74: The Great Calendar Reform: Science, Politics, and Dynastic Crisis in China

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In 1629, a failed prediction of a solar eclipse by imperial astronomers sparked a crisis that would significantly change the relationship between East and West. This episode examines the forty-year period during which European Jesuit missionaries, led by Adam Schall von Bell, introduced Western astronomical techniques to China's Imperial court through the Calendar Reform Bureau.

We follow Schall's journey from his arrival in Beijing in 1623 to his rise as Director of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, illustrating how scientific expertise became a means to gain unprecedented influence within Chinese imperial institutions. The story spans the final years of the Ming Dynasty, marked by environmental disasters, peasant rebellions, and institutional collapse. It examines how the Manchu conquest created new opportunities for Jesuit astronomical work.

The episode describes the Calendar Case of 1664-1669, when conservative scholar Yang Guangxian launched a systematic challenge to Jesuit astronomy, leading to trials, persecution, and ultimately empirical testing that would decide which astronomical system would guide the Chinese Empire. Key themes include how scientific accuracy legitimizes political authority, the challenges of transferring knowledge across cultures, and the intersection of astronomy with imperial ideology in early modern China. The episode concludes with an assessment of the significance of this period for understanding the global circulation of scientific knowledge during the Scientific Revolution and the intricate cultural exchanges between European and Chinese civilizations.

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Intro Music: Hayden Symphony #39
Outro Music: Vivaldi Concerto for Mandolin and Strings in D