In the last years of the Ming Dynasty, in order to expand their trade development in Southeast Asia, the Dutch set their sights on the Penghu region of China through the "guidance" of maritime merchants. After the Dutch occupied the area around Penghu, they did nothing wrong. Sino-Dutch relations deteriorated dramatically, and the Battle of Penghu, which defended national sovereignty, broke out. In the end, the Chinese victory ended, and the Dutch army fled to Taiwan in a hurry.
Through this campaign, the Ming government fully realized the importance of powerful weapons, the construction of the country's coastal defense, and the development of overseas trade.
Dutch colonial expansion
In 1623, Sino-Dutch relations deteriorated sharply, and war between the two countries was imminent. Subsequently, Emperor Mingxi ordered the reconquest of Penghu, and after the Battle of Penghu, it ended with a victory for the Chinese side
In 1623, Sino-Dutch relations deteriorated sharply, and the Ming government sent Nan Juyi to serve as the governor of Fujian and prepare for the battle at Penghu. On September 5 of that year, Emperor Mingxi issued a decree ordering Nanjuyi to immediately lead his soldiers to encircle and suppress the Dutch army occupying Penghu:
"Hongyi is cunning and cunning, and the suffering side is deep." The inspector took the lead of the general, carefully defended, and quickly expelled. ”
In February 1624, Nanju, who was then serving as the governor of Fujian, began to recruit troops and horses in the Zhangzhou area to prepare for battle. After currying favor with the battle plan, Nanjuyi appointed Wang Mengxiong as the vanguard, first from the Penghu flank to encircle and suppress, and finally forced the Dutch to retreat to a city. In order to speed up the operation, the Ming army began a second attack, but the Dutch did not return Penghu.
In April of the same year, the Ming army divided into several routes and encircled and suppressed the Dutch army from various places. At that time, there were only more than 900 soldiers left in the Dutch army, while the Ming army had more than 10,000 soldiers participating in the war, and there were more than 200 warships used for war alone. In July, Nanjuyi gathered all his forces and decided to launch a general offensive. The Dutch army retreated again and again, all the way to the city of Red Mao, and the two sides formed a stalemate. In August 1624, the Ming army again divided into three routes and tried to drive out the Dutch army. At that time, the Dutch army had reached the point of exhaustion, and finally had to evacuate Penghu, which had been occupied for two years, and fled to Taiwan in a hurry.
Daming encircled and suppressed the Dutch army
The Battle of Penghu ended in the victory of the Ming army. After the battle, gao Wenlu, the leader of the Dutch army, and other prisoners of war were taken to Beijing, after which Emperor Mingxi ordered them to be beheaded and displayed to the public.
At the end of the 16th century, the netherlands and Spain broke down relations, in order to seek a new route to Asia, set their sights on China's Penghu, so it became the fuse of the Battle of Penghu
As early as 1601, the Dutch ambition to covet China was increasingly revealed. At that time, because the Dutch state form was different from the Ming Dynasty, and the Ming government had been in a closed state in diplomacy, the Dutch request for trade within the Ming Dynasty was not approved by the Ming government. According to the relevant records in the Penghu Hall Chronicle:
"There is Penghu Island in Zhangnan, go to the sea, sincerely seize and keep it, gongshi is not difficult to become."
It is described that some maritime merchants advised the Dutch at that time, telling them to occupy Penghu before they could develop trade in the coastal areas around it. When the Dutch heard this, they were overjoyed and sent Dutch troops to occupy the Penghu region. After the Inspector of Fujian learned of this incident, he immediately strengthened Fujian's coastal defense and entered a state of readiness for war at any time. At the same time, Shen Yourong was also sent to Penghu to negotiate with the Dutch army, and the Dutch army eventually withdrew from Penghu. However, the Dutch were not discouraged, and in August 1622, the Dutch again occupied Penghu and built a city tower in Penghu. At the same time, in order to prevent the Ming government from reaching Penghu, the Dutch army blockaded the port of Zhangzhou and sent warships to demonstrate in the sea of Zhangzhou.
The Dutch occupied Penghu
After the Dutch occupied Penghu for the second time, they hated that their previous trade requests had not been agreed to by the Ming government, and then burned and looted the entire Penghu region. At the same time, they captured a large number of civilians in the Penghu region, first transporting them to Batavia, and then selling them as slaves to various regions at low prices. It can be seen that the Dutch at that time showed their pirate nature after occupying Penghu.
Ming officials, however, were divided over how to view the Dutch invasion. Some believe that the Dutch invasion of Penghu was merely to broaden their territory for greater gain. They felt that the Dutch occupied Penghu mainly to force the Ming government to trade with them. If the Dutch were to return Penghu, they would only need to be allowed to trade within China. Wang Linheng, an official of the Punishment Department at the time, believed that as long as the Dutch were willing to return Penghu, not only would they be allowed to do business in the Xiangshan area, but other ports could also be opened for them.
Others, however, argue that the Dutch's previous requests for trade were merely fabrications for the capture of Penghu. According to the "Eastern and Western Examinations", there is a record of the views of the Ming Dynasty official Shen Lisheng:
"The Dutch people think that it is the yuan huai's intention to do the opposite."
