風蕭蕭_Frank
以文會友
中華企業（Empresa de China）
The Empresa de China (China enterprise)
Last edited on 19 August 2025, at 15:43 (UTC).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empresa_de_China
西班牙帝國長期以來計劃征服中國。
16世紀，這一計劃被反複提出，作為征服菲律賓的自然結果。該計劃涉及一個聯盟入侵並同化明朝，該聯盟將包括西班牙人、葡萄牙人、西班牙屬菲律賓的西班牙臣民、豐臣攝政時期的日本盟友，以及潛在的大量華裔盟友。[1][2][3]
基督教傳教士和大使的報告認為，軍事征服中國似乎是可行的。他們稱明朝人口被遣散，管理低效，並且很容易被推翻統治者，這與阿茲特克和印加帝國的情況類似，領土控製權可以被奪走。征服中國後，該計劃包括大規模的福音傳播活動，以及促進伊比利亞人和中國人的混血，希望將中國變成一個力量源泉，從而擴大西班牙的控製力，並將基督教傳播到整個亞洲。在最好的情況下，西班牙帝國可以渴望在奧斯曼帝國與哈布斯堡王朝的戰爭中建立一個東方戰場。[4]
這項計劃由西班牙王朝的幾位重要人物製定，但其主要推動力是耶穌會中由阿隆佐·桑切斯領導的一個分支，他與其他教會人士就維多利亞時代新征服的合法性問題發生了衝突。1588年，菲利普二世國王允許成立一個官方委員會——中國企業委員會（Junta de la Empresa de China），但同年西班牙無敵艦隊的失敗導致該計劃被放棄。後來，入侵中國的計劃再次短暫浮現，並提出了一項新的計劃：推翻豐臣攝政，借助日本本土起義（可能包括德川家康）的力量征服日本，之後日本軍隊將被用來對付中國。
曆史
將西班牙帝國擴張至中國的想法最早由阿茲特克帝國的征服者埃爾南·科爾特斯於1526年提出。他致信查理五世國王，建議從新西班牙太平洋沿岸的新港口開始征服摩鹿加群島和中國。[5][3] 然而，由於加西亞·霍弗雷·德·洛阿伊薩和阿爾瓦羅·德·薩維德拉·塞隆的遠征失敗（後者由科爾特斯親自派遣，以營救加西亞·霍弗雷·德·洛阿伊薩的幸存者），查理五世放棄了太平洋計劃，並根據《薩拉戈薩條約》將摩鹿加群島的權利轉讓給了葡萄牙王國。[5]
初步進展
西班牙最終在太平洋上擴張，這歸功於米格爾·洛佩斯·德·萊加斯皮的遠征。他的航海家安德烈斯·德·烏達內塔發現了“托納維亞耶”（tornaviaje，從菲律賓返回墨西哥的航線），從而將新征服的菲律賓與新西班牙連接起來。盡管主要目標是進入亞洲香料貿易，但許多探險家剛剛征服美洲，並將該群島視為征服鄰近中國的第一步。[5] 鑒於西班牙人的小股部隊在當地土著的幫助下足以摧毀阿茲特克和印加帝國，他們相信同樣的策略也可以應用於中國，通過獲得當地華人、日本人和南島語係盟友的幫助。[6] 萊加斯皮本人選擇馬尼拉而不是宿務作為西班牙的行動基地，因為它靠近中國的貿易路線。[5]
馬丁·德·拉達，傳教士和宇宙學家。 1569年，首批西方駐中國大陸大使之一馬丁·德·拉達向總督馬丁·恩裏克斯·德·阿爾曼薩呈遞了一份早期報告。拉達在訪問中國後表示，即使中國人口稠密，但其人民並不好戰，其防禦主要依靠人口和防禦工事，因此無需集結龐大的西班牙軍隊來征服他們。[5][3] 然而，拉達建議盡可能以和平的方式進行戰爭，並以勸說和傳教為基礎。[3]
1575年，在馬尼拉戰役中擊敗中國海盜李馬洪後，西班牙帝國與明朝建立了外交橋梁。馬丁·德·拉達作為代表團成員被派往福建，旨在就西班牙在中國領土上建立類似葡屬澳門的定居點進行談判。[5]該項目無果而終，此後菲律賓總督弗朗西斯科·德·桑德決定致信腓力二世國王，提議攻打中國[7][8]，聲稱4,000-6,000名士兵就足夠了，而且中國所遭受的暴政將有助於這一努力。[5][6]然而，腓力二世在1577年表示，這個計劃目前並不方便，並命令桑德與明朝建立友誼。[6]次年，危地馬拉總督迭戈·加西亞·德·帕拉西奧也向西班牙提出了類似的建議，他提議開辟一條從西班牙到
