Dutch and Administration in Taiwan - Essay Example

Name: Professor: Course: Date: Dutch in Taiwan Introduction what did the Dutch want to achieve in Taiwan? Did they have any long-term effect on Taiwan or were they just a predecessor of the more influential Chinese settlers who came later? The history of Taiwan came into existence back tens of thousands of years during the times of human habitation. The quick appearance of the agrarian culture around 3000 BC, it is believed this was the time the forefathers of Taiwanese aborigines (Andrade 2010). The Island of Taiwan was given the name Formosa when it was under the Dutch rule as from 1624 to 1662. During the period of Dutch settlement in Taiwan, the northern parts of the Island were still being occupied by people with Spanish origin who had been there since 1626. These Spaniards showed no interest in expanding their territories during all this crime, they live in this Island; by 1642 the Dutch drove them away. The Dutch were too strong for the Spaniards because the Dutch had a well organized compared to the Spaniards. There was some profound reason as to why the Dutch government was willing to colonize Taiwan. The Dutch wanted to ensure that the Philippines were secure, and protect them when trading with China; the Dutch thought the China republic would try to take advantage of the small-populated Taiwan. The Dutch at the same time was willing to make sure that the Japanese did not occupy the island. Taiwan was strategically placed in a way that the Dutch wanted to colonize them so that they may be able to control most parts of the minors Asia regions in terms of trade. The position of Taiwan was so good for business in that their ports known to be deep could be used for importing and exporting goods. This is why from the start many nations, including China and Sapin were interested with Island (Shepherd 1995). At some point, it is noted that the Chinese had tried to refuse the Dutch to settle in the Chinese region called Penghu, and they pushed them to Taiwan. The reason many nations were interested with Taiwan was due to the factor of the strategic value of Taiwan. The Dutch was well organized with a strong military and this why subduing Taiwan was inevitable. The Dutch was known to be good settlers were all willing by all means to protect their good position and be in a position to engage in business operations in long-term way, and finally become the rulers of the strategic Taiwan. Ruling Taiwan would give them a base of doing business in Asia, and because it was colonization period they thought they could use the strategic value of Taiwan to take charge in Asia (Thompson, 1964) Administration in Taiwan The Dutch used a method called interventions in controlling and administering the Taiwan citizens. The Dutch came with the idea of settling down in Taiwan and start developing the Island. At first the residents of Taiwan were hostile and tried to oppose the intrusion of the Dutch, they at some points engaged in some expeditions to calm them down. After several confrontations, the indigenous tribes who were against the operations of the Dutch settlers kept cool and agreed to be at peace with them, the peace lasted till 1662 when the Dutch left Taiwan. The Dutch allowed the Aboriginals to move on with their lives freely but were given one condition of making an annual tribute to the Dutch in a way that was similar to the feudal system of leadership. After the Dutch had fully established itself in Taiwan, it put forward some demands that were to be met by the Taiwan citizens. The Dutch introduced a tax system that included export duties sale tax and the hunting taxes. The Dutch administration also laid down a framework of rules that were to be used in ordering and governing the aspect of life, and at the same time the organization of the markets. There were rules that were to govern the production of alcoholic drinks (Blusse, 1984). A well framework of guidelines on how to build and constructs houses, at the same time the government used to observe the Sunday services. During the process, the Dutch had come up with a policy of converting the Taiwan citizens into Christians. This act of converting individuals into Christians helped in increasing the level of literacy of aboriginals, as the clergies who wer sent to East India some indigenous individuals were the ones used for translate the Bible into local languages. The clergy also set up schools, and at the same time, they acted as interpreters and the tax collectors personnel. The clergies were paramount in the administration of Taiwan by the ( Dutc Andrade h 2006). The reason for them being so much involved in administration was because they were so much involved with the aboriginal tribes, which helped to understand the culture of the local Tawan citizens. The Dutch government had somehow incorporated tolerance in their way of administration, and this was the reason