Ming Emperors When Hung Wa, first emperor of the Ming dynasty, "reached the] Yhrone (A.D. 1368), a general calendar was was drawn up, based fon the methods of Kwoh Show-king, with some slight corrections added. The Mings, says Parker, followed the Mongol calendar for 270 years, until it was found that eclipses went wrong (China, The Calendar. P. 308). Like Kublai, the ruler placed some Arab astronomers on the Board of Mathematics, and calculations were made after the methods of both East and. West, taking for the first meridian that of Nanking (Gaubil. History of Chinese Astronomy. p. 117). Under ssu sequent rulers, neglect set in as in previous times, and-in A.D. 1573, first year of Wanlih, both the Musjsulman and "Chinese calendars proved erroneous. About this time, Prince Ching and the astronomer Hsing Yun-lu endeavoured to establish new. methods. Tt may be [said that these two authors are the best China ever had...
7 The Jesuit Missionaries Arrive in China Ricci (AVSEME). was the fiat Jesuit missionary, who soled Peking. (A.D. 1601), where the Emperor Wanlih received him with the greatest kindness. Here in the Capital of the empire he. met Hei Kwang-ki ($2962) canonized as Li Shi-tsao and other high ofiiats, who later on became con verts to the Catholic religion. Rieci seems to have influenced Chinese astronomy only indirectly, through his mathematical -works in 20 volumes. He died in Peking A.D, 1610, After his death, Father de Urals (R=) was summoned tothe Gal eat Purpose recting the calendar, He wrote eight volumes on astronomy, and died in exile at Macao A.D. 1620, He had successors Fathers Sambiaso RIM) and Aleni (FRA), the ar of whom wrote three volun fon mathematics and astronomy, 'Aleni was followed by Longobardi CAUMER, who "published cardeaket and ohn Torrens (WB), who corrected the calendar, and' wrote sever works on astronomy, and a treaties trigonometry in two volumes, Notwithstanding the obvious su~ priority of the Jesuit, methods of falculation over the native system then in use," says Wylie, "prejudice was too atrong in influential quarters to admit of the adoption of the new theory during the Ming dynasty, and 2 was not till the establishment of the Ts'ing on the Imperial throne that it became the standard of the astronomical Board." (Notes on Chinere Literature. Astronomy. and) Mathematics. p. 110). Rho (HUHt %) and Schall (AB). were the next Presidents -of the Board of Astronomy, and laboured to correct the calendar. Schall me troduced more and more the prin ciples of Western astronomical science, henceforth recognized as far superior to the methods used in Chin What the Jesuits Achieved Under the Tsing Rulers The Emperor Shun-chi (A.D. 1644~ 1062), first ruler of the Manchu dynasty, in his decree raising Schall to the charge of President of. the Board of Mathomatics, said: "We confer on you this important dignity, because of your exact astronomical calculations ever cereeing with the movements of the heavenly bodies."
Schall instructed in the same Western principl several of Chinese assistant and found times, much like Father Torrens, little prejudice and latent position to his theory and methods. This became manifest specially during the minority of K'anghsl, when Yang Kwang-sion and. the Mussulman Wa Ming-bation falsely accused him, and prison, and even s He was, however, happily delivered fon the occasion of an earthquake, which caused much damage and struck terror into his enemies, His death took place A.D. 1666, When Kianghsi came of age, the native astronomers offered him the fealendar of the present year and that of the following one.
The emperor heaving of the emin-Jent science of the missionaries sent them the manuscripts to. 300 whether they were correct. Ver-blest (Wi:) examined them carefully, and" found that they teemed with incorrections, among. others that the following year had Jan intercalary month, Whereas cording to correct reckoning, should have none. Subsequently
sionary into his presence, together emperor summoned the ise ith he Chinese and Museulman astronomers, and after a mathe magical test held: his science was superior to thut of his adver saries. Hereupon he was appoint= President of the Board of Astronomy, and published while he held that office numerous works on astronomy, mathematics, mechanics and the natural sciences. He died
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.