Życie i dzieło Tomasza Ignacego Dunina Szpota SJ (1644/1645–1713) oraz jego wkład w etnografię nowożytnych Chin

Polish Jesuits made notable contributions to the study of China and neighbouring East Asian regions during the early modern period. Among them was Tomasz Ignacy Dunin Szpot SJ (1644/1645–1713), who came from a noble family from Podlasie. Beginning in 1689, Szpot spent twenty-four years in Rome, where he served as a confessor at Saint Peter’s Basilica. Alongside his spiritual duties, he engaged in extensive research in the city’s libraries and archives, focusing on Jesuit missions in China. This research resulted in ten substantial volumes that provide invaluable accounts of events in the early modern China, with extensive references to the geography and, particularly, the ethnography of the Far East. Szpot’s writings offer valuable insights into the customs, daily life, culture, and language of East Asia’s inhabitants, spanning significant periods such as the late reign of the Wanli Emperor (1563–1620), the fall of the Ming dynasty in 1644, and the early Qing period, including the rule of Emperor Kangxi (1661–1722). This paper seeks to shed light on this relatively obscure Polish scholar and his expertise on early modern China. It also explores the motivations behind his research, particularly his focus on ethnographic themes, which may reflect interests that extended beyond his Jesuit missionary duties.