經由洪都拉斯前往菲律賓，希望建立一支足夠強大的駐軍，平定該群島，並有可能攻占中國。他的計劃被忽視了。[5] 桑德的繼任者貢薩洛·龍基略·德·佩尼亞洛薩也重訪了該地。[9]
耶穌會的影響[編輯]
中華商會受到了馬尼拉基督教會的宗教和政治推動，尤其是備受爭議的耶穌會士兼外交官阿隆索·桑切斯[10][6]的支持。桑切斯於1582年訪問了澳門，以確認西班牙和葡萄牙王朝合並後澳門的忠誠。[10] 桑切斯目睹了中國當局的逮捕，他們因未得到有關合並的適當通知而感到憤怒。次年回國後，他堅信隻有通過軍事力量，基督教才能在中國蓬勃發展。[5][10]
多明戈·德·薩拉查，傳教士和主教。
桑切斯及時返回，參加了1583年的第三次宗教會議。在會上，他與主教多明戈·德·薩拉查和傳教士安東尼奧·塞德尼奧討論了征服的可能性，當地經濟狀況不佳，足以鼓勵擴張的可能性。[5][10]薩拉查提出了弗朗西斯科·德·維多利亞關於正義戰爭的論點，認為中國對基督徒的虐待已經足夠多，足以證明衝突是正當的。他收集了中國當局阻礙傳教活動的報告，還帶來了八名西班牙和葡萄牙航海家在與中國人接觸時受到虐待的證詞。[5][11][2]薩拉查還提出了戰略建議，提議通過當地的葡萄牙耶穌會士網絡爭取日本的幫助，並沒收馬尼拉的中國商船，以資助最初的戰爭。然而，通過仔細遵循維多利亞的理論，他認為很快就能決定征服是否合法。[12]這些結論包含在一份送交菲利普國王的文件中。[13]
除了這些計劃之外，耶穌會日本傳教團的負責人弗朗西斯科·卡布拉爾還表示，征服中國將帶來難以言喻的物質和精神利益，而現有的中國帝國行政機構一旦被同化，將為此帶來無價的回報。[14] 根據自己在澳門的經曆，他指出，澳門防禦薄弱，民眾容易反抗壓迫他們的官僚，因此，1萬名伊比利亞士兵就足以完成入侵，再加上他通過其傳教團的關係招募的2000名日本士兵。他還主動提出擔任間諜，為這場戰役做準備，其中還包括利瑪竇和羅明堅。[15] 卡布拉爾相信，一旦他們在北京俘獲萬曆皇帝，征服就會立即結束。[2]胡安·包蒂斯塔·羅曼也相信他能夠召集7000名日本基督教戰士。[16]
小西行長，基督教大名兼海軍上將。
隨著項目的推進，1586年菲律賓將軍奏折中收錄了一份由桑切斯撰寫的文件，題為《特別進入中國》（De la entrada de China en particular），其中收集了關於征服中國以及被征服土地未來治理的極其詳細的論述。[5] 該計劃包括召集一支由菲律賓總督率領的艦隊，其中包括10000-12000名伊比利亞士兵、6000名維薩亞人和5000名在長崎招募的日本士兵，並由熟悉當地情況的耶穌會士協助，並撥款20萬比索，用於戰略性地賄賂官員和雇傭兵。進攻將雙管齊下：卡斯蒂利亞人經由福建入侵中國，葡萄牙人則經由廣東入侵。[17][2] 利瑪竇和羅明堅此前將被召回，擔任中國當局的顧問和談判代表[18]。中國當局的歸順將受到維多利亞時代防止不必要的暴力和虐待平民政策的審查。[19][2]
一旦中國落入西班牙統治，他們便著手推行基督教化，建立監護製和貴族財產，並建設基督教基礎設施，如醫院、大學和修道院，同時，他們還通過一項“混血計劃”來促進伊比利亞征服者與中國女性之間的跨種族婚姻。[19]成功將意味著西班牙普世君主製的巨大進步，因為西班牙統治下的中國將成為其擴展東南亞和印度洋控製權的寶貴基地，借此可以征服和基督教化交趾支那、暹羅、柬埔寨、印度、婆羅洲、蘇門答臘、摩鹿加群島和其他地區，甚至有可能聚集地區盟友對抗奧斯曼帝國，並開辟一條東部戰線。[4]
1587年，馬尼拉展開戰爭準備，在塞德尼奧的監督下修建防禦工事，並運送武器和物資。[4][6] 同年，一個日本代表團偶然抵達。
在豐臣秀吉的海軍大將小西行長的指揮下，從平戶出發，提供6000名藩屬，並“請求所有[西班牙]人民和士兵”配合任何針對中國、婆羅洲、暹羅或摩鹿加群島的入侵。[4][20]
審議與放棄[編輯]
