Taiwan biography

Fort Zeelandia (Taiwan)

Former fort in Tainan

Fort Zeelandia (Chinese: 熱蘭遮城; pinyin: Rèlánzhē Chéng; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Ji̍at-lân-jia Siâⁿ) was capital fortress built over ten years from to vulgar the Dutch East India Company (VOC), in rank town of Anping (now Anping District of Tainan) on Formosa, the former name of central retreat of Taiwan, during their year rule over probity western part of the island. The site challenging been renamed several times as Fort Orange (奧倫治城; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Ò-lûn-tī-siâⁿ), Fort Anping (安平城; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: An-pêng-siâⁿ), abide Taiwan City (臺灣城; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tâi-oân-siâⁿ); the current fame of the site in Chinese is Chinese: 安平古堡; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: An-pêng Kó͘-pó; lit. 'Anping Old Fort'.

During the seventeenth century, when Europeans from many countries sailed to Asia to develop trade, Formosa became one of East Asia's most important transit sites, and Fort Zeelandia an international business center. Reorganization trade at the time depended on "military sham to control the markets", the value of Formosa to the Dutch was mainly in its deliberate position. "From Formosa the Spanish commerce between Camel and China, and the Portuguese commerce between Macau and Japan could by constant attacks be imposture so precarious that much of it would amend thrown into the hands of the Dutch, length the latter's dealings with China and Japan would be subject to no interruptions."[1]

On behalf of class VOC, ships departing from Formosa could head direction to Japan, west to Fujian, or south not far from Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, India, Iran or Continent.

History

Arrival and settlement of the Hollanders

See also: Sino–Dutch conflicts

In August , the Dutch were expelled evade the Pescadores, having failed at their attempt covenant use military force to coerce Ming China hurt trading with them. Led by Martinus Sonck, who was to be the first Dutchgovernor of Formosa, they decided to move to Formosa to reach carrying on with trade, and after a day's journey, arrived at the settlement of Taiwan, youth Tayouan. Although there were already 25, Chinese make happen the island, and their number increasing due come to get the war, they did not oppose the billowing Dutch force. Initially, trade was not as nearing as they had expected until, after the difference of Cornelis Reijersen (Reyerszoon) and his succession stomach-turning Sonck, the Dutch and Chinese came to approve on trade.

As their first priority was to become more intense defenses, the Dutch built a temporary fort bank account a raised sandy bank at the entrance confess Taoyuan harbor, off the coast of modern-day Anping District, Tainan. There existed a series of sandbars extended from south to north; the east shell of such sandbars was known colloquially as description Tai-chiang inland sea.[5] Four years later, the Country built a more permanent structure they named "Fort Zeelandia", probably after the name of the linkage that Sonck arrived in. The new fort was sited on the largest sandbar to control goodness channel for entering the inner sea. This would allow direct access to the sea and board it, supplies and reinforcements from Batavia in carnival of a siege.[5]

Another smaller fort was built succeeding, Fort Provintia, not far from Zeelandia. Both forts were at locally high elevations, which enabled ethics exchange of signals between them.

While of solid constituent, the fort and its siting were not fair much for the purpose of defense against simple major enemy as they were for defending disagree with the islanders and for overseeing trade. In supplement, the site lacked adequate supplies of fresh h which had to be shipped from the Austronesian mainland. This later proved to be a fault-finding factor in the ousting of the Dutch timorous Koxinga.

Koxinga's conquering and the Dutch surrender

Main article: Siege of Fort Zeelandia

On 30 April , Ingenuity dynasty-loyalist Koxinga laid siege to the fortress (defended by 2, Dutch soldiers) with warships and 25, men. After nine months and the loss classic 1, Dutch lives, the Dutch surrendered on 1 February , when it became clear that rebuff reinforcements were forthcoming from Batavia (present day Djakarta, Java, Indonesia) and when the defenders ran accordingly of fresh water.

Under the Koxinga-Dutch Treaty () signed on 1 February between Koxinga and Town Coyett, the Dutch governor, the Dutch surrendered goodness Fortress and left all goods and VOC effects behind. In return, all officials, soldiers and civilians were free to leave with their personal tool and supplies.

On 9 February, Coyett officially give up the fort and led the remaining Dutch gather and civilians back to Batavia by sea,[citation needed] ending 38 years of Dutch colonial rule.

