Manila Galleon

A wooden sailboat

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"Manila Galleon" is a literal translation of "The Manila Galleon", which sailed in the 250 years from the second half of the 16th century to the early 19th century the Philippines Of Manila And Mexico Of Acapulco The cargo ship between is a wooden sailboat Deadweight Between several hundred tons and twelve thousand tons. Since the goods of Manila galleys mainly come from China, mainly Chinese raw silk and silk, which were popular all over the world at that time, Mexicans directly call Manila galleys "Chinese ships".

Chinese name: Manila Galleon
Foreign name: The Manila Galleo
Times: From the end of the 15th century to the beginning of the 16th century

Background: “ Great Geographical Discovery ”Times
Nature: Wooden sailboat
Purpose: freight transport

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five significance
six Related stories

background of times

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From the end of the 15th century to the beginning of the 16th century“ Great Geographical Discovery ”Times, or in other words“ Age Of Wind ”。 Portugal Human da Gama bypasses Africa Cape of Good Hope , enter the indian ocean , occupying an important trade town on the west coast of India Goa (Goa), as well as Malacca, the traffic throat between East and West Ming Empire The southeast coast. With the support of the King of Spain, Italy Christopher Columbus, the navigator, found America "New World". The Portuguese Magellan turned to Spain because he failed in Portugal, and the Spanish king supported Magellan to bypass the southern tip of the Americas and enter the pacific ocean , Arrival the philippine islands And China's coastal areas. Businessmen in both countries regard trade with China as their primary task, or as an important channel for making huge profits.

The Spanish government stipulated that the colonies could only suzerain Trade cannot be conducted with any other country, and trade between colonies is also prohibited. The trade between the colony and the suzerain was monopolized by a few merchants granted by the royal family, and was mainly concentrated in the port of Seville. The colony designated Veracruz Port as a "monopoly port"

development history

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origin

In April 1565, Spain invaded the Philippines and sent the "San Pablo" in June of the same year Galleon the full load Asia The spices were transported to Acapulco on the south coast of Mexico, opening up a connection between Asia and America Of the pacific ocean Route. Since then Galleon Trade More and more frequently. Sailing in June every year Southwest monsoon Sail northward from Manila to the waters of 45 °~42 ° north latitude North Pacific On“ the kuroshio ”Traveling eastward and finally arriving at Acapulco, the journey lasted about 6 months (the return trip was smooth ocean current Direct flight, lasting about 3 months).

The Spanish merchant's "Manila galleon" Yuegang The goods from the Ming Dynasty were shipped to America Mexico 、 Peru 、 Panama 、 Chile 。 After arriving at the port of Acapulco in Mexico, the Manila galleon held a grand market there raw silk Silk is very popular and very popular. Its great influence, it is said, made the local silk industry decline. In 1600, the Spanish colonial authorities imposed restrictions on local silkworm farmers, cut off the supply of local silk, and supplied Mexican factories with raw materials from the endless supply of Ming Dynasty silk. In 1637, a Mexican silk mill with Chinese raw silk as raw material had 14000 workers, which shows how large the number of Chinese raw silk arrived in Mexico.

Trade

This channel starts from Acapulco on the west coast of Mexico in the east and ends at Manila in the Philippines in the west. It is called Manila Grand Sailing Trade. The Spanish hired Chinese craftsmen to build the galleon in Manila, with a load of about 300 tons. It was the most advanced ship in the world at that time. The galleon trade started in 1565 and ended in 1815. It goes back and forth every two years. This trade actually uses America In exchange for gold and silver Asia Especially Chinese products. Yachts carry Asian goods to Mexico, and then from Acapulco, these Asian specialties are transported to other places by big wheeled trucks. Some goods are even transferred to Guatemala 、 Ecuador , Peru, Chile and Argentina 。 On the return trip, these galleys were transported back to Mexico Silver dollar 、 silver ingot , cocoa, wool and other local specialties. Because Asian products are cheap and high-quality, Spanish products were once crowded out in the Americas. In order to protect Spanish business, King Philip II ordered to restrict the trade of Manila galleons in 1593, stipulating that the number of galleons arriving in Mexico should not exceed 2 per year, and each ship should not exceed 300 tons. As a result, Manila's yacht trade has entered the Commercial restrictions Period, the second half of the 18th century, Spanish economy Being depressed and forced to open up Manila Port The yacht trade is declining. In October 1813, Spanish Crown Order the abolition of the galleon trade. The 250 year old galleon trade has promoted economic and cultural exchanges across the Pacific, Through trade , American Maize 、 tobacco , peanuts Tomatoes And other crops were introduced into China and Asia. Oriental Culture Especially in China industrial art It has a certain impact on American culture.

