July in Holland means that the Dutch take to their boats--along the river banks, in the bays, or even an elderly couple sipping coffee from their houseboat. At this river junction in Amsterdam, everywhere are the shadows of masts. We're here to explore a special ship--the Batavia.
The Batavia was a Dutch ship which ran in the South China seas in the seventeenth century. It has been entirely reconstructed, notes, Professor Blusse, on the basis of historical records and from contemporary wrecks; no modern materials or technology were used. In 1992 it will again set sail for the Orient, reminding us of the audacity of those early sailors.
If you want to get back to those days, the National Museum of Maritime History is an essential stop. Its whole atmosphere speaks to the intimate relationship between the Dutch and the sea. This location was the site of the headquarters and warehouses of the Dutch East India Company.
It was precisely the commercialized colonial policy of that era that set the stage for a major episode in Taiwan's early history.
Starting in the late 16th century, the South China Sea became a stage for Western Europe's commercial wars. In 1557 Portugal gobbled up Macao. In 1571 Spain occupied the Philippines. The area was "a maritime highway," explains Kees Zandvliet of the Hague Archives, pointing to a 17th century map. Routes from Europe to Japan, China, Okinawa, and Southeast Asia passed through.
At that time Taiwan was virgin land. Portuguese sailors, seeing it from afar, couldn't help but exclaim "Ilha Formosa" ("Beautiful Island"). Formosa became what the Europeans called the island.
In 1581, Holland became independent of Spain and entered the commercial wars. After taking Java, they sought to expand. Following unsuccessful attacks on Australia and Manila, they decided to take Taiwan. On August 26, 1624, the Dutch occupied Tayouan (now Anping) and established a fort.
At that time the Dutch were most concerned about the China trade. Their Far East operations were all conducted by the state-owned Dutch East India Company, which had military and diplomatic as well as commercial powers. From Taiwan they could cut Spanish and Portuguese trade lines and conduct their own trade.
At the time, the Ming Dynasty banned trade with the Dutch, known as the "redhaired devils," except for a single monopoly. In the waning years of the Ming Dynasty, this monopoly came into the hands of Cheng Chih-lung. Only 26, both hated and respected, he came to be called "father" by his subordinates and even business counterparts. He and virtually his entire clan were engaged heavily in maritime trade.
Relations between Cheng and the Dutch were sometimes gracious, sometimes grudging. He angered the Dutch by taking the Dutch East Indies symbol, turning it upside down, and flying it on his own ships. In 1633, the Dutch tried to force open a free trade port in China by armed action, but were defeated by Cheng. And after Cheng violated an Imperial edict and opened direct trade with Japan, hurting the Dutch, they turned their attention away from the mainland to Taiwan. "Before this, besides using it as a port, the Dutch East India Company paid little attention to the use and profits in Taiwan," says Professor Blusse.
The Dutch began building permanent installations (forts, a hospital, a company dormitory, and warehouses). They used both threats and inducements to maintain good relations with the island's aboriginal inhabitants; the goal was not to earn profits from them but to avoid their viewing the Dutch as enemies. This changed with the arrival of a certain Putnams as company director in Taiwan.
What was Taiwan like at that time? According to Neglected Taiwan, a book published in Amsterdam in 1675 (13 years after the Dutch were expelled), the climate was warm and salubrious; the water came from many beautiful rivers; there were a lot of mountains, but also plains; there was a lot of arable, fertile land near the coast. There was abundant fauna, including wild boar, sheep, and rabbits, but especially deer. Under the land was gold, silver, and sulphur.
But there were also earthquakes: "Sometimes they would last for three weeks. It made people fear the whole island would sink into the ocean."
Chinese saw Dutch as "red-haired barbarians," but how did the Dutch see the local aborigines?
In 1622, two years before formal occupation, the Dutch East Indies Company sent a mission to scout Taiwan. Their report said local men were "a head and a half taller than most Dutch men, they walk around naked without the slightest shame, and let their hair long like Dutch women without braiding it." "They speak delicately and moderately; they should not be deemed barbarians, but are friendly, modest, and have wisdom." Other reports cited their hospitality and honor.
