Indian Antiquary Vol 52

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Stephen Meredyth Edwardes, Krishnaswami Aiyangar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 453

AUGUST, 1923 ]
NOTES ON PIRACY IN EASTERN WATERS
25
Japanese and Chinese.
90. In 1510 the Japanese settlers in Korea revolted against the Government but were. quickly suppressed. Thereafter very few Japanese were allowed to stay in Korea and inose only under close restrictions (Murdoch, II, 307).
91. Barbosa (p. 206, c. 1514) says: "There are great robbers and corsairs amongst these islands and ports of China." He probably refers to both Chinese and Japanese.
92. In 1513 native Chinese pirates, under Lin Tsih, blockaded the mouths of the Woo-sung and Yangtse rivers and came to Shanghai, whence Lin was driven by a storm. The Imperial fleet pursued and surrounded him, but not daring to attack, allowed him to escape (R.A.S., North China Journ., N.S. VIII, 38-39). In 1522 a quarrel amongst some Japanese, owing to the unjust decision of a local Chinese official, resulted in a riot in which the town was plundered and the Governor was killed. The Japanese being ordered to depart, their Chinese correspondents repudiated their debts. Thereupon, in reprisal, the Japanese turned pirates in conjunction with Wang-chih, Suhai, and other discontented Chinese (China Review, III, 60).
Portuguese.
93. In 1511 Alfonso de Albuquerque, sailing to Malacca, attacked off Pedir, between Acheen and Pasay, a large junk belonging to Geinal (or Zeinal), the lawful heir of Pasay Zeinal made so gallant a defence that Albuquerque offered him his favour and protection if he would surrender, which offer he accepted. The same year the Portuguese conquered Malacca and made themselves masters of the Moluccas (Marsden, 322; Faria, in Kerr, VI, 140; Crawfurd, II, 488). Faria (I, 99) notes that when the Portuguese arrived, the natives of Sumatra and the Moluccas were well disciplined and better supplied with artillery than the Portuguese. The representatives of the Dynasty which had ruled Malacca withdrew to Rhio and for three hundred years indulged in piracy (Buckley, p. 21). Zeinal who in despair of the Portuguese success against Malacca had revolted, confessed his fault and was again received into favour by Albuquerque (Osorio, II, 80).
94. On his return from Malacca in 1512, Albuquerque narrowly missed taking at the Maldives "Mafameda Macari (Muhammad Marakkar), a merchant of Cairo." He was the leader of that party in Malabar which favoured the bringing in of the Rumes or Turks to Calicut to fight the Portuguese (see para. 65 above). After the capture of Goa he feared that the Zamorin would surrender him to the Portuguese and so fled to Egypt (Comment. of Albuquerque, III, 203).
Malays.
95. In 1508 when the Portuguese Commander Don Lopez Sequiero came to Malacca he was warmly welcomed by the captains of some Chinese vessels in the harbour, but they warned him to be on his guard against the King. Being over-confident, he took no precautions, and many of his men were trapped and killed without his being able either to assist or revenge them (Osorio, I, 369). On the conquest of Malacca by Albuquerque in 1511, the royal family retired to Pahang and Johor, and later some of them to the Island of Bintang (i.e. Rhio. See para. 93 above). The followers of the chicfs thus dispossessed were naturally inclined to piracy (Wilkinson, Papers on Malay Subjects, I, 36).
96. In 1511 or 1512, Ferdinand Perez, having intercepted some boats carrying provisions to a rebel in Malacca, ordered the captains and headmen to be brought on board. They came very quietly, but as soon as they had got on deck, they drew their weapons and attacked the Portuguese, wounding Perez himself before they were overpowered (Faria, in Kerr, VI, 153). This pretended submission, when they knew that they could not escape, was a favourite Malay ruse right on to the 19th century and will be repeatedly mentioned.