Page 32 - Ming_China_Courts_and_Contacts_1400_1450 Craig lunas

Plate 2.6a–b a) A padrão planted
by Diogo Cão in Angola; b)
Luso-Sundanese padrão, erected
in 1522. Height 165cm.
Indonesian National Museum,
Jakarta

the emperor’s responsibilities. As such, a certain suzerainty The Chinese inscriptions recorded as being erected
over maritime lands was asserted, at least within the scope of abroad were established in at least five polities:
Chinese rhetoric.
However, on occasions, a more forceful assertion of Melaka: The Ming shilu, or Ming Veritable Records, contains
suzerainty was made. In 1407, for example, Zheng He an entry dated to 11 November 1405. It refers to a mission
returned from his first major mission abroad, bringing with commanded by Zheng He being sent to Melaka, a port
him the ‘pirate’ Chen Zuyi 陳祖義 (d. 1407), captured at Old polity which controlled the Straits of Melaka. In part the
Port (Jiugang 舊港) in Sumatra, for reportedly having entry reads:
‘feigned surrender but secretly plotted to attack the Imperial A stele inscription for Mount Zhenguo 鎮國山 [‘Mountain that
army’. The Ming representative reported 5,000 persons Protects the Country’] was conferred upon the country of
68
killed, with ten ships burnt and seven captured in the battle. Melaka. At this time, the envoy of this country had said that his
Later in the same year, the Ming formally recognised the king admired righteousness, wished that Melaka, like the
existence of the polity of Old Port. However, because of the administrative divisions of China [Zhongguo shu jun 中國屬郡],
large numbers of Chinese from Guangdong and Fujian, could annually show its loyalty through offering tribute, and
both ex-military personnel and civilians, who lived there, it requested that their mountain be enfeoffed as protector of the
whole country …
70
was deemed not to be a country (guo 國). Rather, it was
recognised as a ‘Pacification Superintendency’ (Xuan wei shi Here, while the stele itself asserted Ming suzerainty over
si 宣慰使司), a term which was commonly used to refer to this port polity, within the Chinese record this arrangement
polities on the Chinese borders. The new superintendent, a was depicted as not only acceptable to the ruler of Melaka,
Chinese person named Shi Jinqing 施進卿 (d. 1423), was but actually desired.
69
appointed as the local ruler to represent the Ming state.
This gave the Ming state – again at least within its rhetorical Brunei: The origins of the Brunei Ming inscription are
bounds – a more direct power over Old Port. recorded in a Ming shilu entry dated to 20 December 1408.
Other formal declarations of suzerainty over overseas The entry reads in part:
polities can be seen in Ming texts during the first half of the The eunuch Zhang Qian and the Messenger Zhou Hang 周航
15th century. These involved the erection of inscribed stone were sent to escort Xiawang 遐旺, successor to the post of king
stelae in various lands, carrying forward the Chinese practice of the country of Boni [Brunei], and others back to their
of establishing inscriptions in newly conquered areas. This country … Previously, the former king of Boni, Ma-na-re-jia-
also provides an interesting comparative practice vis-à-vis the na-nai 麻那惹加那乃, had said: ‘ … Behind the country there is
Portuguese establishment of padrão – memorials usually a mountain and it is humbly requested that it be enfeoffed as the
comprising stone crosses inscribed with the coat of arms of protector of the country (yi guo zhi zhen 一國之鎮).’ At this time,
his son Xiawang repeated the request and thus the mountain
Portugal – erected by the Portuguese as they claimed new was enfeoffed as the ‘Mountain Which Will Ever Peacefully
overseas lands from the 15th century (Pl. 2.6a–b).

22 | Ming China: Courts and Contacts 1400–1450