in the first stages of the colonization era the Taiwan residents were not so much fighting back. The reason they were not fighting so much was because the Dutch had a well-organized army and trying to oppose was not the best idea because defeating them was next to impossibility. The other thing was that after entering Taiwan, they introduce rules that were aimed at subduing the local citizens and inflicting fear on them, and this worked for the Dutch though it was short lived. The Dutch could not stand for long because they had developed a good relation with the local Taiwan citizens. Trade in Taiwan When the Dutch landed in Taiwan; they were fully loaded with several scientific and technological inventions. Farming was enhanced because the Dutch introduced well-digging and at the same time cattle was brought to the Island. In the case of trading, the Dutch settlers had a profound plan of obtaining spices from Southeast Asia and brought them to Europe where they could be sold to realize some real returns in terms of revenue. For trade to be effective in the region, the Dutch would exchange Japanese and China gold and silver for the Indian cotton. This was a sign that business was growing in the area with the Dutch settlers acting as the catalyst. After doing the transactions with both Japan and Chinese, they would use what they had realized to purchase spices that were to be sold in the ready market of Europe. In 1662, the first ever Dutch convoy arrived in Penghu to do some business with China. This was a great move in the region because before there was no business between the Dutch and China (Shepherd 1993). This trade had ceased because there was a conflict between the Dutch and China, which was due to the settlement of the Dutch in Penghu, but after they had relocated, China was willing to do business with them. After business, resuming between China and Taiwan became a very special in linking the Dutch with the Asia continent. More sugar was being exported from Taiwan, and this enables the Dutch East India company accrued much profit from the collected customs duties. The Dutch used to impose around 10% of any good living or entering Taiwan. In between 1625 and 1628 the trade was negatively affected due to some attacks that saw some both China and Taiwan ships attacked, the attack had been conducted by the Zheng, who surrendered in 1628 paving way for the trade. As Taiwan was becoming phenomenal to the Dutch government more profit was realized the Dutch administration, the Dutch made good use of human labor from Chinese immigrants especially from Fukien and the aborigines. Branches the Dutch had opened in both Taiwan and Japan were doing in terms of profit maximization. The Japan branch grew to the extent that it started being the sugar leading company in the whole Asia. This was a positive impact the Dutch had brought in both Asia and Taiwan. As the Dutch realized these huge profits, they use a portion of developing Taiwan. The Dutch became strong in both Europe and Asia due to the strategic value of Taiwan, even though the shining was short lived because the Chinese seemed to have a better plan compared to the Dutch (Huber, 2002). Taxation in Taiwan When the Dutch conquered Taiwan; they produced a framework of rules that were to guide the whole nation towards achieving the set goals. One of the rules dealt with the collection of taxation a mandate, which was to be undertaken by the clergies. Both imports and exports were levied. This was the primary sources of income for the Dutch government in Taiwan (Strydom, 2007). According to the information provided above the Dutch wanted to colonize Taiwan and use its strategic value in controlling trade in Asia. This was a success because according to the information gathered the Dutch became a force to reckon in the Asian market with most of the leading sugar producing companies within the region. Instead of joining forces with the local nations to form a strong time in selling sugar the Dutch wanted to use the other nations and excel at the expense of these countries not benefiting much from the business (Huber, 2002). The Fall of Dutch in Taiwan Once the Taiwan colony became prosperous in 1640s, the Dutch got it wrong when they decided to tax the Chinese more heavily and this at last resulted in a revolt in 1652. The uprising was calmed with the help of the indigenous population, even though the revolt had already claimed over 4,000 individuals. The natives complied with the demands of the Dutch leadership by becoming members of the United Villages. This was the first sign from China sending the message that all they wanted was to snatch Taiwan from hands of Taiwan by all means. As time went by China kept preparing itself military wise to attack the Dutch and take Taiwan. By 1661, the Dutch General Thomas Pedel had the confidence that his troops had all it takes to defeat the Chinese military force (Blusse, 1994). By