses that had not found a suitable interpreter in Britain, the missionary that found in Europe could not be totally competent when translating. Analyze Catholicism's missionary's state in Qianlong's dynasty again, pointing out the missionary already could be believed in like the thing that Kang Xi Dynasty. They dropped to "accompanying the official"," craftsman "from" emperor's teacher".The third part mainly tells the relation between the Macartney's envoy and the missionary of Catholicism. Recommend at first before MaCartney's diplomatic corps entered Beijing , with the contact of the missionary in China; Secondly analyzeMcCartney's diplomatic corps and missionary in China from two respects: Missionary (takes book missionary of Portugal as the core ) unfriendly to the British ambassador and missionary friendly to Great Britain (Take French book missionary as the core );Then analyze that the reason to different attitudes of diplomatic corps of Great Britain was a contradiction between the individuals of contradiction and missionary of Great Britain and Portugal to cause a missionary. Analyzed finally Qianlong gave a question about preaching of a king's second imperial decree books to Great Britain. Analyze especially whether a missionary played a important role among them.The last part is a conclusion. Analyzed MaCartney's envoy relation between failure and missionary that the British envoy to China at first. Have analyzed two kinds of views of this question first, and then draw one's own conclusion: Acknowledge certainty of historical development at the same time, must see existence of contingency to historical influence power of incident. The missionary of Portugal had strength that couldn't be ignored in Imperial Palace of Qing Dynasty, they waited for Qing Dynasty through He Shen, and the important official had influenced Macartney to be sent as an envoy to China directly.Finally, from the British envoy of China led by MaCartney, watch missionary function blown among clear previous Midwest diplomatic activity. The missionary was the only westerner who got deeply to China Mainland and palace at that time, understood to China most, became media that the Midwest associated at that time. So in the initial diplomatic activity of Midwest, they had really given play to the function of both sides of communicating, become "guiding the passerby " that western diplomatic corps entered China.