何塞·德·阿科斯塔，神學家和人類學家。
然而，桑切斯和薩拉查的計劃遭到了以範禮安和總會長克勞迪奧·阿誇維瓦為首的另一個耶穌會派係的反對。他們認為“中華商會”是對基督教和平傳教原則的不公正侵犯。[10] 葡萄牙耶穌會士也認為這對他們王國的經濟利益構成了威脅。[2] 1586年6月，桑切斯啟程前往西班牙，旨在匯報菲律賓的局勢，並秘密商討“Empresa”的實現。阿誇維瓦指派他接受著名神學家和曆史學家何塞·德·阿科斯塔的指導，並命令阿科斯塔駁斥桑切斯的哲學基礎。阿科斯塔利用弗朗西斯科·德·維多利亞的論點撰寫了整整一整份條約，以批判菲律賓入侵中國。[21][5] 抗議活動，加上桑切斯在新西班牙的行動——他努力阻止一批多明我會傳教士前往中國，以免他們阻礙戰爭——最終導致他與薩拉查之間產生了隔閡。[5][22][23]
桑切斯於1587年12月會見了腓力二世，盡管阿科斯塔在場，他還是抓住機會向國王遞交了一份文件副本。他的願望最終成功了。西班牙無敵艦隊的籌備工作一完成，菲利普便於1588年3月授權正式成立“中國企業委員會”（Junta para la Empresa de China）。[24][25] 該委員會由印度議會主席埃爾南多·德·維加·豐塞卡、阿隆索·德·巴爾加斯將軍、海軍上將胡安·德·卡多納·伊·雷克森斯、王室秘書胡安·德·伊迪亞克斯·奧拉紮巴爾和克裏斯托瓦爾·德·莫拉、宗教裁判官佩德羅·莫亞以及四名卡斯蒂利亞戰爭委員會成員組成。[2] 然而，該委員會的籌備工作在8月因無敵艦隊失敗的消息而中斷，當時多明我會和方濟各會士再次發起抗議，認為該項目危及他們自身的運作。最終，王室對中國企業的興趣徹底消退。[26][25][3]
菲律賓新任總督戈麥斯·佩雷斯·達斯·馬裏尼亞斯 (Gómez Pérez das Mariñas) 是桑切斯建議選出的，但他接到明確命令，要避免與中國發生軍事衝突。[2] 相反，他卷入了與豐臣秀吉的外交緊張局勢，豐臣秀吉似乎要求西班牙屬菲律賓成為其入侵朝鮮的附庸，當地間諜則認為豐臣秀吉的想法是，如果得到否定的答複，就入侵菲律賓。[27] 雖然這種轉折從未發生，但在胡安·科博出使期間，達斯·馬裏尼亞斯被建議與中國結盟對抗日本，而不是反之。[28] 當達斯·馬裏尼亞斯的兒子路易斯繼承王位時，對中國的征服以間接的方式短暫地恢複了。神父馬丁·德·拉·阿森鬆（Martín de la Ascensión）提出了一項同樣複雜的入侵日本的計劃。日本本土盟友也很容易找到，而且這些盟友曾經效忠於西班牙王朝，可以用來對付中國及其他鄰近國家。除了常見的日本基督徒之外，一位被考慮的當地盟友是後來被稱為德川家康的藩主。[29] 然而，聖費利佩事件及其後果葬送了這項計劃。[30]
16th century, The Empresa de China (China enterprise)
AI 概述
“中國企業”（Empresa de China，簡稱“中國企業”）是西班牙帝國在16世紀提出的一項旨在征服中國的計劃，旨在鞏固其征服菲律賓的成果，但從未付諸實施。該計劃由阿隆索·桑切斯等人領導，設想由西班牙、葡萄牙、日本以及潛在的華裔盟友組成一支多國聯軍，攻占並同化明朝，最終目標是傳播基督教，並擴大西班牙裔在整個亞洲的影響力。由於後勤挑戰和政治阻力，尤其是在1588年西班牙無敵艦隊失敗之後，該計劃最終被放棄。
“中國企業”的關鍵方麵
雄心勃勃的目標：
征服並同化明朝，一些人認為這是征服菲律賓的自然延伸。
多國聯盟：
該計劃涉及豐臣攝政時期由西班牙、葡萄牙和日本軍隊組成的廣泛聯盟。
傳教目標：
一個重要的動機是傳播基督教，促進中國人口的文化和宗教融合。
經濟動機：
來自中國的財富前景對西班牙征服者有著強大的吸引力。
後勤準備：
1587年，在馬尼拉采取了準備行動，包括建造堡壘和組裝武器，表明他們認真地打算實施該計劃。
主要支持者：
該項目得到了部分西班牙耶穌會士的大力支持，尤其是阿隆索·桑切斯。
反對與失敗：
