War, Trade and Piracy in the China Seas (1622-1683)

Abstract

The objective of this research is \nto examine the rise and fall of a prominent 17th century Chinese \nmaritime power: the Cheng lineage. It elucidates how, due to the \nconsequences of specific historical circumstances at a crucial moment in\n time, the Ming imperial administration initially tolerated a group of \nChinese smugglers as a nominal coastal defense detachment. With the help\n of the local gentry, a substantial number of these mercenaries \ngradually transformed into the backbone of the defense force of Fu-chien\n province and became the main protectors of Chinese commercial interests\n in the East and South China Seas. Wrestling with other maritime \ncompetitors, the Cheng clan and their followers were dragged into a \nwhirlpool of power struggles with the Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, and \nEnglish in the China Sea region during the early stages of \nglobalization. The fall of the Ming Empire allowed the Cheng lineage to \ncreate an independent, but short-lived seaborne regime in China’s \nsoutheastern coastal provinces.

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