Guangdong Ship of Ming Dynasty

Trade results

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economic activity

Economically, Manila was the following two important cities in the 17th century economic activity The intersection of: one is Western America Silver ore The silver produced flows into China in large quantities, and the other is the Chinese commercial enterprises with a complete range of manufacturing industries. No matter what year, there will be one or two Spanish galleon , across the Pacific from Acapulco, to transport silver produced in the "New World" to Manila to buy Chinese silk, Chinese and Indian cotton , and the "New World" requirement Very large other exquisite consumer goods. The Spaniards despise the natives, but they can't help the Chinese who are smart. Based on economic considerations, they have to take advantage of the advantages of Chinese businessmen, provide them with daily necessities, and also seek huge benefits.

After Spain occupied the Philippines, cotton cloth transported from the Ming Dynasty soon became local Indigenous peoples Of necessaries 。 In 1591, the governor of the Philippines in Spain found that the local indigenous people no longer grow cotton and weave cloth because they used Chinese cloth, so he ordered that the indigenous people be prohibited from using Chinese cloth (silk, cotton). In 1592, the Governor reported King of Spain Said that the merchants of the Ming Dynasty bought Philippine cotton, and soon they shipped cotton cloth from China. Cotton cloth has become China's most marketable commodity in the Philippines. Similarly, in the 1680s at the latest, Chinese silk had threatened the sale of Spanish products in the Americas. At the beginning of the 17th century, Mexicans wore more silk than cotton. By 1637, the situation had become more serious. Mexico's silk industry was all made of Ming Dynasty silk, and Mexican native silk was basically eliminated. Peru, close to Mexico, is also a huge market for Ming Dynasty silk. The price of Ming Dynasty silk in Peru is only one third of the price of Spanish products. The silk of the Ming Dynasty not only flooded the American market, seizing the sales of Spanish silk in the Americas, but even bypassed most of the world and exported to Spain, where it directly destroyed Spanish silk production.

balance of trade surplus

The economic and financial consequences of the "Manila Galleon" are:, Ming Empire With unmatched manufacturing and export in silk, porcelain and other aspects, it is a must to trade with any country surplus 。 Therefore, just as India is always short of silver, the Ming Dynasty is the most important silver Net imports China used to import American silver to meet its currency demand. American silver or through Europe west Asia , India Southeast Asia Imported into China, or shipped directly to China by Manila yacht from Acapulco.

Source of goods

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The source of goods for "Manila Galleon" comes from the free trade port along the coast of Fujian - Yuegang (later upgraded to Haicheng County ）Because of its prosperity, there has always been a "small Suzhou and Hangzhou ”The reputation of. With the development of trade, Fujian Businessmen gradually moved to Manila, specializing in Trade intermediary Industry and other industries and commerce. Therefore, historians commented that Manila is just a part of the Maritime Silk Road between China and the Americas Transfer station In strict terms, "Manila galleon" is a galleon for transporting Chinese goods. William Lytle Schurz, an American historian, pointed out in The Manila Galleon that "China is often the main source of cargo for galleon trade. For the people of New Spain (Mexico and its surrounding areas), galleons are Chinese ships, and Manila is between China and Mexico Transfer station As the most important commodity of the galleon trade, Chinese silk goods all use it as a distribution center to cross the Pacific Ocean. When Spanish people in Mexico talk freely about the Philippines, it is like talking about a province of the Chinese Empire. "