that time, the Dutch Muskets were the best in the world and this was the reason they underrated the Chinese. The Chinese were using arrows and cannons that were well designed (Chiu, 2008). The Dutch had superior weapons compared to the Chinese but when they went to war it was amazing that the Chinese carried the day, and they were in a position to take over Taiwan which was very strategic for business operations in Asia (Andrade, 2005). This fall of Dutch in Taiwan gave China the chance of taking over in issues to do trade with Asia, and this has highly contributed even to the current position of China economically. The Dutch never had a long-term stay in Taiwan, and this gave way to the China settlers who came later to take over from where the Dutch left. It was better Taiwan being colonized by China than by the Dutch. This because China and Taiwan are neighbors unlike in the case of the Dutch, who came all the way from Europe to colonize Taiwan. Dutch took many advantages and in fact, through Taiwan it had become the leading sugar producing entity selling in most of the Asian market and the Europe markets. This appeared like the Dutch was stealing from the Taiwan citizens because most of wealth accrued by the Dutch was to be invested in the home nation and at last a small portion would be used to do some development in Taiwan. Even though the Dutch was enjoying this massive growth in the sale of the sugar, they were becoming more brutal to the neighboring countries, and this was one of the reasons why their crumbling was inevitable. There is no way they were to service the opposition because when the war started it proofed to them that it was like every other was baying for their blood. There was no a single nation that came to help the Dutch, and the reason was simple the Dutch themselves were not welcoming and friendly to the neighboring countries (Andrade, 2008). Conclusion Taiwan was colonized by the Dutch of which China was in charge.ge of all Taiwan operations. No one ever thought that at one point the Dutch would be defeated by China but in happened. This was a big blow to the Dutch, which had taken over the Asian market and become a force to reckon. When China defeated the Dutch it was clear now that no more was expected from the Dutch, they had come to the end and time to go home had arrived. In those few months, the Dutch had ruled Taiwan a lot had changed where the Dutch heavily taxed most of the Asian countries. With a very short time, the Dutch was controlled the Asian market with so strong Sugar companies that generated much revenue to the Dutch. The Japan and Taiwan sugar companies were doing very well, and higher profits were being realized from this business. At one point the Dutch decided to tax China heavily, and China reacted to it and there was an uprising that claimed 4,000 souls but with the help of the local citizens it was possible for the Dutch government to control the situation. As time went by China continued showing the desire until one time they fought, and China won the battle taking Taiwan and colonizing the state. References Andrade, Tonio. How Taiwan became Chinese: Dutch, Spanish, and Han colonization in the seventeenth century. ACLS Humanities E-Book electronic edition. New York: Columbia University Press, 2010, c2007. http://www.gutenberg-e.org/andrade/ Andrade, Tonio. “The rise and fall of Dutch Taiwan, 1624-1662: cooperative colonialization and the statist model of European expansion”. Journal of World History 17/4 (Dec 2006), pp. 429-450. Huber, Johannes. “Chinese settlers against the Dutch East India Company: the rebellion led by Kuo Huai-i on Taiwan in 1652”. In: Wills, John E., Jr., ed. Eclipsed entrepots of the Western Pacific: Taiwan and central Vietnam, 1500-1800. Aldershot: Ashgate, 2002, pp. 149-196 Andrade, Tonio “Pirates, pelts, and promises: the Sino-Dutch colony of seventeenth-century Taiwan and the aboriginal village of Favorolang” Journal of Asian Studies 64, no.2 (May 2005) 295-321 Strydom, Marne “Pride and prejudice: the role of policy and perception creation in the Chinese revolt of 1652 on Dutch Formosa” Itinerario 27, no.2 (2003) 17-36. Thompson, Laurence “The Earliest Chinese Eyewitness Accounts of the Formosan Aborigines”, Monumenta Serica 23, 1964, pp. 163-204 Blusse, Leonard. ‘A visit to the past: Soulang, a Formosan village anno 1623’, Archipel (Paris) 27, 1984, pp. 63-80. Shepherd, John Robert. Statecraft and political economy on the Taiwan frontier, 1600-1800, Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1993. UniM Baill Res 951.24903 SHEP OVERNIGHT LOAN Shepherd, John Robert. Marriage and mandatory abortion among the 17-th century Siraya Arlington, VA: American Anthropological Assoc., 1995. Unim Baill 304.667 SHEP Andrade, Tonio “Koxinga's conquest of Taiwan in global history: reflections on the occasion of the 350th anniversary”Late Imperial China 33, no.1 (Jun 2012) p. 122-140 Read More