The new Dutch strategy, however, called for developing agriculture and collecting a head tax, a hunting tax, a fishing tax--a tax on just about everything but sugar cane. At that time Chinese from Fukien came to Taiwan to fish, catch birds, or trade metal products (needles, knives, and so on) to aborigines for valuable deer skin and meat. Aborigines depended largely on hunting for their livelihood. Under the pretext of "social order," the Dutch taxed these activities one by one.
Putnams brought over many immigrants from China to develop agriculture to feed the Dutch soldiers and also to begin export industries. The Dutch brought in cattle and plants and built water works and bridges. Naturally the head tax and products tax could not be avoided.
Although the various steps taken by the Dutch were to benefit the mother country's colonial policy, they marked the beginning of modernization in Taiwan. Though today there's no trace left of the Dutch but a couple of forts/museums, their impact then was deep, as the pile of diaries, letters, shipping orders, and contracts at the Hague Archives testifies.
Through the 1630's and 40's, more and more Chinese were brought in, more and more land developed, and more and more profits in taxes collected. But the Chinese were increasingly restless, and posed an increasing threat to the Dutch.
Finally, in 1652, the "Kuo Huai-yi Incident" occurred. He led more than 4,000 farmers in a revolt on September 8, but they were quickly crushed; all 4,000 were killed. A contemporary pamphlet said, "To call it a Chinese-Dutch battle doesn't fit the facts as well as calling it a massacre of Chinese. . . ."
At that time the Manchus were already in the capital, and the war that would replace the Ming with the Ching dynasty had reached Fukien. Refugees streamed across the straits to Taiwan. The son of Cheng Chih-lung, Cheng Cheng-kung (known as Koxinga in the West), used his trading profits to raise an army to oppose the Ching and try to restore the Ming. Defeated in 1659, he retreated to Kinmen and Amoy, planning to take Taiwan to rebuild his forces. The situation of the colonial authorities had taken a turn for the worse.
There are many documents and diaries of the the morning of April 30, 1661. It was cloudy. Countless Chinese fishing boats appeared out of the fog in the harbor. A witness wrote, "We were startled; even the director hadn't expected this. We didn't know if they were friend or foe. . . ."
Other contemporary estimates cited 300-400 boats. About 25,000 soldiers disem-barked out of range of Dutch artillery. After a raging sea battle and two vicious land battles, all with complete Dutch defeats, they realized Koxinga's prowess. The troops did not cower before Dutch artillery, and those unfortunates captured, said a Dutch officer, "preferred to die rather than betray their comrades."
When a Dutch officer tried to repeat the battle against Kuo Huai-yi, with 240 soldiers against 4,000 Chinese, "This time he used his own life and those of half his soldiers to understand the Chinese military," says Professor Blusse. When another tried to get Chinese to help defend the city, he was chased into the sea for his trouble: "We then understood that the people under our jurisdiction, even the Taiwan people, also opposed us."
With the help of 25,000 Han Chinese and aborigines on Taiwan, Cheng cut all communications on the island and isolated the Dutch. He offered them surrender or annihilation. He refused to explain why he was attacking--in his eyes the island was always Chinese, the Dutch had used it for a while, and now he needed it and it was time for the Dutch to give way.
The Dutch sent out a mission to parley. There are thrilling accounts of the meeting. In the face of Dutch objections, Koxinga became more and more fierce, describing how he had defeated the Dutch forces sent against him and threatening to leave not a stone standing in the Dutch positions.
In the Dutch records Koxinga is portrayed as ill-tempered and cruel as well as staunch, but Professor Blusee stresses that, "You can't look at a 17th century military leader with a 20th century eye."
After nine months of siege, the Dutch surrendered on February 1, 1662. The surrender was "a shame and an insult," to use the words of Dutch East Indies Company Director P. Van Dam. A scapegoat was found--the then Taiwan director for the company was banished for life to the Banda islands. He made his way back to Holland in 1674, and is widely believed to have written the book Neglected Taiwan. In that book considerable evidence is presented that puts blame for the loss of Taiwan on higher ranking officials in the company.
The defeat of the Dutch marked the first time Chinese had successfully forced the retreat of imperialist colonial rule. The historical significance of that "retrocession" is still with us.
