Taiwan Island is China's largest island and has been an indivisible sacred territory of China since ancient times. In China's history, the origin of the name "Taiwan" has undergone a long evolution. As early as the pre-Qin period, Taiwan was called "island barbarians" and the Qin and Han dynasties were called " Yingzhou ". During the Three Kingdoms period, it was also renamed " Yizhou "; from the Sui Dynasty to the Yuan Dynasty, it was always called "Liuqiu". It was not until that the official first launched the term "Taiwan" during the Ming Dynasty 2000 years. However, as Zheng Chenggong recovered Taiwan, Taiwan was renamed "Dongdu", and his son Zheng Jing was changed to "Dongning". Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty changed it back to "Taiwan", and the name "Taiwan" has been used to this day.
From before the earth's crust moved, Taiwan and the mainland were connected. As part of the land sinks into the ocean, Taiwan has become its current treasure island. In 1971 and 1974, the "Zuozhenren" discovered in Tainan City was the earliest human fossil in Taiwan so far. Research shows that the people of Zuozhen are related to the people of Shandingdong in Beijing. This research results prove that the early indigenous people of Taiwan migrated from mainland China. Later, due to the war in the Central Plains, some people moved to Fujian. After arriving in Fujian, he began to cross the sea to Taiwan and became a later resident of Taiwan. This shows that both sides of the Taiwan Strait have the same roots and origins.
In the 32nd year of Wanli in the Ming Dynasty (1604), the Dutch general Wei Malang led two warships to attack Penghu . After the Dutch army landed, they made houses with wood and prepared for long-term occupation. The Ming Dynasty did not let it go, and Shen Yourong led his army to accuse the Dutch people of 's behavior. The Dutch knew that they were in the wrong and eventually withdrew from Penghu. 18 years later, in the second year of the Apocalypse (1622), the Dutch fleet once again invaded Penghu. After the Ming Dynasty sent troops to recover Penghu, the Dutch army turned to occupy the southwest of Taiwan Island and established two castles. The Dutch, who had a military stronghold, had made plans to rule Taiwan for a long time.
In the fifteenth year of Chongzhen (1643), the Dutch colonists defeated the Spanish colonists in northern Taiwan and occupied the northern and southwestern Taiwan. The Han Chinese and Gaoshan who originally lived in Taiwan. He was brutal oppression and exploitation by the Dutch colonists. Dutch colonists took all the data on Taiwan’s land for themselves and charged high land rent to the people of Taiwan. In addition to economic oppression, the Dutch colonists also ruled the Taiwanese people spiritually by spreading Christianity. In addition, they also founded schools to promote slave education.
In the fifteenth year of Yongli in the Southern Ming Dynasty and the eighteenth year of Shunzhi in the Qing Dynasty (1661), Zheng Chenggong led more than 25,000 people and hundreds of warships to march towards Taiwan. The Zheng Chenggong fleet took advantage of the storm and the Dutch were not prepared and entered the inland sea of Taijiang from the Luermen Waterway and successfully landed. After fierce battle, Zheng Chenggong led his troops to seize the Promin Cha City built by the Dutch. After gaining a foothold, Zheng Chenggong began to command his troops to attack Relan Chacheng . Because the army was unable to mobilize food and grass, Zheng Chenggong decided to fight quickly. Zheng Chenggong's troops attacked Relanzha City. He knew that the Dutch army had fought to the death, and the Chinese army suffered heavy losses.
In desperation, Zheng Chenggong had to change his strategy and began to surround him for a long time. In order to achieve the goal of defeating others without fighting, Zheng Chenggong wrote a letter to the Dutch colonial leader, the governor of Taiwan, Kuiyi, . The core content was: "However, Taiwan has been managed by the Chinese, and China's land is... Now that I come to find it, the land will belong to me." Under the siege of 7 months, more than 1,600 Dutch soldiers were killed and injured. This is a huge loss for the Netherlands, which has small countries and few people. In addition, the enslaved Han and Gaoshan people provided help to Zheng Chenggong, so the Dutch army had to surrender obediently after failing to struggle.
