Earlier this month, while conducting research on Chinese texts and books about China at the National Library, also known as the Bibliotheca, in Valletta, I found that three of the oldest books that it holds about this country date back to the 18th century. Although they are not so rare, they are still very prestigious for the national collection.

The oldest book dates back to 1723 and carries the title: Histoire de la Conqueste de la Chine par les Tartares: Contenant plusieurs choses remarquables, touchant la religion, les moeurs, & les coûtumes de ces deux nations. Ecrite en espagnol & traduit en françois par le Sieur Colle. It was written by Juan Palafox y Mendoza and published in Amsterdam by Chez Jean Frederic Bernard.

The book is an account of the Manchu conquest of Ming China based on reports sent to Mexico from Macao and the Philippines. The work also deals with Chinese customs, manners, religion and costumes. One chapter discusses Japanese relations with China, remarking that although the Japanese are very powerful, they have reason to fear the neighbouring Tartars. 

Palafox (1600-1659) was an influential Spanish Catholic priest, Bishop of Puebla de Los Angeles, historian, writer and statesman, later nominated as viceroy of New Spain. 

The second oldest book dates to 1760 and is titled Mémoire Dans Lequel On Prouve Que Les Chinois Sont Une Colonie Égyptienne Lu Dans L'assemblée Publique De L'académie Royale Des Inscriptions & ... De M. L'abbé Barthélémy Sur Les Lettres. This translates as: 'Memoir in which we prove that the Chinese are an Egyptian colony... With a summary of the memoir of Father Barthélemy on the Phoenician letters' It was written by Joseph de Guignes and published in Paris.

Today this book is part of French literature heritage and reflects thoughts characteristic of the time, but which nowadays would be hard to accept. Nevertheless, the book reflects a history of past ideas in France and is likely to be of scientific and historical interest.

Joseph de Guignes (1721-1800) was a French orientalist, sinologist and Turkologist born at Pontoise in Paris. In this book, Guignes maintained that the Chinese nation had originated from Egyptian colonisation, an opinion to which, in spite of every refutation, he obstinately clung. He published a number of articles arguing that Egyptian hieroglyphs and Chinese characters were related, one deriving from the other. Although he was mistaken in that, he is recognised for proving that cartouche rings in Egyptian texts contained royal names, a thesis he developed from a hint previously made by Jean-Jacques Barthélemy.

The author (left) next to Donald Briffa, a staff member of the National Library.

Guignes maintained that the Chinese nation had originated from Egyptian colonisation

The third oldest book found dates back to 1770 and is titled: Éloge de la Ville de Moukden et de ses environs; poème composé par Kien-long, Empereur de la Chine & de la Tartarie, actuellement régnant. Accompagné de Notes curieuses sur la Géographie, sur l’Histoire naturelle de la Tartarie Orientale, & sur les anciens usages des Chinois; composées par les Editeurs Chinois & Tartares. On y a joint une Pièce de Vers sur le Thé, composé par le même Empereur. It was translated into French by Joseph Marie Amiot and published in Paris.

Amiot was sent as a French Jesuit missionary sent to China in 1750 and he was the spiritual leader of the French Mission in Peking (Beijing). He soon won the confidence of the Qianlong Emperor, becoming the official translator of western languages for him. In China, he was also known by a Chinese name, Qián Démíng. Amiot was a correspondent of the French Académie des Sciences. 

On August 26, 1743, in the eighth year of his reign, 32-year-old Qianlong Emperor Aisin Gioro Hongli left his palace in Peking. For the first time, he visited the homeland of his Manchu ancestors in the northeast provinces of China, otherwise known as Manchuria. The visit, which lasted 107 days, so impressed the emperor that he felt moved to commemorate it by composing an ode in the traditional Chinese form known as Fu.

The Ode to Mukden was first published in Chinese and Manchu languages in 1743. The ode itself takes the form of elaborate praise and describes the Manchu homeland in terms of its landscape, flora, fauna and spiritual significance.

The ode was brought to the attention of European readers as early as 1770, thanks to the French translation of Amiot. This was followed by translations into French in 1828 and Italian in 1884.

The authors of these three books are to be considered as 'heroes' because they contributed to creating a bridge of understanding between the West and the East.

Unfortunately, these three books are in a very bad condition awaiting restoration but a member of staff at the Bibliotheca told me that the books will soon undergo a process of restoration so that they will remain well conserved for future generations.

I take this occasion to express my heartfelt thanks to librarian Maroma Camilleri and her staff for their assistance and to Malta-China Cultural Centre director Yang Xiaolong and his staff for their continuous support and encouragement.

Martin Azzopardi is founder of the Science/China Corner at St Margaret College Secondary School, Verdala, Cospicua.