[Picture Caption]
"VOC" is the Dutch abbreviation for the Dutch East India Company. It was this semi-state-run company that Colonialized Taiwan for 38 years in the 17th century.
This old-style commercial ship, named "Batavia," will once again take to the high seas after reconstruction is complete. At right is the carved figurehead, not yet attached.
Old commercial vessels had three levels. It is said contemporary Dutch were relatively small, and so it feels cramped to people to day.
In Holland, one can find the shadows of the 17th century maritime power in the statues, architecture and paintings.
This is the National Museum of Maritime History, once the headquarters of the Dutch East India Company. On the wall facing the hill is a relief carving of the goddess of sailing.
A map of Taiwan drawn in 1625 by the Dutchman Jacob Noordelous. (photo courtesy of the Hague National Archives)
This is a map of Taiwan drawn later in the 17th century. Compared with the 1625 map, it more closely approaches the face of Taiwan as we know it today. (photo from the Hague National Archives)
Kees Zandvliet of the Archives opens out an old map to explain 17th century maritime travel.
A first generation detailed map of Anping.
How the old fort at Anping looks today.
All that remains of that town is this old wall.
A map of the town of Zeelandia, now hung on the wall in the old Dutch fort in Anping.
A model of Zeelandia.
A secret passage in the area of Saccam. It is said that it was built in the era of the Dutch, and that one could enter the city by it.
Relics of Saccam.
Today's Saccam, and a model of Proventie as it was during the Dutch occupation period.
A copy of Neglected Taiwan, by an anonymous author, published in Holland in 1675. Illustrations in the book depict the naval battle between Koxinga and the Dutch. (photo from the library at the University of Leiden)
There were also vicious battles on land. (photo from the library at the University of Leiden)
These 17th century orders and documente of the Dutch East India Company were photographed in the Archives.
A historic moment--the Dutch surrender. (photo from the library at the University of Leiden)
This old-style commercial ship, named "Batavia," will once again take to the high seas after reconstruction is complete. At right is the carved figurehead, not yet attached.
Old commercial vessels had three levels. It is said contemporary Dutch were relatively small, and so it feels cramped to people to day.
In Holland, one can find the shadows of the 17th century maritime power in the statues, architecture and paintings.
In Holland, one can find the shadows of the 17th century maritime power in the statues, architecture and paintings.
In Holland, one can find the shadows of the 17th century maritime power in the statues, architecture and paintings.
This is the National Museum of Maritime History, once the headquarters of the Dutch East India Company. On the wall facing the hill is a relief carving of the goddess of sailing.
This is the National Museum of Maritime History, once the headquarters of the Dutch East India Company. On the wall facing the hill is a relief carving of the goddess of sailing.
A map of Taiwan drawn in 1625 by the Dutchman Jacob Noordelous. （photo courtesy of the Hague National Archives）
This is a map of Taiwan drawn later in the 17th century. Compared with the 1625 map, it more closely approaches the face of Taiwan as we know it today. （photo from the Hague National Archives）
A first generation detailed map of Anping.
Archives opens out an old map to explain 17th century maritime travel.
All that remains of that town is this old wall.
A map of the town of Zeelandia, now hung on the wall in the old Dutch fort in Anping.
How the old fort at Anping looks today.
A secret passage in the area of Saccam. It is said that it was built in the era of the Dutch, and that one could enter the city by it.
Today's Saccam, and a model of Proventie as it was during the Dutch occupation period.
Today's Saccam, and a model of Proventie as it was during the Dutch occupation period.
A copy of Neglected Taiwan, by an anonymous author, published in Holland in 1675. Illustrations in the book depict the naval battle between Koxinga and the Dutch. （photo from the library at the University of Leiden）
There were also vicious battles on land. （photo from the library at the University of Leiden）
These 17th century orders and documente of the Dutch East India Company were photographed in the Archives.
A historic moment--the Dutch surrender. （photo from the library at the University of Leiden）
@List.jpg?w=522&h=410&mode=crop&format=webp&quality=80)
@List.jpg?w=522&h=410&mode=crop&format=webp&quality=80)