Juan González de Mendoza, O.S.A. (1545 – 14 February 1618) was a Spanish bishop, explorer, sinologist, and writer. He was the author of one of the earliest Western histories of China. Published by him in 1585, ''Historia de las cosas más notables, ritos y costumbres del gran reyno de la China'' (''The History of the Great and Mighty Kingdom of China and the Situation Thereof'') is an account of observations several Spanish travelers in China. An English translation by Robert Parke appeared in 1588 and was reprinted by the

Hakluyt Society The Hakluyt Society is a text publication society, founded in 1846 and based in London, England, which publishes scholarly editions of primary records of historic voyages, travels and other geographical material. In addition to its publishing r ...

in two volumes, edited by Sir George T. Staunton, Bart. (London, 1853–54). González de Mendoza's ''Historia'' was mostly superseded in 1615 by the work of much more informed Jesuit missionaries who actually lived in China,

Matteo Ricci Matteo Ricci, SJ (; la, Mattheus Riccius; 6 October 1552 – 11 May 1610), was an Italian Jesuit priest and one of the founding figures of the Jesuit China missions. He created the , a 1602 map of the world written in Chinese characters. ...

and

Nicolas Trigault Nicolas Trigault (1577–1628) was a Jesuit, and a missionary in China. He was also known by his latinised name Nicolaus Trigautius or Trigaultius, and his Chinese name Jin Nige (). Life and work Born in Douai (then part of the County of Flanders ...

, '' De Christiana expeditione apud Sinas''. Much of González de Mendoza's work was plagiarised from Escalante's ''Discurso de la navegacion''

Biography

González de Mendoza was born at Torrecilla en Cameros (

La Rioja (Spain) La Rioja () is an autonomous community and province in Spain, in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. Its capital is Logroño. Other cities and towns in the province include Calahorra, Arnedo, Alfaro, Haro, Santo Domingo de la Calzada, a ...

) in 1545. He joined the army but after some years resigned to enter the

Order of Saint Augustine The Order of Saint Augustine, ( la, Ordo Fratrum Sancti Augustini) abbreviated OSA, is a religious mendicant order of the Catholic Church. It was founded in 1244 by bringing together several eremitical groups in the Tuscany region who were fo ...

. He published his most famous text in 1585, ''Historia de las cosas más notables, ritos y costumbres del gran reyno de la China''. It was based on the journals of Miguel de Luarca, whose 1580 trip to Ming China provided a simple majority thereof. He never set foot in China, but spent two years in

Mexico Mexico (Spanish language, Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a List of sovereign states, country in the southern portion of North America. It is borders of Mexico, bordered to the north by the United States; to the so ...

before returning to

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

. On 31 May 1593, he was appointed during the papacy of

Pope Clement VIII Pope Clement VIII ( la, Clemens VIII; it, Clemente VIII; 24 February 1536 – 3 March 1605), born Ippolito Aldobrandini, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 2 February 1592 to his death in March 1605. Born ...

as Bishop of Lipari. On 7 June 1593, he was consecrated bishop by

Filippo Spinola Filippo Spinola (1 December 1535 – 20 August 1593) was an Italian Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal. Biography A member of the Spinola family, Filippo Spinola was born in Genoa on 1 December 1535, the son of Agostino Spinola, count of Tas ...

Cardinal-Priest A cardinal ( la, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae cardinalis, literally 'cardinal of the Holy Roman Church') is a senior member of the clergy of the Catholic Church. Cardinals are created by the ruling pope and typically hold the title for life. Col ...

Santa Sabina The Basilica of Saint Sabina ( la, Basilica Sanctae Sabinae, it, Basilica di Santa Sabina all'Aventino) is a historic church on the Aventine Hill in Rome, Italy. It is a titular minor basilica and mother church of the Roman Catholic Order of Pre ...

, with Cristóbal Senmanat y Robuster, Bishop of Orihuela, and

Lorenzo Celsi (bishop) Lorenzo Celsi (died 1603) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Castro del Lazio (1591–1603). ''(in Latin)'' ''(in Latin)''Bishop of Castro del Lazio, serving as co-consecrators. On 24 May 1599, he resigned as Bishop of Lipari. On 7 May 1607, he was appointed during the papacy of

Pope Paul V Pope Paul V ( la, Paulus V; it, Paolo V) (17 September 1550 – 28 January 1621), born Camillo Borghese, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 16 May 1605 to his death in January 1621. In 1611, he honored ...

Bishop of Chiapas A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ...

. On 17 November 1608, he was appointed during the papacy of Pope Paul V as Bishop of Popayán. He served as Bishop of Popayán until his death on 14 February 1618.

Episcopal succession

While bishop, he was the principal co-consecrator of: *

Pedro Castro Nero Pedro Castro Nero (1541 – 28 September 1611) was a Roman Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Valencia (1611), Bishop of Segovia (1603–1611), and Bishop of Lugo (1599–1603).Bishop of Lugo __NOTOC__ The Catholic Diocese of Lugo is one of the five Roman Catholic sees within Galicia, in north-western Spain, and one of the four suffragans in the ecclesiastical province of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Santiago de Compostela.

(1599); * Juan Ramírez de Arellano (bishop), Bishop of Santiago de Guatemala (1600); and * Juan Pérez de Espinosa, Bishop of Santiago de Chile (1600).

Bibliography

Historia de las cosas más notables, ritos y costumbres del gran reyno de la China
(original Spanish; Rome, 1585) * The history of the great and mighty kingdom of China and the situation thereof (English translation by Robert Parke, 1588) ** an 1853 reprint by Hakluyt Society:
vol. 1 at archive.orgvol. 2 at archive.org

vol. 1 at Project Gutenbergvol. 2 at Project Gutenberg
*** reprint: *** reprint: * Links to many other translations:

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gonzalez-de-Mendoza, Juan 1545 births 1618 deaths 16th-century male writers 16th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Sicily 16th-century Spanish writers 17th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Mexico Augustinian bishops Augustinian friars Bishops appointed by Pope Clement VIII Bishops appointed by Pope Paul V Explorers of Asia Foreign relations of the Ming dynasty People from Toledo, Spain Spanish Roman Catholic bishops in South America Spanish sinologists Roman Catholic bishops of Popayán

Biography

Episcopal succession

Bibliography

See also

References

External links