Transpacific Peru, 1570-1613 - (Crossroads - History of Interactions Across the Silk Routes) by Mariano Bonialian (Hardcover)

About the Book

Transpacific Peru explores how silver-rich Peruvian merchants defied royal laws to trade Asian goods across Mexico, the Philippines, and China. It uncovers the structural forces behind their expansion and highlights their agency in an early globalized economy.

Book Synopsis

Classic studies have highlighted the significance of colonial Peru from a transatlantic and European perspective. Transpacific Peru, 1570-1613 expands this view by exploring its pivotal role in transpacific trade. It examines the agency and networks of peruleros--silver-rich merchants--connecting China, the Philippines, and Mexico. The book exposes the tensions between their expeditions and the prohibitive laws of the Spanish Crown, revealing colonial Peru as a dynamic hub for the expansion of the Spanish Empire and the early globalization of the 16th century.

About the Author

Mariano Bonialian, Ph.D. (2010), Centro de Estudios Históricos, El Colegio de México, is a researcher at CONICET (Argentina's National Scientific and Technical Research Council). He has published books and articles, including La América española: entre el Pacífico y el Atlántico. Globalización mercantil y economía política 1580-1840 (COLMEX, 2019).