During the age of Koxinga, Taiwan was actually governed by a bureaucratic state, with some industry and a large Han community. The Zhengs could inherit the Dutch colonial system in order to rule the island. During the 13th century there was nothing on Taiwan except a number of small-scale Austronesian chiefdoms, so any Song government-in-exile would have to create an entirely new society with no support whatsoever, neither from the island nor the mainland. This is not awfully likely.
Then the Mongols conquer them fairly easily. Nothing else much changes, Taiwan won't be used as a base for the invasion of Japan (too far away and the Ryukyus aren't sufficiently developed yet).That is true. How about Southern Song started to colonize Taiwan slowly after the fall of Northern Song - around 1150 AD. By 1279, I assume Taiwan would have a large population base and couple urban centers.
On the other hand,this Taiwan's probably gonna be stronger than OTL Kingdom of Tungning.OTL population of Tungning was pretty small and it was able to stay independent for over two decades.Then the Mongols conquer them fairly easily. Nothing else much changes, Taiwan won't be used as a base for the invasion of Japan (too far away and the Ryukyus aren't sufficiently developed yet).
Better yet,start colonizing after the Song Dynasty first unified China.That is true. How about Southern Song started to colonize Taiwan slowly after the fall of Northern Song - around 1150 AD. By 1279, I assume Taiwan would have a large population base and couple urban centers.
On the other hand,this Taiwan's probably gonna be stronger than OTL Kingdom of Tungning.OTL population of Tungning was pretty small and it was able to stay independent for over two decades.
With varying land quality. Perhaps we should try to find some good online atlases (or scans of older historical atlases, which I can only ever find in a couple of libraries) showing the settlement, culture, and agricultural and economic focuses of each area. And the Tungnung apparently just had a small portion of the island anyways and were made up of exiles from the last change of dynasty. If enough settlers from the various coastal states of China came over, then they likely would end up as a tributary of China anyways. since you needed to be a tributary to trade with a China, it would only make economic sense. Plus I imagine the island would be unified by someone who used Chinese support to cow everyone else into submission. Ahhh right, need to make this Chinese. Hmm... Make it the hub of the trade from Japan and Spain?Why do you assume this? There was still plenty of empty land iwthin China.
If there's plenty of empty land in China,why is it that during the Song Dynasty,they would convert studd farms into agricultural farms when there's a need to get warhorses for cavalry?Why is it that there were so many peasant uprisings in China?The truth is that there's only so much land with potential to be converted into agricultural land and that most land's in the hands of either the aristocracy or the gentry.Most people lived as tenant farmers of their local landlord.When the population grows too high,there's a famine or the landlords charge the peasants with high rents,a rebellion will erupt.Even in the North Song Dynasty,there were several large scale peasant rebellions.Why do you assume this? There was still plenty of empty land within China.
On the other hand,this Taiwan's probably gonna be stronger than OTL Kingdom of Tungning.OTL population of Tungning was pretty small and it was able to stay independent for over two decades.
Better yet,start colonizing after the Song Dynasty first unified China.
Hainan says hi.It seems like China has always been allergic to settlement across large bodies of water