The socioeconomic image of China in the early modern age and the debate on the decline of castile

Abstract

This article analyzes the socioeconomic image of China developed in the 16th and 17th centuries by Spanish travelers and historians, differentiating between the idealized “Iberian view” and the more nuanced and critical Jesuit perspective. What were thought to be the main reasons behind China’s wealth that impressed Europeans so much, is relevant for a better understanding of the 17th century debate on the causes of the decline of Castile, the heart of the Spanish empire. On the one hand, the contrast of the increasingly battered Hispanic Monarchy with the image of prosperity –more or less nuanced– conveyed by both visions of China, made clearer the situation of socioeconomic decline of the Spanish empire. In fact, from both visions could be implicitly derived diverse criticisms of the Spain of the last Habsburgs. On the other hand, however, it is paradoxical and surprising that the protagonists of the debate on the Castilian decline, the arbitristas, were not aware of the writings on China of their contemporaries, which reduced the potential of their analysis.