Whether Macao — Goa — Lisbon Route, Macao - Nagasaki The route was also the Yuegang Manila Acapulco route. At that time, the commodities exported by the Ming Empire were mainly raw silk, silk and cotton cloth, while only a small amount of spices were imported. Portugal and Spain were always in trade deficit, while China was always in trade deficit balance of trade surplus in Trade-related out-off-balance , causing the other party to pay a huge amount of silver currency. Therefore, this trade is called "silk silver convection" or "silk silver trade" by foreign scholars. This situation also continued to the later Qing Dynasty, which lasted for nearly two and a half centuries. The silver from America and Japan flowed into China in large quantities, becoming globalization A unique landscape in trade^[1] 。

In the 16th, 7th and 8th centuries, the silver transported from America to the Philippines every year by galleons sometimes amounted to 4 million Western dollars, sometimes only 1 million Western dollars, but most of it was 23 million Western dollars... By February 10, 1765, the Procurator General of Manila Supreme Court King of Spain Shangzuo said: "Since the philippine islands Since the conquest (1565), the silver transported here has exceeded 20 million Western dollars. " Later, according to DeComyn's calculation, in the 250 years from 1571 to 1821, the silver transported from Western America to Manila totaled 40 million Western dollars. At least half or more of the forty million Western dollars (pesos) flowed into China.

significance

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Manila Galleon

From the perspective of trade, Manila galleon represents a special circulation route. America silver In 1572, a new diversion began. The Manila galleon crossed the Pacific Ocean, connecting Acapulco in Mexico with Manila in the Philippines. The silver transported was used to collect silk and porcelain from China's Ming Dynasty, high-grade cotton cloth from India, and gemstone , pearls, etc. He believes that this kind of long-distance trade has a great impact on the economic development of China's southeast coast. After Japan closed its doors to the outside world in 1638, businessmen from the Ming Dynasty engaged in foreign trade Netherlands Businessmen, even more effectively than the latter, participate in Japanese archipelago Trade in silk and silver; They received silver from Acapulco in Manila; The Ming Empire always sent people abroad to do business, and the craftsmen, merchants and goods of China's Ming Dynasty went deep into Nanyang Islands Every corner.

Because of China's export of commodities such as raw silk Silk Fabric , cotton cloth, porcelain, etc., mainly from Taihu Basin , and Southeast coastal areas The inflow of huge silver capital undoubtedly stimulated these Regional economy The vigorous development of, market mechanism Is increasingly complete. Quan Hansheng He said with emotion: "It can be seen from this that before the success of modern western industrialization, Chinese industry The development of international market In terms of strong competitiveness, it is obvious that there has been a glorious history. " This is a historical topic worthy of in-depth exploration. In recent years, Li Bozhong The Early Industrialization of Jiangnan (1550-1850), and Pamulan （KennethPomeranz）《 Large diversion The development of Europe, China and the modern world economy "is the effort made to this end, which is refreshing. The most impressive thing is that European Industrial Revolution Before that, the economic level of Jiangnan in China was ahead of Europe, at least not behind Europe.

Since the cargo of Manila galleys mainly comes from China, mainly Chinese raw silk and silk, which are popular all over the world, Mexicans directly call Manila galleys "China Ship". This is true to the name. Because most of the goods shipped by Manila galleys are from the flat bottomed sailboats along the southeast coast of China. For example, 17 flat bottomed sailing ships from China arrived in Manila in 1685, 27 in 1686 and 15 in 1687. The goods transported from these flat bottomed sailboats are loaded into Manila galleons, cross the Pacific Ocean, arrive at the port of Acapulco in Mexico, and are sold throughout the Americas.

Spain is conquering American colonies Later, in Asia the Philippines They set up colonies and transported Chinese silk and other goods they dreamed of from Manila to Acapulco, opening up a "Pacific Ocean" the Silk Road ”And wrote a brilliant chapter in the trade between China and the Americas that lasted for two and a half centuries.

