Tonio Andrade - Lost Colony: The Untold Story of China’s First Great Victory over the West

Lost Colony

Tonio Andrade

Copyright 2011 by Princeton University Press

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Jacket art: The Castle of Batavia, Seen from Kali Besar West, by Andries Beeckman, 16561657, oil on canvas, 108 151.5 cm. Courtesy of the Collection Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Andrade, Tonio.

Lost colony : The Untold Story of Chinas First Great Victory over the West / Tonio Andrade.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-691-14455-9 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. TaiwanHistoryDutch rule, 16241661. 2. Zheng, Chenggong, 16241662. 3. History, Modern17th century. I. Title.

DS799.67.A528 2011

951.24902dc22

2011009980

British Library Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available

Subvention graciously provided by Emory Universitys College of Arts and Sciences and Laney Graduate School

This book has been composed in Ehrhardt MT and Grotesque MT

Printed on acid-free paper.

Printed in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

For Amalia, who loves a good story

Listed in rough order of appearance. Chinese names are given with family name first.

Frederick CoyetGovernor of Taiwan, 16561662. Defeated by Koxinga. Treated as scapegoat by colleagues and countrymen.

KoxingaAka Zheng Chenggong, The Yanping Prince, Great Rebel-Quelling General, Bearer of the Imperial Surname. Warlord who devoted his adult life to the fight to restore the Ming Dynasty to China. Conqueror of Taiwan.

Zheng ZhilongKoxingas father, good-looking pirate who became fabulously wealthy.

Li DanZhilongs wealthy old mentor and a master of Min trade. Possibly gay.

Zou weilianUpright Ming official who hated the Dutch and tried to make Zhilong break ties with them. Zhilong ousted him from power.

Hans PutmansDutch governor of Taiwan, 16291636. Fought for Zhilong and then against him, being defeated in 1633.

THE PIRATES

Li KuiqiPirate leader under Zheng Zhilong who, when Zhilong went legit, went back to sea and led Zhilongs former comrades against him. The Dutch agreed to help Zhilong fight against him.

Zhong BinPirate leader under Li Kuiqi who betrayed his master and helped the Dutch defeat Li Kuiqi on Zhilongs behalf.

Liu XiangPirate chief who nearly defeated Zheng Zhilong.

THE MING EMPERORS

LongwuMing pretender-emperor who set up a court in the Land of Min to resist the Manchus. Liked Koxinga very much. Killed by the Qing in 1646.

YongliMing pretender-emperor who ran a court in Chinas far southwest. Was captured and executed by the Qing in 1662.

Qian QianyiKoxingas teacher and one of most famous poets of late Ming. When the Manchus entered Nanjing in 1645, he defected to them, a decision that haunted him for the rest of his life.

THE ZHENG FAMILY

Zheng HongkuiAka The Jianguo Duke. Koxingas favorite uncle. Discoverer of the Spirit Cannons.

Zheng LianUncle whom Koxinga executed to take over Xiamen.

Zheng ZhiwanCousin whom Koxinga executed after the cousin failed to defend Xiamen.

Zheng TaiKoxingas half brother. Refused to send rice to provision Koxingas forces in Taiwan.

Huang WuAfter Koxinga demoted him, Wu defected to the Qing and provided inside information about Koxingas operations and advice to weaken it.

Su MaoOne of Koxingas top commanders. Lost a battle in 1656 and Koxinga had him executed. This act prompted Su Maos cousin to plot with Huang Wu to defect to the Qing.

Yang YingKoxingas chronicler.

ShunzhiYoung Qing emperor of China. Tried to woo Koxinga to his side.

Victorio RiccioItalian missionary who lived for years under Koxingas rule in and near Xiamen City. Chosen by Koxinga to lead a delegation to demand tribute from the Spanish Philippines in 1662.

Gan HuiOne of Koxingas top commanders. Advised Koxinga to press attack against Nanjing in 1659. Captured and executed by the Qing in the disastrous battle that followed.

Zhang HuangyanDevoted Ming loyalist and eloquent writer. Advised Koxinga during the drive up the Yangtze in 1659. Opposed Koxingas decision to go to Taiwan.

He BinChinese translator for the Dutch on Taiwan. Fled the colony after a scandal and brought Koxinga a map of Taiwan.

Yang ChaodongSychophantic underling of Koxinga. Spoke in favor of the plan to invade Taiwan while the other commanders were against it. Later became prefectural governor of Taiwan.

Ma XinChinese general in command of forces that surrounded the Dutch stronghold Zeelandia Castle.

Thomas PedelOverconfident Dutch military commander. Consumed with anger about wounded son, died leading foolish musket attack against Chinese forces.

Chen ZeBrilliant commander on Koxingas side. Defeated Thomas Pedel with clever ruse. Defeated Dutch bay attack with clever ruse. Was defeated by Taiwanese aborigines in clever ruse.

Jacob ValentineDutch magistrate and second-in-command to Frederick Coyet. Surrendered Fort Provintia on Taiwanese mainland to Koxinga and was taken prisoner.

Philip MeijDutch surveyor captured by Koxinga early in the war. Wrote vivid account of captivity.

Antonio HambroekMissionary on Taiwan who was executed by Koxinga. Later he became the subject of a famous Dutch play.

Jan van der LaanDutch admiral who led a fleet to Taiwan in 1660, when there were rumors that Koxinga would invade. Finding no evidence of an invasion, he left. Coyet hated him. He hated Coyet.

Nicholas VerburgGovernor of Taiwan from 16491653 and subsequently member of High Council in Batavia. Coyet hated him. He hated Coyet.

Jacob CauwCommander of reinforcement fleet sent to Taiwan in the summer of 1661. Coyet hated him. He hated Coyet.

David HarthouwerDutch official who desperately wanted to leave Taiwan. Coyet didnt let him.

Prince of the MiddagMysterious leader of an aboriginal kingdom in central Taiwan who defeated one of Koxingas most powerful regiments in the summer of 1661.

Melchior Hurt and Jacob ClewerckMinor Dutch officials who became unwitting ambassadors, swept up on a long and harrowing tour of southern China.

Geng JimaoViceroy of Fujian and one of most important figures in early Qing. Wanted to conclude an alliance with the Dutch.