34 Facts About Dutch Formosa

Dutch Formosa were not universally welcomed, and uprisings by both aborigines and recent Han arrivals were quelled by the Dutch Formosa military on more than one occasion.

The colonial period was brought to an end after the 1662 siege of Fort Zeelandia by Koxinga's army who promptly dismantled the Dutch Formosa colony, expelled the Dutch Formosa and established the Ming loyalist, anti-Qing Kingdom of Tungning.

Dutch Formosa first attempted to trade with China in 1601 but were rebuffed by the Chinese authorities, who were already engaged in trade with the Portuguese at Macau from 1535.

The Dutch Formosa raided Chinese shipping after 1618 and took junks hostage in an unsuccessful attempt to get China to meet their demands.

Dutch Formosa demanded that China open up ports in Fujian to Dutch Formosa trade.

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The Chinese governor of Fujian, Shang Zhouzuo, demanded that the Dutch withdraw from the Pescadores to Formosa, where the Chinese would permit them to engage in trade.

However, the Dutch Formosa found out that, unlike tiny Southeast Asian kingdoms, China could not be bullied or intimidated by them.

The Dutch Formosa admitted that their attempt at military force to coerce China into trading with them had failed with their defeat in the Pescadores.

At the Chinese victory celebrations over the "red-haired barbarians, " as the Dutch Formosa were called by the Chinese, Nan Juyi paraded twelve Dutch Formosa soldiers who were captured before the Emperor in Beijing.

The Dutch Formosa were astonished that their violence did not intimidate the Chinese and at the subsequent Chinese attack on their fort in the Pescadores, since they thought them as timid and a "faint-hearted troupe, " based on their experience with them in Southeast Asia.

On deciding to set up in Taiwan and in common with standard practice at the time, the Dutch Formosa built a defensive fort to act as a base of operations.

Dutch Formosa began to encourage large-scale Han immigration to the island, mainly from the south of Hokkien.

Two Dutch Formosa translators were beheaded by the Wu-lao-wan aborigines and in a subsequent fight 30 aboriginals and another two Dutch Formosa people died.

The Dutch Formosa held out at Keelung until 1668, when aborigine resistance, and the lack of progress in retaking any other parts of the island persuaded the colonial authorities to abandon this final stronghold and withdraw from Taiwan altogether.

Zheng Jing's navy defeated a combined Qing-Dutch Formosa fleet commanded by Han Banner general Ma Degong in 1664 and Ma was killed in the battle.

Dutch Formosa looted relics and killed monks after attacking a Buddhist complex at Putuoshan on the Zhoushan islands in 1665.

Dutch Formosa claimed the entirety of the island, but because of the inaccessibility of the central mountain range the extent of their control was limited to the plains on the west coast, plus isolated pockets on the east coast.

Manner of acknowledging Dutch Formosa lordship was to bring a small native plant planted in earth from that particular town to the governor, signifying the granting of the land to the Dutch Formosa.

Dutch Formosa was assisted in his duties by the Council of Tayouan, a group made up of the various worthies in residence in Tayouan.

Benefitting from triangular trade between themselves, the Chinese and the Japanese, plus exploiting the natural resources of Formosa, the Dutch were able to turn the malarial sub-tropical bay into a lucrative asset.

Original intention of setting up Fort Zeelandia at Tayowan in southern Dutch Formosa was to provide a base for trading with China and Japan, as well as interfering with Portuguese and Spanish trade in the region.

The Dutch Formosa paid aborigines for the deer brought to them and tried to manage the deer stocks to keep up with demand.

The Dutch Formosa exported amber, spices, pepper, lead, tin, hemp, cotton, opium and kapok from Southeast Asia through Batavia to China by way of Taiwan and carried silk, porcelain, gold, and herbs from China to Japan and Europe via Taiwan.

Dutch Formosa employed Chinese to farm sugarcane and rice for export; some of this rice and sugar was exported as far as the markets of Persia.

Population of Dutch Formosa was composed of three main groups; the aborigines, the Dutch contingent, and the Chinese.

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Dutch Formosa contingent was initially composed mostly of soldiers, with some slaves and other workers from the other Dutch Formosa colonies, particularly the area around Batavia .

Dutch Formosa urged the Fort not to surrender, assuring them that Koxinga's troops were growing hungry and rebellious, and returned to Koxinga's camp.

The other Dutch Formosa women were distributed to Koxinga's commanders, who used them as concubines.

Dutch Formosa had Pampang and Quinamese slaves on their colony in Taiwan, and in 1643 offered rewards to aboriginal allies who would recapture the slaves for them when they ran away.

The Dutch Formosa sided with the Trinh lords of Tonkin against the Nguyen Lords of Quinam during the Trinh–Nguyen War and were therefore hostile to Quinam.

Formosans practiced various activities which the Dutch perceived as sinful or at least uncivilised, including mandatory abortion for women under 37, frequent marital infidelity, non-observation of the Christian Sabbath and general nakedness.

Missionaries were responsible for setting up schools in the villages under Dutch Formosa control, teaching not only the religion of the colonists but other skills such as reading and writing.

Dutch Formosa introduced well-digging, as well as bringing both oxen and cattle to the island.

Furthermore, Dutch Formosa settlers opened up communication between both peoples, and set about maintaining relationships with both Han Chinese and native Taiwanese – which were non-existent beforehand.