The Maritime Defence of China Y.H

The Maritime Defence of China Y.H. Teddy Sim Editor The Maritime Defence of China Ming General Qi Jiguang and Beyond Editor Y.H. Teddy Sim Nanyang Technological University Singapore, Singapore ISBN 978-981-10-4162-4 ISBN 978-981-10-4163-1 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-981-10-4163-1 Library of Congress Control Number: 2017941247 © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2017 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. 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The registered company address is: 152 Beach Road, #21-01/04 Gateway East, Singapore 189721, Singapore Foreword In terms of periodisation in Chinese history, this study examines the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) which was situated between the two non-Han alien entities of the Mongol Yuan Dynasty (1279–1368) and the Manchu Qing Dynasty (1644–1911). The enigmatic nature of this imperial regime has been posing challenges to scholars and spurring a body of Ming studies with diverse interpretations. Was it an inward- looking, introverted and non-competitive state which resinicised towards neo- Confucian Han culture after the brief expansive, alien-privileged Mongolian governance? With the relocation of its capital from Nanjing to Beijing and the grand rebuilding of the Great Wall, was the Ming basically of a defensive continental mindset? How then would one account for the multiple sea expeditions (1405–1433) of the spectacular oceanic fleet under Admiral Zheng He which sailed through the South China Seas and Indian Ocean, reaching as far as the east coast of Africa about 60 years before Vasco da Gama crossing the southern tip of the African continent? On the balance, were the Ming emperors disciplined and authoritarian rulers, or were they generally hands off and negligent, thus allowing the dynasty to lapse into long periods of no significance? By choosing Ming General Qi Jiguang and the maritime defence of China against raging coastal piracy as the dual foci, this edited volume put together by Teddy Y.H. Sim and his team of multinational historians makes an important contribution towards shedding further light on the nature and dynamics of Ming governance. General Qi was born in the northern Shandong province and began his military career there. He was later posted to Zhejiang and then to Fujian-Guangdong to crush the Japanese-related piracy, before being reposted back to the north-east to rebuild and guard the Great Wall to contain a re-emerging Mongol military threat. He has an entrenched place in Chinese history as a great heroic figure, with statues and pictures of him prominently displayed in various localities near the Great Wall and along southern coastal China. It is difficult to think of another Chinese military commander who is widely regarded as being endowed with an almost equal appor- tionment of highly honed continental and maritime expertise. To cap it all, in line with the Confucian tradition of praising high self-cultivation in both martial and literary matters, Qi has also left behind for posterity a handsome volume of poetry v vi Foreword and literary writings as well as some calligraphy pieces. Yet, there is no single extant volume of work in the world of English-language scholarship which centres on the man and his influence during and beyond his times. This publication addresses the biographical gap. Anchoring upon but going beyond the biographical, this volume also probes a couple of other important issues. Firstly, it furthers our understanding of the large- scale, complex Ming piracy problem in terms of its relationship with the waxing and waning of governing regimes in both China and Japan, as well as with the framing of broad state policies towards tributary relations and maritime trade. At the lower but equally important level, there would be the patron-client configuration of court officials (especially the role of the controversial leading Ming reformer Zhang Juzheng in facilitating Qi Jiguang’s career) and the efficacy of local authorities in crisis response. Secondly, this study enables us to contextualise and appreciate the strategic and tactical advancements pioneered by Qi within the broader fabric of Chinese and global military development over the long duration. By dwelling into details of his military recruitment and training as well as his innovative troop forma- tion and armament as recorded in his compilation of two important military manu- als, the discussion allows for a preliminary 16th-century comparison with Western military development just at a point in time when the Western powers were rapidly advancing into the Orient with their rallying cry of God, Gold and Glory. The publication of this volume is opportune. The present 21st century has been touted by some as possibly the Asian Century, particularly with the likely rise of China as a world economic superpower and perhaps an eventual exponential increase in military capability. The recent proclamation of a global initiative of ‘One Belt One Road’ by China’s new leadership embraces accelerated advancements upon the foundation laid by both the historical overland Silk Road through Central Asia and the maritime trading route radiating out far and wide from coastal China. A reassertion of the historical experience and legacy of Qi Jiguang through not only state commemorations, statue building and television dramas but also scholarly studies with deeper reflection and critique is well-timed. Department of History Huang Jianli National University of Singapore Singapore, Singapore 20 June 2016 Preface One of the motivations for this edited book project stemmed from the need to discuss agendas in a military history course as part of the repertoire of teaching I do on the early modern and colonial era. In particular, the need to discuss military con- flicts along the coast of China naturally brought Qi Jiguang and those who strove to emulate him in later periods into the centre of discussion. My attempt to survey the field of studies on Qi Jiguang and maritime military history revealed a gap that quickly provided, whether for research or teaching purposes, the additional impetus for initiating the project. This project would not have been possible without the faith and contributions of historians from several parts of the world. The reviewers who offered to provide comments on the chapters in the internal and publisher’s rounds of review deserve special mention. Many friends who were interested in the topic, for instance, Thomas Chen (a sword connoisseur), presented as avenues to bounce ideas and brought me books from their trips to China. Associate Professor Huang Jianli wrote a gracious foreword for the book and commented critically on the introductory chapter. I also would like to thank Brill (Journal of Chinese Military History), the Naval Institute Press (New Interpretations in Naval History, ed. Yu M.C.) and Xiamen Daxue Xuebao [Xiamen University Bulletin], which granted permissions for the reproduction of the articles by Professors Tonio Andrade, Kenneth Swope and Huang Shunli, respectively. Ng Eng Ping translated the main text of Chapters 9, 13 and 14, while Sandy J.C. Liu translated the citations, notes and abstracts. An exter- nal copy editor, Sunandini Arora Lal, helped to refine the writing and style. Lee Li Kheng drew the maps for the project. The Humanities and Social Studies Education Academic Group in the Institute of Education (NTU), where I teach, is supportive of the work I do. The Assistant Head, Associate Professor Ivy Maria Lim, made time to contribute a chapter despite her busy schedule. Associate Professor Wang Zhenping took the time to discuss with me aspects of China’s investiture system. The management and staff at Springer were professional and very supportive. As vii viii Preface with all my projects, but particularly this one, my wife has been the main pillar of support; many evenings and weekends had to be spent writing chapters, coordinat- ing with contributors and reviewers and aligning the various chapters into as coher- ent a book as possible. The need to remove repetitive content or add further content and analysis was negotiated as far as possible with the various contributors. Singapore, Singapore Y.H. Teddy Sim 30 July 2016 Contents Part I Historiography, Biography and Doctrines of Qi Jiguang 1 Brief Introduction to Qi Jiguang and Discussion of Issues Relating to China’s Maritime Defence and Qi’s Doctrines.................. 3 Y.H. Teddy Sim 1.1 Brief Literature Review and Introduction of Qi Jiguang.............. 3 1.2 Direction of Book and Discussion................................................ 8 1.3 Conclusion.................................................................................... 19 Appendix.................................................................................................... 20 2 Qi Jiguang and Hu Zongxian’s Anti-wokou Campaign.......................

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