Juan González de Mendoza

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Spanish bishop

Spain Historical FiguresLived 1545 to 1618 · aged 73

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Fame44.5

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Languages12

Peak1890s

In century#2,462

A. 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 is an account of observations of several Spanish travelers in China.

Also inDeutsch

Photos 1

First page of the chapter on Chinese language in González de Mendoza's 1585 book, reproducing the characters published by Escalante in 1577. According to Staunton, of the two characters shown on this page, the first (said to mean "heaven") is hard to identify, although he guesses that it might be 𨺩 (a variant of 乾).[2] Modern Chinese translators of González de Mendoza's books suggest that 穹 may have been meant.[3] (May it though be a combination of two characters, with the one on top being a 天, perhaps in seal script?). The second (said to mean "king") is a poorly written 皇.[2]

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About this person

Juan González de Mendoza, O.S.A. 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 is an account of observations of several Spanish travelers in China. An English translation by Robert Parke appeared in 1588 and was reprinted by the Hakluyt Society in two volumes, edited by Sir George T. Staunton, Bart..

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Spain