jun 27, 1659 - Koxinga's Pirate Fleet

Description:

koxinga, otherwise known as Cheng Ching-Gong led a powerful resistance against the Manchu Dynasty. His father was held accountable for his actions and executed, which propelled him into expanding his pirate empire into the strongest in the South China Sea. He became a commander and helped the Ming Dynasty, and ran a series of raids against the Manchu Territories. He moves to the Amoy Islands, an ideal pirate base, and demands protection money from everyone from Korea to Vietnam. He attacks the Europeans just outside the base they had established in Taiwan and had complete control over the coast.

In 1659 he led a pirate fleetup the Yankste river to attack the Manvhus and escaped injured. This attack is what gets his father executed. Because of this he launches an attack on the new Dutch fortress, Fort Zeelandia. He blockades the settlement for 9 months and has a fleet of 400 junks and 25k men, which outnumbers the fort population of 2k. The fleet of 25k men is called the Iron Man Corps, which consisted of Japanese-influenced armoured samari. Because of their brutal hand-to-hand combat skills the Dutch are forced to surrender. In 1662 he is given the fort which was a huge triumph for his resistance. Later that year he died of Malaria, and his son runs the fort for 20 years before being killed by the Manchus in 1681.

He is still regarded as a God and a Robin Hoof figure, the only pirate to ever become a religious figure.

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