Limahong
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Limahong or Lim Ah Hong was a notorious Chinese pirate of the 16th century. He built up a reputation for his constant raids to ports in Guangdong, Fujian and southern China. He is noted to have twice attempted, and failed, to overthrow the Spanish city of Manila in 1574.
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[edit] Birth and origins
Born Dim Mhon in the city of Tru Cheo in the province of Cuy Tan, called Catim by the Portugese during the middle of the 16th century. Known to be called Limahong, he had an early start in criminal activity and progressed to piracy becoming leader of 2000 pirates and samurais. His activities and attacks on ports and ships throughout southern China increased and a warrant was issued by the authorities to capture him alive and send him to the city of Tay Bin.
He shifted his activities to piracy on the high seas and out of reach of China's power. He was able to accumulate up to 40 ships, whereupon he once again raided cities and ports in southern China. Limahong attacked a city occupied by Vinh To Quiam, another pirate, but Vinh was able to escape along with 5 of Limahong's ships. However, Limahong was able to capture 55 of Vinh's fleet and thus increased his own to 95 ships. He was now a veritable king of the high seas of southern China.
By this time, a force of 40,000 soldiers and 135 ships was sent by the Chinese to kill and capture Limahong. Limahong wisely decided to avoid this superior force and sailed to safer waters. The pirates then chanced upon merchant ships from Manila doing trade with the Chinese and learned from 2 captured ships that Manila was a new and relatively unprotected Spanish settlement. From this information and knowing that China had a no-war policy with its neighbors during that time, he decided to capture Manila and establish himself as ruler of his would-be kingdom and stronghold.
[edit] Attack on Manila
Limahong's massive pirate fleet was first sighted off the coast of Ilocos on September 1574. He attempted twice to attack and take the new Spanish city of Manila (established 1571) in 1574 with a fleet of 64 ships. He was unsuccessful in his attempts. But during his attempted invasion, he managed to kill Martin de Goiti, a member of the first Spanish expeditionary force that settled in Manila. The Spanish garrison was able to repel the marauders and Limahong was forced to flee to what is now Pangasinan, Philippines. A ship was dispatched by Governor General Lavezares to follow and report the whereabouts of the pirate, who was later found establishing a settlement in Lingayen. An expeditionary force of about 250 Spaniards and 2500 native fighters were sent to neutralize the 3000 strong force of Limahong. The Chinese pirate Limahong tried to build a colony on the Lingayen coast in 1574 but was overthrown by the Spanish armada led by Juan de Salcedo after a seven month seige. The Limahong Channel, dug for six months that served as the pirate´s escape route, stands today as a marker of his failed try.
[edit] External sites
[edit] References and Further Reading
- Gambe, Annabelle R., Overseas Chinese Entrepreneurship and Capitalist Development in Southeast Asia (Munster, Hamburg and London: Lit Verlag, 1999).
- Stearn, Duncan, Chronology of South-East Asian History 1400-1996 (Dee Why, NSW: The Mitraphab Centre Pty Ltd., 1997).