中華商會麵臨著來自西班牙內部以及耶穌會會長範禮安和門多薩等人士的強烈反對。
放棄的原因
西班牙無敵艦隊災難（1588年）：
無敵艦隊對抗英國的失敗大大削弱了西班牙進行像中華商會這樣的大規模海外征服的資源和政治意願。
耶穌會內部的反對：
據《牛津學術》報道，像範禮安這樣的耶穌會重要人物擔心日本傳教團會受到負麵影響，因此反對該計劃。
先前的軍事挫折：
西班牙人知道明朝曾成功擊退葡萄牙人的入侵，例如玉尾之戰。
AI Overview
The Empresa de China ("China Enterprise") was a proposed but never executed plan by the Spanish Empire in the 16th century to conquer China, building on their conquest of the Philippines. Led by figures like Alonzo Sánchez, it envisioned a multi-national invasion force from Spain, Portugal, Japan, and potentially ethnic Chinese allies to seize and assimilate the Ming Dynasty, with the ultimate goal of spreading Christianity and extending Hispanic influence throughout Asia. The project was ultimately abandoned due to logistical challenges and political opposition, particularly after the failure of the Spanish Armada in 1588.
Key Aspects of the Empresa de China
Ambitious Goal:
To conquer and assimilate the Ming Dynasty, a venture considered by some a natural extension of the conquest of the Philippines.
Multi-National Coalition:
The plan involved a broad coalition of Spanish, Portuguese, and Japanese forces under the Toyotomi regency.
Missionary Aims:
A significant motivation was to spread Christianity and promote the cultural and religious assimilation of the Chinese population.
Economic Motivation:
The prospect of riches from China was a strong draw for Spanish conquistadors.
Logistical Preparations:
In 1587, preparatory actions were taken in Manila, including building forts and assembling weapons, showing a serious intention to carry out the plan.
Key Proponents:
The project had strong backing from a sector of the Spanish Jesuits, particularly Alonzo Sánchez.
