Wokou

W?kòu (Chinese: ??; Japanese pronunciation: wak?; Korean pronunciation: ?? waegu) were pirates who raided the coastlines of China and Korea from the 13th century onwards. They were comprised largely of Japanese soldiers, ronin and merchants, and later also of Chinese bandits and smugglers.

Decline of the Wokou

What happened to the Wokou?

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As a general rule, most of the Wokou began returning to more traditional seafaring activities as enforcement of the bans on maritime trade subsided. There is anecdotal evidence that the Portuguese were given permission to settle Macao in the 1550s in exchange for cooperation with the Ming authorities against the Wokou. There are two accounts of anti-pirate activity by the Portuguese. The first dates from the 1520s and is recounted in a letter to Zhu Wan, one of the leaders of the anti-piracy campaigns. The second account is better documented and discusses a 1564 joint Chinese-Portuguese action in the Pearl River Delta.

Related Topics:
Macao - Pearl River Delta

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Additionally, the acceptance of the Portuguese resulted in the relaxing of anti-trade restrictions, particularly in the region surrounding Canton. The mere presence of the better armed Portuguese ships may have served to decrease pirate activity. Additionally, the accommodation with the Portuguese also contributed to the demise of the tribute-trade system, which would have increased opportunities for legitimate Chinese traders as well. More likely, however, is that the Portuguese were able to sell tropical goods from Indonesia and India at a better price than the Wokou, many of whom were smugglers before pirates. The cost of illegal activity made the Wokou unable to compete with the Portuguese and drove the Wokou back into legitimate seafaring activities.

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Toyotomi Hideyoshi also served as a great detriment to Wokou activities. Two regulations in particular damaged the Wokou raids, the first of which is the Sword Hunt put in motion in 1588. The Sword Hunt was a major confiscation of all weaponry in the storage of peasants and turned over to the daimyo. This took away the possibility of making war by people suspect of Hideyoshi. Obscure daimyo whose loyalty was in question or religious establishments that possessed the capabilities to arm a rebellion were all purged in a operation that have parallels with the Dissolution of the Monasteries. In effect, this took away the means by which Wakou could arm and supply themselves. The other, lesser known, ordinance was a move aimed directly at the Wokou. Representatives of the daimyo sought to obtain written oaths that no seafarer partake in piracy. If any daimyo should fail to obey with this order and allow Wokou to continue their craft, his fief would be confiscated.

Related Topics:
Toyotomi Hideyoshi - Sword Hunt - Daimyo - Dissolution of the Monasteries - Fief

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