RESOURCE: SUNGAI BATU 788 BC : THE GREAT KINGDOM OF KEDAH TUA
The current situation where China made goods and products flooded the market is not something new. 500 years ago, their goods & product were equally important in global scale. Commerce and trade with China traders was vital in order for the colonial to survive. Without China trade vessels coming to Luzon, Batavia, Malacca etc, the Spanish, Dutch and Portuguese might not have enough revenue to keep their presence in Nusantara. Although local and native resources of Nusantara do have high demand, but solely dependant on it, might not strategically wise. Therefore, in 15th and 16th century Chinese trade vessel were most welcome to major port of SeAsia that under the European colonial control. Chinese was a manufacturer where their major trade goods were ceramic and silk. Ceramic alone probably comprise hundreds of SKU as well as the silk and for the European the Chinese sell relatively cheap. Once it reach Europe market, they gain a high margin and make them wealthier.
Not only the goods, but in VOC (Dutch East India Company) records, out of thousand Chinese got on-shore from their ships, only 1/3 going back with the ship.
All the above were extracted from a thesis paper by Alexander Wain (2015). Not many of Western researchers use the word 'Nusantara' as to refer to the islands of SeAsia and its inhabitant.
Another interesting point by Wain is about the Chinese vessel design and construction where he said the Chinese seagoing vessel was a hybrid type, meaning the combination of Chinese and Nusantaran ship-building technology. Most of trade vessel that dominating the maritime trade as far as Indian Ocean were a hybrid type wether it is belong to Chinese or Nusantaran and the size was far bigger than the Arab, Persian, Indian and later the Europeans. In other words, there was a technological exchange in the ship building between Nusantaran and Chinese. China has abundance of timber and workforce apart of knowledge of building huge vessel for their riverine network, while the Nusantara have the expert in building seagoing vessel and skillful sailor. These was proves by archaeological finding of Royal Nanhai wreckage where the ship shows the trademark of Malay/Nusantara ship which is peg and dowel were used to joint between the planks while iron nail were used by Chinese to joint the planks and frame to the body.
If we look at back into history , Ming Dynasty have changed their foreign policy. Once Admiral Zheng He and his fleet accompanied by his naval prowess back to China from global expedition (diplomatic, and trade mission), the new Emperor seize all the vessel and stop sending new expedition. Now, China no longer presence as a naval power in South Sea and Indian Ocean. (The merchant vessel keep on going). It occured after 1420's AD.
Many years later, something happened in Europe that forced the European kingdom to launch massive expedition in order to find the route for spices and other resources from the East. Finally they found the starting point of spice route, which is Nusantara, and later they found Moluccas Island. With the absence of China naval prowess, the greed European found out that there are opportunity for them to conquer the entire trade of Nusantara. And the rest we know what has happened.
Centuries later, with the weakened naval power of the Chinese, again, the greed European have made them to conquer China and the rest is history.
This posting begin by looking back at 500 years ago to find the similarities with current situation. Now, we just imagine, in present time, if China have no military and naval prowess, what has the American done in our maritime and region.
Or, if Ming Dynasty with their naval supremacy did not change their policy and continue establishing the harmony political affair and maritime collaboration with Nusantara, those European might not such aggressive as to invade Nusantara. We might have a different geopolitic currently.
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27 June 2023 > 7 Zulhijjah 1444H: 12.11 pm
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