Battle of southern Fujian sea (1633)
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Liaoluo Bay (料羅灣海戰) took place in 1633 off the coasts of Fujian
and Kinmen
. It involved the Dutch East India Company
and the Chinese
Ming dynasty
's navies, and was the largest naval engagement of the 17th century. The battle was fought at the north coast of the island of Kinmen, in the Taiwan strait
. A Dutch fleet under Admiral Hans Putmans
was attempting to control shipping in the Taiwan strait, while the southern Fujian sea traffic and trade was protected by a fleet under Brigadier General Zheng Zhilong
.
, had just declared war on Manchuria
and needed a large sum of money to pay his army, while also dealing with an internal rebellion. Meanwhile, the Dutch East India Company—combined with pirates in the South China Sea
and the East China Sea
-- were disrupting trade in the area; this reduced the Emperor's tax base.
The town of Quanzhou
, along the Fujian
coast, had earned much wealth from its role as the eastern end of the Silk Road
, and therefore needed a great deal of protection from the Dutch East India Company by the Ming naval fleet. Zheng Zhilong was assigned to destroy all pirates along the Taiwan Strait, which provided Zheng with a monopoly in that area. To change this, the Dutch situated in Taiwan surprise attacked Zheng's base in Amoy
on July 7, 1633, sinking Zheng's navy while they are docked.
Planning a counterattack, Zheng gathered the rest of his navy that was not destroyed in Amoy. He also recruited locals willing to join by rewarding each volunteer 2 silver. If the battle lasts longer than expected, the reward will be increased to five silver. Zheng put the locals on 100 small fire boats, manned by 16 people each. If a boat sets fire to one Dutch ship, they would be rewarded 200 silver. If they present a Dutch head, they would be rewarded 50 silver.
s were commanded by Jach Brouckerhaven, Stootodijck, and Weiringen.
The battle began with ineffectual skirmishes which lasted for months. The decisive encounter happened on October 22 in which Zheng's fleet met the remaining 9 Dutch ships and 50 ships from Chinese pirate allies. Zheng ordered his fleet to ignore the latter and focus on attacking the Dutch fleet. Ming fire ships set fire to the Jacht and Brouckerhaven. Slooterdijck was hooked on by 4 Chinese warships. After repulsing two boarding attempts, the Dutch ship was defeated and captured. Weiringen was sunk by English cannon from Ming warships. Hans Putman fled with his remaining ships. His pirate allies were then defeated in turn.
. In 1640, Zheng Zhilong helped increase the Chongzen tax revenue, and the Emperor promoted him to Navy Marshal, Admiral of the Fleet
and Governor
of Fujian province.
Hans Putman resigned after the defeat. Liu Xiang asked the Dutch for safe harbor in Taiwan. Fearing Ming retaliation, the Dutch refused. In response, Liu blockaded the Dutch fort of Zeelandia
in 1634. The blockade was lifted the next year when Liu committed suicide after being defeated in another naval battle against Zheng Zhilong off the coast of Guangdong
.
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
and Kinmen
Kinmen
Kinmen , also known as Quemoy , is a small archipelago of several islands administered by the Republic of China : Greater Kinmen, Lesser Kinmen, and some islets. Administratively, it is Kinmen County of Fujian Province, ROC. The county is claimed by the People's Republic of China as part of its...
. It involved the Dutch East India Company
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
and the Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
Ming dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
's navies, and was the largest naval engagement of the 17th century. The battle was fought at the north coast of the island of Kinmen, in the Taiwan strait
Taiwan Strait
The Taiwan Strait or Formosa Strait, formerly known as the Black Ditch, is a 180-km-wide strait separating Mainland China and Taiwan. The strait is part of the South China Sea and connects to East China Sea to the northeast...
. A Dutch fleet under Admiral Hans Putmans
Hans Putmans
Hans Putmans was a Dutch explorer.-History:Born in Middelburg, he was the fourth governor of Formosa, which later became known as Taiwan, from 1629–1636, and was based in the southern port of Tainan. While governor, Putmans was defeated at the Battle of Liaoluo Bay on October 22, 1633, by the Ming...
was attempting to control shipping in the Taiwan strait, while the southern Fujian sea traffic and trade was protected by a fleet under Brigadier General Zheng Zhilong
Zheng Zhilong
Zheng Zhilong also known as Nicholas Iquan Gaspard, a native of Nan'an, Fujian, China. He was a Chinese merchant, pirate and admiral for the Ming Empire. He was the father of Zheng Chenggong , also a military leader. Under the Qing Dynasty, Zheng was elevated to the rank of Count of the Second Rank...
