Diplomatic Envoy, Courtier, and Missionary : A Comparative Study of Juan Cobo and Diego de Pantoja in East-West Exchanges of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries

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Abstract

Objective/Context: This article offers a comparative analysis of two early modern missionaries—Dominican Juan Cobo and Jesuit Diego de Pantoja—within the broader context of early globalization. While Cobo operated in the colonial setting of Manila and engaged in diplomatic missions like the 1592 embassy to Japan, Pantoja worked at the heart of the Ming court, using scientific and cultural knowledge to promote engagement among the elite. Methodology: Drawing on primary sources and recent scholarship, this study explores the divergent evangelization strategies, political roles, and identity negotiations of these two missionaries. Originality: By situating both figures within the interconnected maritime and diplomatic networks of East Asia, the article contributes to global historical debates on cross-cultural mediation and the complex entanglements among religion, empire, and knowledge in the early modern world. Conclusions: The article argues that the trajectories of these two missionaries reflect the tensions between European imperialist ambitions and the Chinese imperial government.