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This 1626 official correspondence, originating from the Senate of the Leal Senado (Municipal Council) of Macau and addressed to the Portuguese monarch, documents fiscal and administrative challenges within the Portuguese colonial enclave in China during the early 17th century. The letter, dated 14 November 1626 and signed by Diogo Cabral de Deus and other council officials, explains the city’s inability to comply with royal directives to fund the stipends of the Bishop and Chief Magistrate (Oidor) from the *caldeirão*, a municipal revenue fund already overextended by obligations to local and regional authorities, religious orders, charitable institutions, and military expenditures. It highlights severe financial strain caused by recent losses and debts incurred through privately funded fortifications and garrisons from Goa and Manila. The document further commends Dom Felipe Lobo, Captain-General of Macau, for maintaining stability with local Chinese Mandarins, and strongly recommends Dom Diogo de Valente, Bishop of Japan, for ecclesiastical leadership, praising his moral authority and dedication to both divine and royal service. Marginal annotations summarise key points, including strained finances and diplomatic relations. Seals from the Arquivo Histórico Ultramarino and Arquivo de Marinha e Ultramar confirm provenance from Portuguese colonial archives. This primary source provides critical insight into the fiscal constraints, governance structures, and Church-state dynamics in Portugal’s Asian territories under the Iberian Union, as well as the strategic importance of Macau in Sino-Iberian relations.
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This is a 17th-century administrative document, dated March 1626, originating from the Portuguese Estado da Índia, concerning proposed revisions to maritime trade contracts for voyages to Japan and Mozambique. The memorandum, issued under the authority of D. Francisco da Gama, Viceroy of Portuguese India (Count of Vidigueira), details fiscal and logistical arrangements approved by the Council of State and Treasury officials. It records António d’Tuniera de Moraes’s proposals, including the adjustment of Macau’s quota from thirty thousand to forty-eight thousand xerafins following treasury reassessment, with reference to the sale of the fevrad do fon, gellog? for thirty-nine thousand xerafins. The text outlines provisions for cavalry allowances and discusses contractual difficulties arising from insufficient time prior to fleet departure. Additional proposals include four planned voyages to Mozambique. The document reflects on the financial strain of the royal treasury, justifies partial revenue retention by merchants, and recommends a one-quarter levy on voyage proceeds to alleviate state burdens. Marginal annotations, archival stamps—such as those from the Arquivo Histórico Ultramarino (AHU) and Arquivo Histórico Nacional—and internal references indicate its provenance within official colonial record-keeping systems. Despite textual anomalies, including suspected transcription errors in dates (e.g., 1627), names, and terms like “nachfrimach mentas” or “Vráge Serdada”, the document provides critical insight into early 17th-century Iberian imperial administration, fiscal policy, and intra-Asian maritime logistics during the Iberian Union. It serves as a primary source for understanding crown-merchant relations, contract enforcement, and economic challenges within the Portuguese colonial empire.
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Obs.: À margem cópia da carta régia de 1625/02/13, Lisboa, em que se recomenda se evite o descaminho dos direitos. Publicado no Boletim do A.H.U., vol. I, 1950, n"s 55, 56, 57.
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This 16th–17th century archival document, originating from Macao and held in the Arquivo Histórico Ultramarino (Lisbon), comprises a series of official reports addressed to the Portuguese monarch detailing the religious institutions operating in the city. Dated 1582 and 1621, and authored by Miguel Pinheiro Ravasco, the texts provide an account of convents and religious colleges under the Franciscan, Dominican, Augustinian, and Jesuit orders, as well as the Misericórdia brotherhood and a Santa Clara retreat for orphan girls. The documents record the number of religious personnel, their sources of income—including rents, alms, trade licences, and royal grants—and property holdings in Macao, Goa, and Malacca. Particular attention is given to financial arrangements such as the annual allocation of cruzados and taéis for missions in Japan and China, revenue from pharmacies and urban properties, and suspended payments due to logistical and administrative challenges. The reports also note permissions granted for trading Japanese silk under royal protection, though actual shipments were rare due to poverty and supply issues. Emphasis is placed on the necessity of these religious houses for sacramental administration and evangelisation. The material reflects the economic, ecclesiastical, and colonial structures of the Portuguese Empire in Asia and serves as a primary source for understanding early modern Catholic missionary activity, urban religious life, and colonial administration in Macao.
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