Recent Dutch-Language Publications

Bijdragen tot de taal- land- en volkenkunde / Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences of Southeast Asia, vol. 178, pp. 365–371

Abstract

This book contains the printed version of Andreas Everardus van Braam Houckgeest's (1739-1801) report about his embassy to the Chinese Qianlong Emperor, who ruled China from 1735 until 1799.To commemorate his sixty years of rulership, the emperor invited the Western powers with a representation in China to pay respect to him in Peking.For the Dutch nation, this invitation was addressed to the voc, which ran a factory in Canton.The director of this trading post was Van Braam Houckgeest, since 1757 in voc service, and on his this third term in Canton.In 1795 he had built up more than twenty years of experience and knowledge of China.He had a lively interest in China, its society and its arts.He was labelled as a Sinophile, and when the invitation was extended he eagerly hoped to become head of the Dutch delegation.This was not to be, as Isaac Titsingh was nominated by the voc in Batavia.Van Braam joined the delegation as the second man.They managed to sustain a tense but workable relationship, all during the journey from Canton to Peking (November 1794-January 1795) and from Peking to Canton (February-May 1795).In Peking they stayed for 35 days and received a friendly treatment, meeting with the emperor no less than nine times.This differed from the British embassy, whose behavior annoyed the Chinese.All through the journey Van Braam kept a diary.When back in the West, his notes soon became a highly valued source on China, with editions in French, English, German and Dutch.None of these were complete, and there were textual differences as well.Moreover, three versions of the handwritten manuscript were available, from which the editor selected the four-volume manuscript, held by the Dutch National Archives.The editor (1948) is a direct descendant of Van Braam, and has occupied herself with this extensive labor for about fifty years.The result is exemplary.At last, a scholarly

Authors 1

1. Harry A. Poeze corresponding Aachen KITLV/Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies The Netherlands Leiden

   Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies

   Affiliation as printed

   KITLV/Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies The Netherlands Leiden