Opposition and Failure:
The Empresa de China faced significant opposition from within Spain and from figures like the Jesuit superiors Alessandro Valignano and Antonio de Mendoza.
Reasons for Abandonment
Spanish Armada Disaster (1588): The failure of the Armada against England significantly weakened Spain's resources and political will for a large-scale overseas conquest like the Empresa de China.
Internal Jesuit Opposition:
Powerful Jesuit figures like Valignano feared the repercussions on the Japanese mission and opposed the plan, according to Oxford Academic.
Prior Military Setbacks:
The Spanish were aware of the Ming's success in repelling Portuguese attempts at invasion, such as the Battles of Tamao.
The Empresa de China (China enterprise)
Last edited on 19 August 2025, at 15:43 (UTC).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empresa_de_China
A long-time projected conquest of China by the Spanish Empire. Proposed repeatedly through the 16th century as a natural culmination of the conquest of the Philippines, it involved the invasion and assimilation of the Ming dynasty by a coalition that would include Spaniards, Portuguese, Spanish subjects of Spanish Philippines and Japanese allies from the Toyotomi regency, as well as potential masses of ethnic Chinese allies.[1][2][3]
Military conquest of China appeared viable by the reports of Christian missionaries and ambassadors, who described the Ming population as demobilized, inefficiently administered and easy to sublevate against their own governors, offering a situation similar to those of the Aztec and Inca empires where control of the territory could be wrested away. Once conquered, the plan included mass evangelizing activities and the promotion of mestizaje between Iberians and Chinese, hoping to turn China into a source of strength to extend Hispanic control and Christianity across all of Asia. In a best case scenario, the Spanish Empire could aspire to form an oriental theater in the Ottoman–Habsburg wars.[4]
The enterprise was formulated by several figures of the Hispanic Monarchy, but its main driving force would be a sector of the Society of Jesus led by Alonzo Sánchez, who clashed against other churchmen over the Vitorian legitimacy of a new conquest. King Philip II allowed in 1588 the founding of an official council, the Junta de la Empresa de China, but the failure of the Spanish Armada the same year caused the project to be abandoned. The invasion of China briefly resurfaced later, with a new project to topple the Toyotomi regency and conquer Japan with the help of its own native uprising, potentially including Tokugawa Ieyasu, after which the Japanese armies would be used against China.
History
[edit]The idea of expanding the Spanish Empire to China was first formulated in 1526 by Hernán Cortés, conqueror of the Aztec Empire, who sent a letter to King Charles V suggesting to begin the conquest of the Moluccas and China from their new ports in the Pacific coast of New Spain.[5][3] However, due to the failure of the expeditions of García Jofre de Loaísa and Álvaro de Saavedra Cerón, the latter being sent by Cortés himself to rescue the survivors of the former, Charles abandoned his plans for the Pacific Ocean and forfeited his rights over Moluccas to the kingdom of Portugal in the Treaty of Zaragoza.[5]
First advances
[edit]Spanish expansion across the Pacific came finally with the expedition of Miguel López de Legazpi and the discovery of the tornaviaje (return route from the Philippines to Mexico) by his navigator Andrés de Urdaneta, which allowed to link the newly conquered Philippines to New Spain. Although the main goal was gaining access to the Asian spice trade, many of the expeditioners were fresh from the conquest of America and saw the archipelago as the first step to initiate the conquest of the nearby China.[5] As small contingents of Spaniards had been enough to kickstart the fall of the Aztec and Inca empires with native help, they believed the same scheme could be applied to China by securing the help of local ethnic Chinese, Japanese and Austronesian allies.[6] Legazpi himself chose Manila over Cebú as the Spanish base of operations due to its closeness to the Chinese trade routes.[5]
An early report was sent to Viceroy Martín Enríquez de Almanza by Martín de Rada, one of the first western ambassadors to mainland China, in 1569. After his visit to the country, Rada stated that, even if China was densely populated, its population was not warlike and depended heavily on their numbers and fortifications for defense, hence it would not be necessary to gather a large Spanish army to subdue them.[5][3] However, Rada advised for a campaign as peaceful as possible, based on persuasion and evangelization.[3]