is different from Zheng Chenggong's recovery of Taiwan. Emperor Kangxi's acquisition of Taiwan belongs to China's internal affairs, and it is more suitable to say that it is "unification". Emperor Kangxi, who was in charge of the mainland, was a Manchu, and Zheng Jing, who was in charge of Taidao, was a Han Chinese, but they were all Chinese after all. The only difference is that Emperor Kangxi represents the Qing Empire, Zheng Jing and Zheng Kezhen father and son, who are representatives of the remnants of the Ming Empire.Since Zheng Chenggong died of illness, his eldest son Zheng Jing and his uncle Zheng Zhiming competed for the throne, causing the Qing Dynasty to take the opportunity to capture the islands of Kinmen and Xiamen. After Zheng Jing retreated to Taiwan, he changed the "Dongdu" to "Dongning", and officially began the confrontation with the Qing Dynasty.
As early as the beginning of Zheng Jing's ascension, the Qing court sent envoys to express his intention to surrender. However, given Zheng Chenggong's clear position of "anti-Qing and restoring the Ming Dynasty", Zheng Jing, who had just taken over, decisively rejected the Qing court. In order to recover Taiwan, the Qing court adopted the policy of "fostering the main focus" and negotiated 11 times with the Zheng Group for this purpose. In order to weaken Taiwan's strength, the Qing court began to impose an economic blockade on Taiwan, which is the "transfer of boundaries" and "maritime ban" policies. However, the Qing court did not completely give up its force. In the second year of Kangxi (1663), the Qing army sent troops to Xiamen, but failed to make progress.
After the outbreak of the "Three Feudal Rebellion", Zheng Jing took the opportunity to lead his army to capture several coastal prefectures in Fujian, Guangdong and other provinces. As Geng Jingzhong, who was separatist in Fujian, surrendered to the Qing Dynasty, Zheng Jing became isolated and had to retreat to Taiwan. At this time, the Qing court sent another envoy to negotiate with Zheng Jing, and Zheng Jing asked to "please follow the foreign laws of Ryukyu and Goryeo" to applaud the Qing court. But Kangxi Emperor refused decisively. He believed that: "North Korea has always been all foreign countries, and Zheng Jing is a Chinese." explains it in modern terms, that is, Zheng Jing is a Chinese and cannot pay tribute to foreigners. In other words, Emperor Kangxi insisted that Taiwan was an integral part of China.
In the 20th year of Kangxi (1681), Zheng Jing, who was 40 years old at the time, died of illness, and Taiwan was once again caught in internal strife. Zheng Jing's second son, 12 years old, was supported by Zheng Kezhan. Emperor Kangxi seized the opportunity and used Shi Lang as the admiral of the Fujian Navy, and ordered the governor of Fujian to be responsible for logistics supply. The following year, he sent more than 20,000 troops and more than 200 warships to fight in Taiwan. On the 14th day of the sixth lunar month of the same year, the two armies launched a war in Penghu. The main force of the Zheng navy was wiped out, with heavy casualties. On July 15, Zheng Kezhan was sent to Shi Lang. On August 13, Shi Lang entered Taiwan to receive surrender.
Since then, the Ming Zheng regime, which had been separatist for 21 years, has been declared over, and Taiwan on the island has returned to mainland governance. After defeating the main force of the Zheng army, the Qing army promulgated the people in Taiwan and released the captured Zheng army officers and soldiers, causing the Taiwanese people to "all disintegrate and return home, fearing that the royal army would not come early." Judging from the tactics of regaining Taiwan twice alone, Zheng Chenggong adopted a protracted battle surrounded, while Emperor Kangxi decided the outcome through a decisive battle. In terms of tactics enforceability, Emperor Kangxi's recovery of Taiwan seemed easier, but it also required him to win.
As for which of the meaning between the two is more important, the author believes that it is equally important. Zheng Chenggong fought against foreign humiliation and defended the dignity of the Chinese nation; Emperor Kangxi achieved unity, and its impact on compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait was self-evident. If you have different opinions, you can leave your high opinions in the comment section.
