First Significant Specific Map Vietnam (1 results)

Very good. Top and margin trimmed close but border intact. Else excellent with original outline color. Size 16.5 x 13.5 Inches. This is the Alexander de Rhodes and Pierre Mariette 1653 map of Vietnam, considered the first specific map of the Kingdom of Annam, or Tonkin, today's North Vietnam. This map represents a major milestone in the mapping of Vietnam and would prove the underpinning cartography of this region through the mid-19th century. A Closer Look Coverage extends from roughly Qu?ng Ngãi, north to the Chinese border, and west as far as Laos and Cambodia. Although well trained mathematically, Rhodes appears to have completed few, if any, calculations of geographic coordinates. The coastline is roughly similar to that presented on prior general maps of the region, with the Gulf of Tonkin jutting like a wedge into the mainland. Here, it is the inland cartography that is most significant. The map extends from the border with the Champa Kingdom, roughly near modern-day Hoi An, north as far as Macao and Yunnan, though encompassing the totality of Rhodes' Cochinchina travels. He is the first to lay a groundwork for the inland cartography of North Vietnam / Tonkin, detailing provinces, major cities, river systems, and political affiliations. The major North Vietnamese city, Tonkin (Hanoi) is noted. A central highland range that divides the 'civilized' coastlands from the lands of supposedly barbarous 'Kemoy'. Alexandre de Rhodes Mission in Tonkin The map is based upon the firsthand reconnaissance by the Jesuit Missionary Alexandre de Rhodes, who established the first Catholic mission in Tonkin between 1627 and 1645. Before Rhodes, the Gulf and Kingdom of Tonkin were almost entirely unknown to Europeans. The Portuguese (based in Macao) and later the Jesuits established trading and missionary relations with the rival Champa Kingdom (near modern-day Da Nang in Central Vietnam), but due to political tensions between North and South Vietnam (Champa and Tonkin, respectively), they did not initially venture further north. In fact, the islands marked on this map, 'Polociampeilo and Pulocatan' are the northernmost point of Portuguese exploration and the marker by which earlier rutters directed navigators to turn northeast, bypassing the Gulf of Tonkin entirely en route to Macao. Rhodes was sent to establish a mission in Tonkin in 1627, after the Jesuits were expelled from Tokugawa Japan. His mission was reportedly successful, but his missionary work eventually ran contrary to traditional Vietnamese values, and he was expelled from Tonkin. Nonetheless, during his long tenure in Tonkin, he developed an understanding of the country, language, terrain, and peoples. The Mac Rhodes also notes the rebel province of Cao Bang (Cav Bang) which, at the time, hosted the Mac family redoubt. The Mac overthrew the Le dynasty in 1527, usurping Tonkin's throne. Although eventually expelled and forced into exile, the Mac retreated to their strongholds in the mountainous Chinese border province of Cao Bang. They remained a thorn in the side of the Tr?nh kings until finally suppressed in 1667 - well after Rhodes' return to Europe. The Wall West of Cao Bang is a great wall labeled 'Entrée des Tunkinois dans la Chines'. Roughly corresponding to L?ng S?n, this fertile valley was the pathway of armies. Although changing hands multiple times, the L?ng S?n corridor was the primary overland gateway to China, and the source of constant consternation to the Tr?nh Kings of Tonkin. Later, it was similarly problematic to the French. Even the name of this map, 'Annan', which would later become 'Annam', is derived from the Chinese term for 'pacified peoples'. Giovanni Battista Bonelli In the upper left here is a note referring to another Jesuit Father, Jean Baptiste Bonel (Giovanni Battista Bonelli; 1589 - 1638). The note roughly corresponds to the upper Mekong and Laos in the vicinity of Luang Prabang. Bonelli met his end exploring an overland route from Tonkin to.…