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Covering a period of about four centuries, this book demonstrates the economic and political components of the opium problem. As a mass product, opium was introduced in India and Indonesia by the Dutch in the 17th century. China suffered the most, but was also the first to get rid of the opium problem around 1950.

For the last four centuries, under the policy of the Portuguese Padroado1454, the Macau Catholic Church has been closely associated with the Portuguese rulers of Macau in governing this 'Chinese territory under the Portuguese rule'. This church-state relationship in Macau before the Chinese takeover (1999) and after has become a client-patron relationship under the shadow of the Portuguese appeasement policy. In the context of the appeasement policy, this paper aims at discussing: (1) the close alliance between the Portuguese government and the Catholic Church in Macau, offering special privileges and convenience to the Church but weakening church capacity in evangelization and spiritual leadership; and (2) the interactions of the three actors in the triangular relationship among the Vatican, China and Macau.

Macau’s status has never been a pacific topic even inside Portuguese historiography. Departing from Montalto de Jesus (1863-1932)’ controversial proposal to summit Macau’s administration to the League of Nations in the revised edition of his Historic Macao, 1926, the author aims to discuss the construction of the discourse on the autonomy of Macau, identify the roots of this concept, and explore its different meanings in works of some of the most relevant Portuguese and Macanese historians and authors on the topic during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Inclui informações e recortes de imprensa publicadas sobre a discordância entre o Bispo e o governador de Macau na sequência de um incidente do Colégio de S. José

This 1968 report, compiled by the Council of Catholic Schools of Macao, documents a period of intense political and religious conflict in Macau between 1966 and 1968, triggered by the spillover of China’s Cultural Revolution. The document details how local communist organisations, inspired by Red Guard activities on the mainland, launched a campaign against the Catholic Church, beginning with political disturbances in late 1966 and escalating into direct attacks on religious institutions. Central to the conflict was St Joseph’s College, which became a focal point following fabricated allegations and student-led demonstrations demanding the punishment of teacher Lam Sai-chong and broader concessions from Catholic authorities. The Portuguese colonial government, under Governor Nobre de Carvalho, faced pressure to appease communist demands, culminating in the January 1967 agreement that effectively ceded political influence to pro-communist groups. The Bishop of Macau, Dom Paulo José Tavares, resisted these pressures, issuing a public ‘Clarification’ in September 1967 defending the Church’s rights, which led to the suspension of the Catholic newspaper O Clarim. The report outlines systematic harassment of the Church, including propaganda campaigns, physical assaults, vandalism of religious properties, and intimidation of clergy. It also records the Church’s efforts to negotiate while upholding its principles, the complicity or inaction of civil authorities, and the resilience of Catholic institutions amid widespread anti-religious agitation. The text serves as a primary account of ideological confrontation, ecclesiastical resistance, and colonial vulnerability in late 1960s Macau.

Informação acerca da sua missão na China, em condições cada vez mais difíceis, dado o avanço do comunismo.

Instituto Histórico e Geográfico Brasileiro

5 anexos.

Obs.: Como procurador, José Batista Ferreira da Costa.

Obs.: Secretário de Estado dos Negócios da Marinha e Ultramar, Manuel Inácio da Costa Quintela, desde 1 de Agosto a 5 de Dezembro de 1826.

This is a collection of official dispatches, petitions, and correspondence from the Portuguese colonial administration in Macau, dating between 1822 and 1827, primarily addressed to high-ranking officials in Lisbon, including the Secretary of State for Overseas Affairs and the Royal Presence. The documents centre on the political, economic, and administrative crisis in Macau following the establishment of a new Municipal Council (Senado da Câmara) in August 1822 after the swearing-in of the Constitutional Basis, which led to factionalism, governance disputes, and a breakdown in public order. A key figure is Fr. Francisco, Bishop of Macau, who acts as both spiritual leader and Governor, reporting on the deteriorating trade conditions, particularly the shift of opium commerce from Macau to Lintin Island due to failed agreements with Chinese Mandarins after 1820. He attributes economic decline to internal rivalries and illegitimate governance, warning of foreign ambitions and strategic vulnerability. Multiple memorials from Macau residents, dated 1825, urge mediation by the Bishop and Governor to restore trade through renegotiation with Chinese authorities, proposing coordinated action among merchants and customs officials to revive revenues. The texts include requests for intervention in commercial affairs, appeals for royal approval, and administrative instructions, reflecting the entangled ecclesiastical and civil authority in the colony. Endorsed by the Secretariat of State in Lisbon in April 1827, the papers were submitted to the Overseas Council for deliberation on reviving regulated opium trade under Portuguese oversight. The documents are part of the Arquivo Histórico Ultramarino (Lisbon), bearing archival stamps and marginalia indicative of their bureaucratic trajectory within the Portuguese imperial administration.

This is a collection of official dispatches, petitions, and correspondence from the Portuguese colonial administration in Macau, dating between 1822 and 1827, primarily addressed to high-ranking officials in Lisbon, including the Secretary of State for Overseas Affairs and the Royal Presence. The documents centre on the political, economic, and administrative crisis in Macau following the establishment of a new Municipal Council (Senado da Câmara) in August 1822 after the swearing-in of the Constitutional Basis, which led to factionalism, governance disputes, and a breakdown in public order. A key figure is Fr. Francisco, Bishop of Macau, who acts as both spiritual leader and Governor, reporting on the deteriorating trade conditions, particularly the shift of opium commerce from Macau to Lintin Island due to failed agreements with Chinese Mandarins after 1820. He attributes economic decline to internal rivalries and illegitimate governance, warning of foreign ambitions and strategic vulnerability. Multiple memorials from Macau residents, dated 1825, urge mediation by the Bishop and Governor to restore trade through renegotiation with Chinese authorities, proposing coordinated action among merchants and customs officials to revive revenues. The texts include requests for intervention in commercial affairs, appeals for royal approval, and administrative instructions, reflecting the entangled ecclesiastical and civil authority in the colony. Endorsed by the Secretariat of State in Lisbon in April 1827, the papers were submitted to the Overseas Council for deliberation on reviving regulated opium trade under Portuguese oversight. The documents are part of the Arquivo Histórico Ultramarino (Lisbon), bearing archival stamps and marginalia indicative of their bureaucratic trajectory within the Portuguese imperial administration.