Key developments of 1548

Part of a 1558 painting of Francis and Mary

1548 CE was another quietish year in the story of the development of Western imperialism. No matter. It gave me the chance to learn more about the Ming Empire in China, by virtue of the fact that during this year a rather interesting Ming official carried out notable actions against “pirates” of Portuguese and other nationalities… First, the bullet-points:

• In February, firearms were used for the first time in a battle in Japan. (Some Japanese parties had picked up the technology pretty speedily, having been introduced to a Portuguese version of it, via a famous Chinese pirate, just five years earlier.)
• In June, Ming Chinese naval forces destroyed the pirate haven of Shuangyu, frequented by Chinese, Japanese and Portuguese smugglers. The Ming forces were under the command of provincial governor Zhu Wan. (You can read more about Zhu’s life and career here.)
• In July, the 5-year-old Mary Queen of Scots was betrothed to the Crown Prince of France, who was then four. (They would marry when he was 14, and a year later he would become King Francis II upon the death of his father.) The betrothal was a significant diplomatic feat for the Scots and must have given the regents of England the heebie-jeebies.
• In August 1548, Mary was shipped to France to be raised alongside her intended.
• In October, the conquistadores founded the city of La Paz in today’s Bolivia.

Originally published at https://justworldnews.org.