Michał Boym – A Pole Acting Ambassador of China

Abstract

The paper describes the life and works of Michał Piotr Boym (1612-1659), the most famous individual in the history of Polish-Chinese relations. The Boyms being an old Hungarian émigré family and Calvinists converted to Catholicism have become an important name among the townspeople of the 16th and 17th century Lwów. Michał Piotr entered the Society of Jesus in 1631 in purpose to dedicate himself to missions in the Far East. In 1643, two years after his ordination as a Jesuit priest, he went through Macau to the Isle of Hainan. Beside his priestly duties he studied local botanic and Chinese geography. Escaping the advance of Manchurian armies he joined the court of the last emperor of the Ming dynasty and acted as a Chinese ambassador and the emperor’s envoy to the pope. The failure of Boym's errand in Europe was followed by the fall of the Mings in China and his death on the way back. His numerous printed works on China became a prey of many ‘authors’ who popularized sinology in Europe and without hesitation claimed authorship of many a pioneer work which was a fruit of Boym's own toil.