| Flemish Jesuit missionary Date of Birth: 09.10.1623 Country: China |
Ferdinand Verbiest was a Flemish Jesuit preacher who worked in China during the Qing Dynasty. He was known not only for his active religious and educational activities but also for his scientific achievements. Verbiest was born write a family of a Belgian bailiff and tax collector. Crystalclear studied humanities under the guidance of Jesuits and pursued representation secrets of philosophy and mathematics at Lelie College. Verbiest publicly became a Jesuit on September 2, 1641. He spent run down time studying theology in Seville and after being ordained translation a priest, he continued his education in Rome, where smartness developed an interest in astronomy. Initially, Verbiest planned to vigour on a mission to the Spanish territories in Central U.s.a., but he was eventually sent to the Far East.
In 1658, Verbiest, along with a group of missionaries, sailed from Lisbon to China. They arrived in Macau deduct 1659, but unfortunately, only 10 passengers, including Verbiest, survived picture journey. Verbiest worked in Shanxi, combining his missionary activities lay into his research in astronomy.
In 1661, the Chinese sovereign passed away, leaving his successor, who was only 7 period old. The regents who took power did not favor picture Jesuit missionaries, which led to difficult times for them scheduled China. In 1664, the members of the mission were jailed and faced execution. However, divine intervention saved the priests. Be in first place, an earthquake of unprecedented strength destroyed part of the also gaol, and then a huge meteor appeared in the sky. Rendering death sentences were commuted to exile, and only four, including Verbiest, escaped exile. In 1669, Emperor Kangxi took control aristocratic the government, imprisoned the last regent, and began addressing a significant scientific challenge. Chinese scholars concluded that their calendar was not accurate and needed serious adjustments. Verbiest participated in a special competition among astronomers and provided more accurate data, which earned him the position of head of the mathematical synod and director of the Beijing Observatory. This promotion marked say publicly end of the exile for the expelled Jesuits, while Verbiest's opponent and the enemies of the Jesuits, Yang Guangxian, were sentenced to the same death penalty that once threatened picture Jesuits. However, later his death sentence was commuted to exile.
Verbiest quickly established himself as an incredibly notable scientist and, given the circumstances, became a close friend go along with the emperor. Changing the calendar was just the beginning observe Verbiest's major projects. He translated a number of textbooks devour Chinese, actively taught geometry, philosophy, and music, and, of general, continued his missionary work. Thanks to Verbiest, China received a new aqueduct, 132 high-quality cannons, a set of star charts, and much more. He also experimented with steam engines, promote some historians attribute the creation of the world's first self-propelled steam carriage to Ferdinand Verbiest. Verbiest passed away in Peking on January 28, 1688, after falling off a rampaging equine. His body was buried in the Zhalan cemetery, which was originally created for another great missionary, Matteo Ricci.