Shen Lisheng believed that the Dutch must have wanted to rebel in Penghu. Nan Juyi, who was also an official of the imperial court, also thought the same. At that time, You Fengxiang believed that the Dutch occupied Penghu and had become a hostile force of the Ming Dynasty, and if they did not start a war and drove them out of Penghu, the face of the Ming government would no longer exist. At the same time, he cites the example of the Song Dynasty at that time, when the Mongols were allowed to establish mutual markets outside the city, which eventually led to the demise of the Song Dynasty, to allude to the situation of the Ming Dynasty at that time. A war between China and the Netherlands is imminent.
Although it is urgent to recover Penghu, the two factions have their own views on making the final decision. Out of consideration for the overall situation, Nan Juyi and other factions made concessions, and immediately sent Chen Shiying to negotiate with the Netherlands, which made three demands on the Ming government: First, the Ming government must allow the Dutch to trade in the coastal cities of the Ming Dynasty; Second, the Ming government had to cede Penghu to the Netherlands; Third, the Ming government should immediately stop trade exchanges with Spain and Portugal. According to the relevant records in the Records of the Ming Dynasty, the Dutch also made a big fuss during the negotiation process:
"If the city is not allowed, it will be done."
This means that if the Ming government did not cede Penghu to the Netherlands, an exchange of fire between the two countries would be inevitable. In order to suppress the arrogance of the Dutch, Emperor Mingxi decided to send Nan Juyi as the governor of Fujian and ordered him to immediately retake Penghu.
Ming Xi Sect
Third, after the Battle of Penghu, the smuggling trade along the coast developed. At the same time, the Ming government fully realized that in order not to be infringed, it must have strong weapons and strong coastal defense construction
Penghu is an island on the southeast coast of China, which is rich in mineral resources, marine living resources and other natural resources, coupled with its occupation of an important strategic position in China, ensuring the stability of the region is an important factor in safeguarding national security and unity. As a Western European country, the Netherlands is far from China. Although the Dutch invasion of Penghu at that time and the previous perennial intrusion of the northern minorities on the ming border were not worth mentioning, the impact of this invasion on the Ming government should not be underestimated.
(1) Weapons are the decisive factors in the battle between the two sides
After experiencing the Battle of Penghu, the Ming people clearly realized the importance of weapons. As it is said in the "Examination of the East and the West":
"Or Dutch long skill, only boat and ear."
The Dutch had an advantage at the time in their warships and weapons. The Dutch-made fire bolts are powerful and already have the function of automatic boring, which greatly increases the firing speed of the fire bolts. In contrast, the ming dynasty's combat weapons at that time, as far as the firearm Tiger Squat Cannon was concerned, although the power was huge, the Tiger Squat Cannon was large and bulky, and could only fire one at a time, which was really not conducive to combat. It can be seen that at that time, the disparity in the weapons strength of the two countries was enormous.
Firearms and guns of the Ming Dynasty
When the Ming government regained Penghu, the victory was entirely due to the large number of Ming troops, after all, they were outnumbered. After the reconquest of Penghu, some people of insight advocated learning the technology of Western weapons manufacturing. After that, the Ming people began to imitate the Dutch fire hammer to defend against foreign enemies, and under the continuous exploration and innovation of weapons by the Ming people, they created the Hongyi cannon that made the invaders feel frightened. At that time, many forts were built in various port cities. It can be seen that the Battle of Penghu gave the Ming people a deep understanding of the importance of weapons.
(2) The Ming government recognized the importance of strengthening coastal defense
From the perspective of coastal defense construction, the Dutch occupied Penghu in the first place, mainly because Penghu did not have a strong coastal defense construction. After the Battle of Penghu, Bingbu Shangshu suggested: First, we should increase the garrison in the Penghu area. After that, the Ming government ordered the dispatch of 1,169 additional officers and men on top of the original garrison in Penghu District. Second, in view of the shortage of garrisons in the Penghu area, which in turn occupied an important strategic position, the Ming government should immediately strengthen the connection between the army in the coastal area of Fujian and the Penghu region. The second is to strengthen the connection between the Fujian Coastal Area Health Center and the Penghu region. In addition, the salaries of soldiers stationed in the Penghu area will be increased.
Finally, it was suggested that the Ming government reclaim grain fields in the Penghu area to supplement military supplies. At the same time, it also advocated that the Ming government develop fisheries in the Penghu area to promote the development of local economy and trade, which could also be used as military supplies.
(III) The victory at the Battle of Penghu promoted the development of maritime trade in the Ming Dynasty
The Dutch occupied Penghu at that time, which severely hit the maritime trade of the Ming Dynasty. Since ancient times, Chinese merchants have had a tradition of traveling to Southeast Asia to do business. After the Dutch occupied Penghu, they banned the navigation of Ming merchants in the local area and used various means to attack the Ming Dynasty's overseas trade. They forbade Ming merchants to trade around Penghu, and once discovered, their ships and goods were confiscated.
Maritime trade of the Ming Dynasty
After the victory at Penghu, it ensured to a certain extent that Ming merchants could develop overseas trade normally. After this, the smuggling trade around Penghu Lake flourished. The Dutch also realized through this war that if they wanted to promote the development of their country, it was not possible to rely on force. They changed their normal behavior and trade cooperation with smugglers in the Penghu area. At that time, in order to seek the favor of Chinese maritime merchants, the Dutch often gave various items to the Ming Dynasty maritime merchants. At the same time, they also found a large number of agents as intermediaries to seek trade activities with Ming merchants.
bibliography:
Records of the Ming Dynasty
"East-West Examination"