RT Journal Article
T1 Diplomatic Gifts, Tributes and Frontier Violence:  Circulation of Contentious Presents in the Moluccas  (1575–1606)
A1 Escribano Páez, José Miguel
K1 Gift-giving
K1 Cross-cultural diplomacy
K1 Maluku
K1 Philippines
K1 Iberian empires
K1 Sixteenth century
AB A crucial asset for cross-cultural communication during the early modern period, diplomatic gifts have been traditionally associated with courtly diplomacy and peaceful encounters. However, recent scholarship on this topic has emphasized how gifts can reveal bitter political rivalries and asymmetries of power. Building on this line of inquiry, this article explores the complex roles of gifts in the dynamics of cross-cultural violence on the frontiers of the Iberian empires in Southeast Asia. Through the examination of a wide array of sources, I aim to show how gift-giving turned into one of the multiple factors fueling the violent conflict between Moluccan sultans and Iberian authorities in the region between 1575 and 1606.
PB Brill
YR 2020
FD 2020
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10433/20030
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10433/20030
LA en
NO Escribano-Páez, J. M. (2020). Diplomatic Gifts, Tributes and Frontier Violence: Circulation of Contentious Presents in the Moluccas (1575-1606). Diplomatica, 2(2), 248–269. https://doi.org/10.1163/25891774-02020004
NO Marie Sklodowska-Curie Action Individual Fellowship from the European Commission, grant agreement H2020 MSCA IF-2016 GA 748592 (On the Frontiers of Peace: Cross-Cultural Peacebuilding on the Frontiers of the Iberian Empires 1500–80)
NO Departamento de Geografía, Historia y Filosofía
DS RIO
RD Jun 19, 2026