Taiwan: An alternative history

An alternative history of Taiwan (pretend that you are reading a wikipedia article about Taiwanese history, the alternative version that is):

The Foundation:

The history of Taiwan as an independent kingdom with a well developed political system of administration was conceived by the collapse of the Ming dynasty in Mainland China. In the 1640's, the Manchurian swept down from the north to conquer the whole of China and founded the Ching dynasty. But these conquerors met stubborn resistance in a man named Zheng Chen Kong, the leader of the rebel force seeking to expel the new non-Han Chinese power and re-build the Ming dynasty.

Zheng was both a highly capable military strategist and a great administrator. Moreover, born into a merchant family that dealt extensively in oversea trade, Zheng inherited a cosmopolitan worldview that embraced foreign ideas that were incrementally making their encroachment into East Asia at a time when European sea powers were penetrating this part of the world.

Upon taking over the Taiwan from the Dutch who ruled the island for 38 years, Zheng crafted a grand strategy which aimed to transform Taiwan into a base of operation from where to launch an assault on the Manchurian Ching dynasty.

Zheng's grand strategy manifested itself in a series of very farsighted policies. The first policy was the comprehensive economic development of Taiwan. Initially, priority was given to agriculture. Later on, as population in Taiwan increased, the development of industries and manufacturing also occupied a significant portion of Zheng government's effort. Commerce and trading was given relatively low priority and would not bloom for the next 20 years. This neglect of the mercantile interest was a reflection of the traditional Confucian disdain for merchant class, moderated only by Zheng's own family background as part of that class.

The second policy was the unconditional "open door" policy, welcoming fugitives from Mainland China to come and settle in what was still a sparsely populated island. Another population policy sought to culturally assimilate the indigenous population (of Polynesian origin) who had dwell on the island for millenium before the arrival of the Chinese. The motivation for this policy was to incorporate the indigenous population into the workforce, which was itself instrumental to the development of Taiwanese agriculture.

The third policy was the formation of alliance with another anti-Ching faction operating in Mainland China. This faction was called the Tien Di (Heaven and Earth) organization. A symbiotic relationship would evolve from this alliance that would stretch for two centuries. In its nature, Zheng's Taiwan provided material support to fund Tien Di's clandestine operation throughout Ching empire. The latter reciprocated with vital intelligence to Zheng's government in Taiwan. These intelligence would serve Taiwan very well.

Events in China:

The policies described above established for Taiwan a very prosperous economic foundation on only which a strong army capable of resisting a continental enemy such as Ching dynasty China could be built.

However, as many historians have pointed out, Taiwan under Zheng could survive initially and flourish later as an independent entity only because events on the Mainland diverted the attention of the Ching government. For example, rebellions throughout China during the early years of the Ching dynasty was frequent. In addition, Tsarist Russia was expanding rapidly into Asia. Dealing with this Western power occupied a significant attention of the Ching court. Relationship with Korea, Mongolia, Central Asian states, and Tibet further drained the administrative energies of the empire which otherwise could have been spend on the Taiwan issue.

But a new school of thought recently emerged which contended that whether or not Ching court considered Zheng's Taiwan as a threat that had to be dealt with immediately was in part determined by Zheng's own actions. It must be pointed out that Zheng's policies when he was in China was very different from after his power base was relocated to Taiwan. When still in China, Zheng carried out a very aggressive and successful policy both on the diplomatic and military front. He successfully united all the various anti-Ching faction in southern China under his banner, and at many times crossed the Yangtze River into northern China, threatening to march toward Beijing, which was Ching dynasty's power center.

However in Taiwan, Zheng would embark on no military venture at all. Instead, he focused his whole effort on the development of Taiwan. In that sense, Zheng was a state builder. But for a Ching dynasty that was plagued by internal rebellion and external wars with Russia and Mongolia, a state builder confined to a small island such as Taiwan was no immediate threat.

To be continued...
 
Change of ideology:

Zheng's development effort in Taiwan came to fruition as Taiwan became increasingly wealthy while population steadily increased. However, at the same time, the equally highly capable Emperor Kangxi of Ching dynasty was consolidating control over his Chinese dominion. Wu San Guei's rebellion in southern China was put to rest. Truce between Russia and Ching empire was formalized by the treaty of Nirchinsk. Korea officially recognized the reality that the Manchurian is the new master of China. Competent management of foreign policies temporarily stabilized conflicts with Tibet, Central Asia states, and Mongolia.

With the help of the famous European Jesuit Ferdinand Verbiest, the Ching dynasty made major improvement in military technologies. Artillery and guns were formally incorporated into the imperial army, while Emperor Kangxi ordered the construction of a navy. The target was obvious. It was Taiwan.

These military modernization did not go unnoticed. Intelligence provided by the Tien Di members kept Zheng's government apprised of Emperor Kangxi's efforts. But Zheng understood something that very few people in his government did. Shortly after Zheng moved his power base to Taiwan, Ching dynasty was still in the process of consolidating the vast empire that it had only recently conquered. Had Zheng maintained a more militarist policy that started back in Mainland, Ching dynasty might not have been able to consolidate their territorial gains. Had Zheng pressed harder, it was very possible that China would have been split into two with Zheng's power encompassing all land South of the Yangtze River, and the Ching dynasty dominating everything north of it.