In 1575, after the Battle of Manila against the Chinese pirate Limahong, the Spanish Empire and the Ming dynasty built diplomatic bridges. Martín de Rada was sent to Fujian as part of a delegation with the goal of negotiating a Spanish settlement in Chinese soil like the Portuguese Macau.[5] The project was fruitless, after which the governor of the Philippines, Francisco de Sande, opted to send letters to King Philip II proposing to attack China,[7][8] claiming that 4,000-6,000 soldiers would suffice and that the effort would be helped by the tyranny to which the Chinese were subjected.[5][6] However, Philip stated in 1577 that such plan was not convenient at the moment and ordered Sande to cultivate the Ming's friendship.[6] A similar suggestion reached Spain the following year by the hand of Diego García de Palacio, oídor of Guatemala, who proposed to begin a military route from Spain to the Philippines through Honduras, hoping to build a garrison strong enough to pacify the archipelago and make possible to take China as well. His plans were ignored.[5] Sande's successor Gonzalo Ronquillo de Peñalosa also revisited the enterprise.[9]
Influence of the Society of Jesus
[edit]The Empresa de China received a religious and political push from the Manila Synode, and in particular of the controversial Jesuit and diplomat Alonzo Sánchez,[10][6] who visited the country in 1582 to confirm the loyalty of Macau after the dynastic union of Spain and Portugal.[10] Sánchez suffered and witnessed arrests by the Chinese authorities, who were angry at not having been properly informed of the union, and after his return the following year, he was of the belief that only through military force Christianity would thrive in China.[5][10]
Sánchez returned in time to participate in the third council of the synod, in 1583, where he shared the possibility of a conquest with Bishop Domingo de Salazar and missionary Antonio Sedeño, helped by a state of the local economy bad enough to encourage the possibility of expansion.[5][10] Salazar brought to the table Francisco de Vitoria's thesis about just war, arguing that China had dealt enough abuse to Christians to justify a conflict. He collected reports that Chinese authorities were obstructing preaching activity, and also brought attestations from eight Spanish and Portuguese navigators mistreated in their contact with Chinese.[5][11][2] Salazar gave also strategic suggestions, proposing to draw the help of Japan through their local network of Portuguese Jesuits, as well as confiscating the Chinese merchant ships in Manila to fund the initial war effort. However, by carefully following Vitoria's theories, he considered it was soon to decide whether the conquest was legitimated or not.[12] The conclusions were contained in a document sent to King Philip.[13]
Adding to those plans, the superior of the Jesuit mission in Japan, Francisco Cabral, informed that the domination of China would bring untold benefit of both material and spiritual nature, for which the existent Chinese imperial administration would be invaluable once assimilated.[14] Based on his own experiences in Macau, he stated that the country was badly defended, and its population was prone to revolt against the mandarins that oppressed them, making it so that 10,000 Iberian soldiers would be enough for the invasion, joined by 2,000 Japanese soldiers he would recruit thanks to his order's contacts. He also offered himself as a spy to prepare the campaign, including also the services of Matteo Ricci and Michele Ruggieri.[15] Cabral believed the conquest would finish itself as soon as they captured the Wanli Emperor in Beijing.[2] Juan Bautista Román also believed to be able to gather 7,000 Japanese Christian warriors.[16]
As the project advanced, the 1586 Memorial General of the Philippines included a document written by Sánchez, titled De la entrada de China en particular, where he collected an immensely detailed treatment of the conquest of China and the future government of the conquered lands.[5] The plan involved to gather an armada led by the governor of the Philippines, containing 10,000-12,000 Iberian soldiers, 6,000 Visayans and 5,000 Japanese recruited in Nagasaki, assisted by Jesuits due to their knowledge of the lands, and endowed with a purse of 200.000 pesos to strategically bribe mandarins and pay mercenaries. The assault would be two-pronged, with the Castilians invading China through Fujian and the Portuguese doing the same through Guangdong.[17][2] Ricci and Ruggieri would be previously recalled to serve as consultants and negotiators with the Chinese authorities,[18] and the submission of the latter would be surveyed under the Vitorian policies of preventing unnecessary violence and abuse of the civilian population.[19][2]
