Hello.
I'm planning a novel, part of which takes place on a Chinese pirate ship in the mid 16th century, just before the Portuguese were allowed to legally trade with China. I am looking for good sources on this time, specifically relating to piracy in the Chinese waters (I understand there was much Portuguese smuggling happening too), and the politics around the Portuguese incursions.
What I obviously would like to glean from the sources are tidbits of historical colour that lend authenticity, as well as a basic overview of maritime life at the time.
I have read some articles, but thought someone here probably knows a LOT more about it and could point me in a good direction.
Thanks.
While there is a body of European literature dealing with travel and trade in Chinese waters (and the 17th century Dutch tended to write a lot more than the Portuguese of the 16th century), the Chinese state rarely wrote about the pirates of their own people, since they held the pirates in disdain. Thus there are not many accounts of Chinese pirate life from their own point of view around the time of the Portuguese arrival.
That being said, I can name a few modern studies of the politics of the period:
Andrade has a chapter or two about the first Sino-Portuguese battle, including how Ming China learned about the European guns through the Chinese crewmen on the Portuguese ships
Ptak is a very prolific author writing about Chinese maritime networks, having an output of more than 40 books and countless articles on the topic. However, the majority of his works are in German and his works can be hard to find. The two books I named here are in English and should give a detailed background on the interactions of China, Portugal, and Southeast Asia.
Older sources but mostly relevant:
The politics around the so-called "Japanese pirates", who were actually mostly Chinese, and how Chinese maritime policy contributed to this phenomenon and how that policy finally came around and eliminated it.
Translations of European travellers in China, one by a Portuguese sailor arrested by Chinese authorities, and one by a Jesuit missionary.
Descriptions and statistics of Portuguese trade based in Macao, including a discussion on the Portuguese ships in comparison with the Chinese ships
A year by year account of Portuguese noblemen coming and going from Macau in hopes to find Eastern riches and how they governed Macau in the meantime
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