But Zheng never adopted that route. Instead, once in Taiwan, Zheng devoted his effort to developing the island. We would never be able to tell for sure what Zheng was thinking. But the outcome was clear. In the 20 years process of building up Taiwan, Zheng had slowly lost his ambition in the Mainland. This is reinforced by the rise of Ching dynasty as the uncontested ruler of all China.

Nobody could have been more articulate about the problem that Zheng Taiwan faced than the Taiwanese historian Long Yuei Shang:

"Anti-Ching ideology was the spiritual fuel that gave Zheng's Taiwan an identity and a motivation to exists. The acknowledgment of the reality that Ching dynasty has not only become the undisputed ruler of China, but has also remodeled its Manchurian ways in the fashion of Chinese Confucian institutions, all under the enlightened reign of Emperor Kangxi, deprived Zheng Taiwan of that fuel. The search for a new purpose was needed in order for Taiwan to survive as an independent entity. Absent that, Taiwan would remain wealthy as long as there was a team of able administrators managing the kingdom, but its a different question altogether whether or not Taiwan will have the drive and unity to resist the oncoming invasion that would be spearheaded by Emperor Kangxi's grand navy"
 
However in Taiwan, Zheng would embark on no military venture at all. Instead, he focused his whole effort on the development of Taiwan. In that sense, Zheng was a state builder. But for a Ching dynasty that was plagued by internal rebellion and external wars with Russia and Mongolia, a state builder confined to a small island such as Taiwan was no immediate threat.

Actually some historians think Zheng intended to invade the Philippines and drive out the Spanish like he did with the Dutch. After all there were already lots of Chinese there and the place was rich with silver. He would definitely need both to continue his ambition of retaking China.

Also the Qing dynasty had much more reason to worry about Taiwan than the northern frontiers. Taiwan wasn't just a piece of land, it was the heart of the pro-Ming holdouts sworn to restore the Ming dynasty. So long as they exist, control of south China was at risk. This was at the heart of the stability of the empire as a whole.
 
Actually some historians think Zheng intended to invade the Philippines and drive out the Spanish like he did with the Dutch. After all there were already lots of Chinese there and the place was rich with silver. He would definitely need both to continue his ambition of retaking China.

Also the Qing dynasty had much more reason to worry about Taiwan than the northern frontiers. Taiwan wasn't just a piece of land, it was the heart of the pro-Ming holdouts sworn to restore the Ming dynasty. So long as they exist, control of south China was at risk. This was at the heart of the stability of the empire as a whole.

Actually, that was a rumor made because the spanish don't want filipinos to be friendly with the chinese and to justify the persecution of the chinese in manila....
 
Actually, that was a rumor made because the spanish don't want filipinos to be friendly with the chinese and to justify the persecution of the chinese in manila....

The Spanish and their Japanese mercenaries massacred 20,000 Chinese in Manila in 1603 due to fear of a Ming takeover. Also the pirate king Lin Feng (Limahong) twice attempted to invade in 1574. Rumors of the Chinese threat was standard narrative long before Zheng's conquest of Taiwan.
 
The Spanish and their Japanese mercenaries massacred 20,000 Chinese in Manila in 1603 due to fear of a Ming takeover. Also the pirate king Lin Feng (Limahong) twice attempted to invade in 1574. Rumors of the Chinese threat was standard narrative long before Zheng's conquest of Taiwan.

Limahong was a fugitive that was hunted by the chinese he even tried to get a place of vietnam but he failed and then wanted to make his own kingdom in the philippines, later on the spanish spread rumors because the spanish are afraid of the filipinos revolting against them and allying with the chinese....

I am actually interested in the Philippines having a singapore like state with a native state being an ally....
 
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The Spanish and their Japanese mercenaries massacred 20,000 Chinese in Manila in 1603 due to fear of a Ming takeover. Also the pirate king Lin Feng (Limahong) twice attempted to invade in 1574. Rumors of the Chinese threat was standard narrative long before Zheng's conquest of Taiwan.

Why would taking the Philippines actually get him silver, though? The silver was only there because Manilla was a transhipment point for galleons.
 
After consulting with wikipedia articles on Taiwanese history, I realized that I got a lot of dates and time mismatch issues. So I am going to re-write the whole thing.
 
Why would taking the Philippines actually get him silver, though? The silver was only there because Manilla was a transhipment point for galleons.

From what I can gather, the Chinese had the idea that there were richs to be found in the Philippines, with rumors of "mountains of gold" and such. It may have been a misunderstanding as to where the Spanish were getting their silver and gold from, which blossomed into China's very own El Dorado myth.
 
From what I can gather, the Chinese had the idea that there were richs to be found in the Philippines, with rumors of "mountains of gold" and such. It may have been a misunderstanding as to where the Spanish were getting their silver and gold from, which blossomed into China's very own El Dorado myth.

According to the chinese chronicles in the south of the philippines gold is more abundant...

http://theislandsofpearls.blogspot.com/2009/10/sulu-original-luzon.html
 
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