Once the country was subjected to Spanish control, they would proceed to its Christianization, founding encomiendas and nobiliary properties, and building Christian infrastructure like hospitals, universities and monasteries, helped by a plan of mestizaje that would promote interracial marriage between Iberian conquistadors and Chinese women.[19] Success would mean an enormous advance for the Hispanic universal monarchy, as a Spanish China would become an invaluable base to extend their control across Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean, lending forces to subdue and Christianize Cochinchina, Siam, Kampuchea, India, Borneo, Sumatra, Moluccas and other lands, to the point of making it possible to gather regional allies against the Ottoman Empire and opening an eastern front against it.[4]
1587 saw preparations for war in Manila, building fortifications under Sedeño's supervision and cramming weapons and supplies.[4][6] The same year, fortuitously, a Japanese delegation came from Hirado under the command of Konishi Yukinaga, a Japanese Christian and grand admiral of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, to offer 6,000 vassals and "all the people and soldiers [Spain] asked" to collaborate with any invasion against China, Borneo, Siam or Moluccas.[4][20]
Deliberations and abandonment
[edit]
Sánchez' and Salazar's project, however, found opposition in another Jesuitic current headed by Alessandro Valignano and Superior General Claudio Acquaviva, who saw the Empresa de China as an unjustified violation of the Christian rule of evangelizing peacefully.[10] Portuguese Jesuits also saw it as a danger to their kingdom's economic interests.[2] When Sánchez sailed off to Spain in June 1586 in order to inform about the state of the Philippines, and secretly to address the realization of the Empresa, Acquaviva assigned him supervision under renowned theologian and historian José de Acosta, who was ordered to refute his philosophical bases. Acosta wrote an entire treaty utilizing Francisco de Vitoria's thesis to criticize the invasion of China.[21][5] The protests, added to Sánchez's own actions in New Spain, where he worked to stop a cadre of Dominican missionaries from reaching China in order not to have them obstructing the warring effort, ended up driving a wedge between Salazar and him.[5][22][23]
Sánchez could meet Philip II in December 1587 and, despite Acosta's presence, found the chance to send the king a copy of his document. His aspirations were successful and, as soon as the preparations of the Spanish Armada allowed it, Philip authorized the creation of an official Junta para la Empresa de China in March 1588.[24][25] The council was composed by the Consejo de Indias chairman Hernando de Vega y Fonseca, General Alonso de Vargas, Admiral Joan de Cardona i Requesens, royal secretaries Juan de Idiáquez y Olazábal and Cristóbal de Moura, inquisitor Pedro Moya and four members of the Castilian Council of War.[2] Its development, however, was interrupted by the news of the Armada's failure in August, in midst of new protests by Dominicans and Franciscans that believed the project endangered their own workings. Ultimately, royal interest for the Empresa waned for good.[26][25][3]
The new governor of the Philippines, Gómez Pérez das Mariñas, was chosen by Sánchez's suggestion, but he received explicit orders to avoid military conflict with China.[2] On the opposite, he became entangled in diplomatic tension against Toyotomi, who seemed to demand vassalage from the Spanish Philippines for his invasion of Korea, and whom local spies attributed the idea to invade the Philippines in case of a negative answer.[27] Although this twist never happened, during Juan Cobo's embassy Das Mariñas was advised to seek an alliance with China against Japan and not vice versa.[28] When Das Mariñas was succeeded by his son Luis, the conquest of China was briefly revived in an indirect way. The priest Martín de la Ascensión proposed an equally complex plan to invade Japan, where native allies could be easily found too, and whose armies, once pledged to the Hispanic Monarchy, could be used in campaigns against China and other nearby lands. A considered local ally, aside from the usual Japanese Christians, was the lord later known as Tokugawa Ieyasu.[29] The San Felipe incident and its consequences, however, buried the project.[30]
