Influenced by traditional Chinese theories, he became convinced by the year 1597 that it was only through emphasis on agriculture that China could be prosperous, and it was only through a properly trained and equipped military force that the Ming dynasty could be strong.
According to his only son, Xu Guangqi harbored a deep sense of patriotism toward the Chinese nation. With his interest in agriculture, handicraft, technology, and military arts, he gradually developed a scientific spirit and innovative attitude. His son says that Xu Guangqi regularly "investigated ancient records and evaluated contemporary sources concerning the national economy," and that he "took voluminous notes and gathered various information on economic matters."
Conversion To Catholicism
By the early 17th century, the Ming dynasty was not only economically and militarily weak, but also politically corrupt. The abilities of the emperors degenerated and the eunuchs steadily gained power. Chinese scholar officials who were concerned about the fate of the nation became restless. Some of them formed partisan groups to advocate needed reforms. Some sought escapes through their interest in Buddhism and Taoism. Others searched for new answers to the old problem of dynastic decline. Thus, the new knowledge about a distant Great West (i.e., Europe), which the Jesuit missionary Matteo Ricci (1552-1610) and his companions brought to China from 1583 onward, attracted the attention of a number of enlightened and patriotic Confucian scholar officials.
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