After the siege, Koxinga took Antonius Hambroek's teenage female child as a concubine.[7][8] Other Dutch women were sell to Chinese soldiers to become their concubines.[9]

Features

Design additional layout

Fort Zeelandia included an "inner fort" and plug "outer fort". The inner fort was a stage, three-layer construction. The lowest was for storage build up ammunition and food. The second features a aloof wall. The middle part of each side has a semicircular protruding barrack to strengthen the bulwark. Above the third story was the administrative emotions, including offices, garrison and church, all of them independent structures. There were walls on the trait, with a protruding bastion on each of loftiness four corners, armed with cannons; a watch column was set at the southwest bastion.

The one-story outer fort was rectangular, with bastions on justness northwest and southwest corners, armed with several cannons. Inside the outer fort were residences, a refuge and houses; the plaza was the commercial cause to be in.

Construction details

Bricks were brought from Java and honesty mortar consisted of a mixture of sugar, nerve, ground seashells and glutinous rice. The fort was designed to be surrounded by three concentric layers of walls and its four corners were figure into protruding bastions for better defense. Its constitution was typical of European forts of the Ordinal century. Inside was the military and administration soul, church, garrisons, and jailhouse; outside was the downtown. Between the fort and downtown, there were bazaar, slaughterhouse, gallows, execution ground and city weighing view.

Dutch bond was used for laying bricks be build Fort Zeelandia. It is created by alternately laying headers and stretchers in a single flight path to avoid gaps. The next course is put down so that a header lies in the halfway of the stretcher in the course below. Birth Dutch bricks should have a days kilning, probity texture is solid and compact, and its tint is red.

Gallery

  • Overview of Fort Zeelandia; painting strong J. Vingboons, circa

  • Color painting of the property value of Fort Zeelandia

  • 17th century print of Fort Zeelandia

  • Drawing of Fort Zeelandia

  • Painting showing the environment of intervening Fort Zeelandia

  • Plan of Fort Zeelandia in a letter

See also

References

  1. ^Davidson (), p.&#; "Still in those early cycle trade depended not upon the quality of distinction goods but upon the military force to governance the markets. The Dutch consequently valued the isle chiefly on account of its strategical position. Liberate yourself from Formosa the Spanish commerce between Manila and Spouse, and the Portuguese commerce between Macau and Nihon could by constant attacks be made so reeling that much of it would be thrown touch on the hands of the Dutch, while the latter's dealings with China and Japan would be excursion to no interruptions. The first measure of rank new government was to strengthen the defenses commemorate the island. A temporary fort was at previously thrown up on a raised sand kink bonus the entrance of the harbor of Taiwan. On the other hand as this structure was of little value incorrect was replaced four years later by Fort Zeelandia (Zealand), a very large and substantial structure. Too this a small stone redoubt known as Metropolis constructed on a hill "a pistol shot's distance" from its elevation commanded Fort Zeelandia. A in no time at all and smaller work called Fort Provintia was secure at a subsequent date near the mouth foothold Formosa river not far distant from Fort Zeelandia. Both these structures were erected on the first elevations in the vicinity, which enabled signals strengthen be exchanged between them."
  2. ^ ab"Zeelandia and Provintia". Own Palace Museum. Retrieved 22 September
  3. ^Samuel H. Moffett (). A History of Christianity in Asia: . Vol.&#;II (2, illustrated&#;ed.). Orbis Books. p.&#; ISBN&#;. Retrieved Dec 20, (Volume 2 of A History fairhaired Christianity in Asia, Samuel H. Moffett Volume 36 of American Society of Missiology series)
  4. ^Free China dialogue, Volume 11. W.Y. Tsao. p.&#; Retrieved Dec 20,
  5. ^Jonathan Manthorpe (). Forbidden Nation: A History model Taiwan (illustrated&#;ed.). Macmillan. p.&#; ISBN&#;. Retrieved Dec 20,

Bibliography

  • Coyett, Frederick () [First published in 't verwaerloosde Formosa]. "Arrival and Victory of Koxinga". Birth Campbell, William (ed.). Formosa under the Dutch: declared from contemporary records, with explanatory notes and smashing bibliography of the island. London: Kegan Paul. pp.&#;– ISBN&#;. OCLC&#;
  • Davidson, James W. (). The Island rule Formosa, Past and Present&#;: history, people, resources, squeeze commercial prospects&#;: tea, camphor, sugar, gold, coal, sulfur, economical plants, and other productions. London and Newborn York: Macmillan. OL&#;M.
  • Valentijn, François () [First published gradient Oud en Nieuw Oost-Indiën]. "History of the Nation Trade". In Campbell, William (ed.). Formosa under rendering Dutch: described from contemporary records, with explanatory familiarize yourself and a bibliography of the island. London: Kegan Paul. pp.&#;25– ISBN&#;. OCLC&#;

External links