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In the spring of 1583 a board specially appointed by General Ronquillo met in Manila to discuss "the enterprise of China".
There was some disagreement about the legitimate right of the King of Spain to embark on a conquest of this nature. Bishop Salazar initiated what he called a juridical-theological process that would produce a plan for a conquest, which he sent to the pope. The governor wrote that in his opinion conquering China would present "little difficulty." He proposed that eight thousand soldiers be recruited.
It is only fair to point out that many Spanish colonists did not like dreams of conflict spreading through the archipelago.
The Portuguese, annexed by the Spanish after the death of their last independent monarch, thought the war would damage trade and the Portuguese Jesuits, who had much more experience in the Orient, tried to distance themselves from their Spanish colleagues.
However, in the spring of 1586 the religious community in the Philippines gave strong support to the idea of conquest. The president of the Audiencia convened general meetings of all the religious brotherhoods of the archipelago. The clerics argued that China could be taken for Spanish benefit with an army of between ten and twelve thousand men, led by the governor of the Philippines. This army could be formed in any of the king's domains, but the religious leaders thought it preferable to have Basques. Six thousand Japanese would be easy to raise and five hundred African slaves would help. Much attention had to be given to the necessary weapons. Money would have to be available to bribe some mandarins.
The resolutions of this extraordinary meeting concluded with an indication of the large number of new encomiendas to be established in China, not to mention a new set of judges, dukes, marquises and viceroys to be appointed. From the beginning, intermarriage with the Chinese would be encouraged, because Chinese women were "serious, honest, retiring and faithful and honorable subjects of their husbands and usually of great grace, beauty and discretion." The leaders of the orders thought that after the conquest of China would come the conquest of India, Cochinchina, Cambodia, Siam and the Moluccas, Borneo and Sumatra.
Soon volunteer soldiers began to arrive in Manila, coming from New Spain and even Cuba, while the daimyō Komidshi Yukanga offered six thousand men to act in China or Borneo. Francisco de Luján led the Cubans. If things had gone well, perhaps Luján would have become the marquis of the Yellow River.
Alonso Sanchez was appointed procurator of the orders in the Philippines and returned to Spain to offer an assessment of the possibilities to Philip II.
Wanli, the Ming emperor of that period
The monarch saw Alonso Sanchez three times. As was customary on such occasions, he appointed a committee to study the recommendations that had come from Manila. It was a fine team of illustrious men. During their deliberations Alonso Sanchez, who had not lost his sense of proportion, saw that the news of the defeat of the Invincible Armada in August 1588 demanded that some time elapse before the king could think of another great maritime expedition. Claudio Aquaviva, superior general of the Society of Jesus, begged Sanchez to go to Rome to discuss the matter with the pope. He did so, although he had to see four pontiffs, because Sixtus V, Gregory XIV, Innocent IX and Clement VII quickly succeeded each other in office.
The idea of a military expedition aimed at conquering China was never explicitly abandoned. But nothing was done either. Like the great civil servant he was, Philip II thought that procrastination and silence were the correct reaction to the ideas of the Philippine governors and their religious allies. High officials do not answer letters if they do not know what to say.
Thus the great opportunity was lost. Christianity did not become the dominant religion in China, as it had been in New Spain.
Battle of the Felicísima Armada against the English fleet (anonymous)
https://www.labrujulaverde.com/2017/...es-y-japoneses
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