Could a Zheng dominated Taiwan have continued on its own if Shi Lang had retained his allegiance to the Zheng family? If so, how would an independent Kingdom of Tawain have affected Qing China? And Asia as a whole?
Ming Taiwan and Qing China?
- Thread starter Enigmajones
- Start date
The Qing governed Taiwan loosely and without much regard, so I could see it, especially if it fell to the Europeans again. Of course, the balance of power would depend on which power gets it...
The Manchus would never tolerate a Ming successor state off shore and Taiwan was too small a taxbase to sustain itself. This is why Koxinga planned to invade the Philippines to gave himself more strategic depth. His death before the invasion could be attempted and the subsequent failure of action from his son ultimately doomed Chinese forces on the island.
Faeelin
Banned
Does the Philippines really help address this problem? I'm trying to think of how it saves Koxinga, and failing. The islands real value was their role in providing a spot for the Spanish galleons, carrying silver to East Asia...
The population was much larger, affording a larger, less vulnerable tax base which means they would be able to afford a better navy. It would also mean they have a place to relocate to should Taiwan itself fell. The Zheng regime ultimately lost Taiwan because the Kangxi emperor sealed the Fujian coast, pulling back all coastal communities several kilometers in a massive relocation program to deny Taiwan access to coastal trade which was the main taxbase for the loyalists. The island itself was relatively impoverished.
Any disruption to the silver flow from the Spanish New World to China would also economically distabilize the nascent Qing dynasty.
Any disruption to the silver flow from the Spanish New World to China would also economically distabilize the nascent Qing dynasty.
I think if Koxinga attacked Manila in 1660 or 1661, the rebels in Luzon who battled against the Spanish will be in the process of forming their state, the only question are those rebels be good to Koxinga creating a client ally state for him with either Almazan or Malong as the ruler dividing Luzon to the rebel state and Koxinga (like what happened in America they changed their designs in the Philippines), I think that is why the Spanish were afraid about Koxinga, if he tried to attack in 1662 he is toast(but I don't think he was healthy in 1662).
Last edited:
Frankly I think Japan would just take it earlier than OTL, as it would be more defenceless than if it was part of mainland China.