One named W 50. Schurz, an American scholar, wrote in his book "Manila Galleon" published in 1939: "China is often a galleon Trade goods The main source of. As far as the people of New Spain (Mexico and the vast area around it) are concerned, the galleon is a Chinese ship, and Manila is China and Mexico As the most important commodity of the galleon trade, the Chinese silk goods, all cross the Pacific Ocean with it as the distribution center. When Spanish people in Mexico freely talk about the Philippines, they are like talking about Chinese Empire Like a province in China. As far as Manila is concerned, its prosperity is based on the merchant ships sailing through China's coast every year. "

About 1530 years ago, Spanish American Colonies There is already silk weaving industry. Since Manila galleons brought in Chinese raw silk and silks of fine quality and low price, the local silk weaving industry has declined. In 1600, the Spanish authorities restricted local sericulture farmers, cut off the supply of local silk, and supplied Mexican factories with raw silk from China. In 1637, a Mexican silk mill with Chinese raw silk as raw material had 14000 workers, which showed the large sales volume of Chinese raw silk.

This situation is different from that of the Silk Road in the Han and Tang Dynasties Transportation volume It is incomparable to the camel caravans crossing the desert. French Yearbook School historian Brodale's masterpiece《 Material Civilization, Economy and Capitalism from the 15th to the 18th Century 》, taking Manila galleon as a modern long-distance trade across continents global economy From the perspective of. He said that in the 16th century, various factors contributed to the movement from China to the Americas. The Manila galleon represented a special circulation route, which was a long-distance trade with huge capital and formed a leap forward the pacific ocean "Silk silver" convection.

As a result, a large amount of silver money has been flowing into China. From the end of the 16th century to the beginning of the 17th century, America flowed into China through the Philippines silver Currency is between 1 million pesos and 3 million pesos every year. Some scholars estimate that the amount of American silver flowing into China during this period is between 57500 kg and 86250 kg. The number is amazing.

In the past, Chinese historians paid little attention to this phenomenon, which is unheard of by ordinary people. In 1969, Quan Hansheng was in Hong Kong《 Journal of the Institute of Chinese Culture 》The publication of the paper, "The Importation of Silver from the Americas into China during the Ming and Qing Dynasties", began to make the Chinese see a glorious era that had been lost for a long time. Quan Hansheng uses a lot source Through in-depth analysis, we can draw a conclusion:

——During the two and a half centuries from 1565 to 1815, the Spanish colonial authorities in America sent one to four galleys to and from Acapulco and Manila every year. The silver transported to Manila every year was 1 million peso To 4 million pesos, used to buy Chinese raw silk, silk and other goods. Between 1571 and 1821, the silver currency transported from America to Manila totaled 400 million pesos, half of which went to China.

This research result has been widely concerned by western scholars《 Material Civilization, Economy and Capitalism from the 15th to the 18th Century 》A Chinese historian recently believed that at least half of the silver produced in the Americas between 1571 and 1821 was transported to China and never returned.

China's long-term structural surplus in foreign trade reflects China's economic advantages at that time. The work of Frank, an American scholar who was once a sensation a few years ago - Silver Capital - Attention economic globalization The East in China, studying the global economy between 1500 and 1800, and integrating the structure of European countries' trade with China trade deficit , nicknamed "commercial‘ Tribute ’”。 He wrote: "The economic and financial consequences of 'China's trade' are that China's trade with any country is surplus by virtue of its unmatched manufacturing and export in silk, porcelain and other aspects"; "Foreigners, including Europeans, have to pay silver to the Chinese people in order to do business with them, which is indeed a tribute in business.". Frank thus concluded that from 1500 to 1800, "the East in economic globalization" was world economy In other words, before the European Industrial Revolution economic center Not in Europe, but in Asia, especially China.

This remark has aroused great controversy among western scholars. We can discuss where the economic center was at that time. however China's economy The glory once had is an indisputable fact. Why, Quan Hansheng In "On the Maritime Silk Road after the Discovery of the New Navigation Route", it was clearly stated that "before the success of modern industrialization, the development of Chinese industry had a glorious history in terms of making Chinese products competitive in the international market."

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