History Project 3 and 4 Assignments: China and the West

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China and the West
In the book lost colony there are accounts of the Chinese and the Dutch. These are relative to the fact that the two had an encounter that resulted in china winning the escalation at every turn. History will have most of the public believe that, the western nations were the strongest and most advanced in the military technology and strategies, however, history has a different record. The encounter between the Dutch and the Chinese is one that relates to the power held by the Chinese. Under the sea king called Koxinga, Chinese had some of the best military strategies. However it is crucial to point out that, the Dutch did not lose because they did not have the best military advantage (The Diplomat). Rather, they had some of the advanced ships, complex architecture of their fortresses, their naval gunnery were advanced, effective firearms, disciplined soldiers, highly skilled sailors, dedicated officer class and their land artillery were advanced as well (Andrade, Tonio, pg. 144). All of this can be trace back to the sixteenth century and they gave the European dominance across the globe. Given the military might, this would have been thought to be an advantage that would give the Dutch direct victory, rather this was not the case (Bryan, Miles).
The Ming society during the 1480s was one that can be considered to have been stable and prosperous. Ideally this goes to the fact that, the ruling kings were some of the most prosperous. This is the case with the 1630s. The society experienced growth in terms of infrastructure and even the authority at the time. At the same time, these are the times that the society experienced military growth and stability, where they triumphed over their enemies (The Diplomat). As such, there is a rather interesting element associated with the way that the two timelines reflect on one another and the similarities that make them seem as if they were from the timeline.
It true to say that the historical figures that are discussed by Andrade are all clearly of a different nationality. This is with reference the fact that, the various figures are either of the Asian orient or the Dutch orient. The idea being that, he wanted to bring out the element of integrity in his argument. He is able in the book to explain why the various figures failed and why others excelled. In the case of the Governor Coyet for example, he is able to show the ways in which he failed and his orientation. Ideally, the governor is said to have been advised by one of the prisoners to try and blockade the Taiwanese coast, which would have stopped Koxinga from getting resupplied with grain, but they did not listen. This is a clear indication of nationality that is associated with the way the characters are aligned with a given nation and ideologies (Bryan, Miles). In the case of Koxinga, it is clear which nationality he belongs to relative to the strategies that he has laid out for his dynasty and the growth and development for his people (Andrade, Tonio, pg. 65).
The Dutch needed Asian allies to win the war as indicated in the book. Their approach to war was based on the past escapades that they had had elsewhere. However this was a new territory and one the needed people on the ground that understood the various processes and challenges of the region. In the case of the Governor Coyet when he advised by the prisoner about Taiwanese coast, he did not listen. This is the kind of information that the Dutch needed to beat the Chinese at their strategies. However, the Dutch largely relied on their own understanding of the culture and even the terrain and strategies of used by the Chinese (The Diplomat). It is this element of underestimating the Chinese that cost them, amplified by their lack a strong leadership.
Religion played a major role in the war against Koxinga where the Dutch lost miserably. While this was the case in China, it was different in the case of the Japanese, given that Tokugawa Shogunate had a fear for the Catholic faith. As such, the Japanese expelled the Spanish and the Portuguese in favor of the Dutch. In the case of the Chinese, they did not recognize the Christian faith and as such, did not feel compelled to oblige to the demands of the Dutch. This lead to the con...