-
Words of Majesty: A Brief History of Royal Correspondence between England and Asia, 1600–1858
- Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society
- Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society
- Volume 90, Part 1, No. 312, June 2017
- pp. 1-27
- 10.1353/ras.2017.0001
- Article
- Additional Information
Diplomatic historians have downplayed the English Crown’s role in Asian diplomacy and over-emphasized the actions of merchants and military officers on the spot, but royal letters and associated materials suggest a different interpretation. The sending of such letters and the complexities of their creation and interpretation shows that English diplomacy in Asia was a collaboration between English Monarchs and the East India Company, and the mode of delivery of royal letters indicates that they played a crucial role in negotiations conducted by men on the spot.