Jan Mikołaj Smogulecki

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Jan Mikołaj Smogulecki (1610–1656), of the

logarithms to China
.

Life

Smogulecki was born in 1610 in

Freiburg, philosophy in Rome, and law at Padua (where he was also an official representative of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth).[2][3]

Returning to Poland ca. 1630 or 1631 (sources vary), he joined the royal court and was named

Jesuit Order, declared his intent to become a missionary in distant lands,[1] and began studies in theology at Kraków.[2][3]

In 1640 he went to Rome; in 1641 he took

monastic vows. In 1645 he traveled from Portugal (where he declined an invitation to join the Portuguese royal court) to Java, India and China to be a missionary.[3][4]

After a journey during which he fell ill and almost died, in 1646 he arrived in

Jianyang in the Chinese province of Fujian. In the years 1648–51 he worked as a missionary.[2][4]

He also taught astronomy and mathematics, introducing logarithms to China, and was much respected by Chinese scholars.[3][4][5] His fame as a scholar and teacher spread, and in 1653 he was invited by the Shunzhi Emperor to his court in Beijing.[2]

Smogulecki requested permission to leave the court to continue his missionary travels.[4] He went to Manchuria, then to Yunnan, where another civil war made him travel to Guangzhou. He visited the island of Hainan, then returned to the mainland.

On 17 September 1656 he died in Zhaoqing, Guangdong Province. (The city name is variously transcribed as Tszan-King, Zhaojing, Zhaoging Fou; sources vary).[2][3][4]

Works

He wrote works about

eclipses
.

He was a teacher of the Chinese scholar and astronomer Xue Fengzuo, who would be the first Chinese to publish work using logarithms.[3][4]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e (in Polish) Pierwsze kontakty międzykulturowe za sprawą działalności jezuitów zakonu, Jan Mikołaj Smogulecki, China Radio International - Polska, 2005-03-29
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k (in Polish) UCHWAŁA nr X/76/07 Rady Miasta i Gminy Gołańcz z dnia 26 czerwca 2007 roku w sprawie planu odnowy wsi Smogulec na lata 2007-2013[permanent dead link]
  3. ^
    ISBN 978-0-7818-0637-4
    . Retrieved 13 August 2011.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g (in Polish) Filip Klepacki, Polscy misjonarze jezuiccy w Chinach, Nowicjat Towarzystwa Jezusowego Prowincji Wielkopolsko-Mazowieckiej
  5. ^ Sylwia Witkowska (Institute of Oriental Studies, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland): "Jean-Nicolas Smogulecki, the Man Who Brought Logarithms to China".

Further reading

  • Leszek Gesiak (University School of Philosophy and Education "Ignatianum", Faculty of Philosophy, Institute of Culture Studies, Department of Ethnic Minorities, Kraków, Poland), "Jan Mikołaj Smogulecki (1610–1656): Pioneer of Intercultural Dialog".
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