.
Background
The Ming Dynasty's last Emperor, ChongzhenChongzhen Emperor
The Chongzhen Emperor was the 16th and last emperor of the Ming Dynasty in China. He reigned from 1627 to 1644, under an era name that means "honorable and auspicious".- Early years :...
, had just declared war on Manchuria
Manchuria
Manchuria is a historical name given to a large geographic region in northeast Asia. Depending on the definition of its extent, Manchuria usually falls entirely within the People's Republic of China, or is sometimes divided between China and Russia. The region is commonly referred to as Northeast...
and needed a large sum of money to pay his army, while also dealing with an internal rebellion. Meanwhile, the Dutch East India Company—combined with pirates in the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
and the East China Sea
East China Sea
The East China Sea is a marginal sea east of China. It is a part of the Pacific Ocean and covers an area of 1,249,000 km² or 750,000 square miles.-Geography:...
-- were disrupting trade in the area; this reduced the Emperor's tax base.
The town of Quanzhou
Quanzhou
Quanzhou is a prefecture-level city in Fujian province, People's Republic of China. It borders all other prefecture-level cities in Fujian but two and faces the Taiwan Strait...
, along the Fujian
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
coast, had earned much wealth from its role as the eastern end of the Silk Road
Silk Road
The Silk Road or Silk Route refers to a historical network of interlinking trade routes across the Afro-Eurasian landmass that connected East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean and European world, as well as parts of North and East Africa...
, and therefore needed a great deal of protection from the Dutch East India Company by the Ming naval fleet. Zheng Zhilong was assigned to destroy all pirates along the Taiwan Strait, which provided Zheng with a monopoly in that area. To change this, the Dutch situated in Taiwan surprise attacked Zheng's base in Amoy
Amoy
Xiamen, or Amoy, is a city on the southeast coast of China.Amoy may also refer to:*Amoy dialect, a dialect of the Hokkien lects, which are part of the Southern Min group of Chinese languages...
on July 7, 1633, sinking Zheng's navy while they are docked.
Planning a counterattack, Zheng gathered the rest of his navy that was not destroyed in Amoy. He also recruited locals willing to join by rewarding each volunteer 2 silver. If the battle lasts longer than expected, the reward will be increased to five silver. Zheng put the locals on 100 small fire boats, manned by 16 people each. If a boat sets fire to one Dutch ship, they would be rewarded 200 silver. If they present a Dutch head, they would be rewarded 50 silver.
Order of Battle
The Dutch East India Company's galleonGalleon
A galleon was a large, multi-decked sailing ship used primarily by European states from the 16th to 18th centuries. Whether used for war or commerce, they were generally armed with the demi-culverin type of cannon.-Etymology:...
s were commanded by Jach Brouckerhaven, Stootodijck, and Weiringen.
The battle began with ineffectual skirmishes which lasted for months. The decisive encounter happened on October 22 in which Zheng's fleet met the remaining 9 Dutch ships and 50 ships from Chinese pirate allies. Zheng ordered his fleet to ignore the latter and focus on attacking the Dutch fleet. Ming fire ships set fire to the Jacht and Brouckerhaven. Slooterdijck was hooked on by 4 Chinese warships. After repulsing two boarding attempts, the Dutch ship was defeated and captured. Weiringen was sunk by English cannon from Ming warships. Hans Putman fled with his remaining ships. His pirate allies were then defeated in turn.
Aftermath
The Ming navy won the battle. The Chongzhen Emperor was so happy at this victory that he immediately promoted Zheng Zilong to Brigadier GeneralBrigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
. In 1640, Zheng Zhilong helped increase the Chongzen tax revenue, and the Emperor promoted him to Navy Marshal, Admiral of the Fleet
Admiral of the Fleet
An admiral of the fleet is a military naval officer of the highest rank. In many nations the rank is reserved for wartime or ceremonial appointments...
and Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of Fujian province.
Hans Putman resigned after the defeat. Liu Xiang asked the Dutch for safe harbor in Taiwan. Fearing Ming retaliation, the Dutch refused. In response, Liu blockaded the Dutch fort of Zeelandia
Fort Zeelandia (Taiwan)
Fort Zeelandia was a fortress built over ten years from 1624–1634 by the Dutch Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, in the town of Anping on the island of Formosa, present day Taiwan, during their 38-year rule over the western part of it...
in 1634. The blockade was lifted the next year when Liu committed suicide after being defeated in another naval battle against Zheng Zhilong off the coast of Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
.