When Pirates Ruled Asia: 1000 Vicious Years of Chinese and Japanese Piracy // DOCUMENTARY

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00:00 Introduction
04:55 Rise of the Wako (400 BC - 1260)
10:00 Pirates for Hire (1274)
13:52 Rise of the Ming (1380)
18:09 Southern Barbarians (1517)
26:41 Conquistadors (1582)
33:31 The English (1605)
38:32 Pirates of God (1603)
45:02 Koxinga and the House of Zheng (1647)
55:27 Madam Zheng, Pirate Queen (1810)
1:02:24 End of an Era (1844)
Written by Thomas Lockley.
Check out his book on Yasuke: www.amazon.com/-/es/Geoffrey-...
Edited and narrated by David Kelly.
Art by Matthew Cartwright:
mattcartwrightillustration.com/
************BIBLIOGRAPHY IN A PINNED COMMENT**********
- Music courtesy of:-
Epidemic Sound
Artlist.io
Image Credits:
Guangzhou Pagoda By Kxx - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
Augustus Image By Janmad on basis of the picture by Jastrow → Image:Great Cameo of France CdM Paris Bab264 n1.jpg, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
Watazumi Shrine By user:opqr - Self-photographed, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
Caravel By Kyle Taylor from London, 84 Countries - Lisbon With Langon - 56Uploaded by tm, CC BY 2.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
Jambiya Dagger By Rod Waddington from Kergunyah, Australia - Jambiya, Traditional Yemeni, CC BY-SA 2.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
Wall Ligor By Suwannee.payne - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
Japanese Map By Maproom - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
Halong Bay Junk By Bernard Gagnon - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
Three Kingdoms By 猫猫的日记本 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...

[@VoicesofthePast]

BIBLIOGRAPHY Amirell, Stefan Eklof, and Mueller, Leos, Eds. (2014). Persistent Piracy. Maritime Violence and State-Formation in Global Historical Perspective. Basingstoke and New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Andrade, Tonio, and Hang, Xing. (2016). Sea Rovers, Silver, and Samurai. Maritime East Asia in Global History 1550-1700. Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Pr. Andrade, Tonio. (2011). Lost Colony: The Untold Story of China’s First Great Victory over the West. New Jersey: Princeton University Pr. Andrade, T. (2004). The Company's Chinese Pirates: How the Dutch East India Company Tried to Lead a Coalition of Pirates to War against China, 1621-1662. Journal of World History, 15(4), 415-444. Antony, R. (2014). Violence and Predation on the Sino-Vietnamese Maritime Frontier, 1450- 1850. Asia Major, 27(2), third series, 87-114. Antony, R. (1993). Aspects of the Socio-political Culture of South China’s Water World, 1740- 1840. The Great Circle, 15(2), 75-90. Antony, R. (1992). The Suppression of Pirates in South China in the Mid-Qing Period. American Journal of Chinese Studies, 1(1), 95-121. Bade, David. (2013.) Of Palm Wine, Women and War: The Mongolian Naval Expedition to Java in the 13th century. Singapore: Iseas-Yusof Ishak Institute. Blue, A. (1965). Piracy on the China Coast. Journal of the Hong Kong Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, 5, 69-85. Chin, Kim and LeBlang, Theodore. (1975). The Death Penalty in Traditional China. Georgia Journal of International and Comparative Law, 5, 77-105. Clulow, Adam. (2011). Statecraft and Spectacle in East Asia. Studies in Taiwan-Japan Relations. London and New York: Routledge. Corr, William. (1995.) Adams the Pilot. The Life and Times od Captain William Adams 1564- 1620. Abingdon: Routledge. Elison, George. (1973.) Deus Destroyed. The Image of Christianity in Early Modern Japan. Cambridge, MS: Harvard university Press. Fujita, Kayoko, Momoki, Shiro, and Reid Anthony. (2013). Offshore Asia. Maritime Interactions in Eastern Asia Before Steamships. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. Kung, J., & Ma, C. (2014). Autarky and the Rise and Fall of Piracy in Ming China. The Journal of Economic History, 74(2), 509-534. MacKay, J. (2013). Pirate Nations: Maritime Pirates as Escape Societies in Late Imperial China. Social Science History, 37(4), 551-573. Murray, D. (1981). One Woman's Rise to Power: Cheng I's Wife and the Pirates. Historical Reflections / Réflexions Historiques, 8(3), 147-161. Ng, Chin-keong. (2017) "Trade, the Sea Prohibition and the “Folangji”, 1513-50." In Boundaries and Beyond: China's Maritime Southeast in Late Imperial Times, 101-46. SINGAPORE: NUS. Polenghi, Cesare. (2009). Samurai of Ayutthaya. Yamada Nagamasa, Japanese Warrior and Merchant in Early Seventeenth-Century Siam. Bangkok: White Lotus Press. Shapinsky, Peter. (2014). Lords of the Sea. Pirates, Violence, and Commerce in Late Medieval Japan. Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Pr. Turnbull, Stephen. (2007). Pirates of the Far East 811-1639. Oxford: Osprey. 'East Indies: November 1593', in Calendar of State Papers Colonial, East Indies, China and Japan, Volume 2, 1513-1616, ed. W Noel Sainsbury (London, 1864), pp. 96-97. British History Online www.british-history.ac.uk/cal-state-papers/colonial/east-indies-china-japan/vol2/pp96-97

[@ludwigleslie5501]

42:43 song name???

[@andrewphillips8341]

Stop saying 'Asia'. Not all if 'Asia' or "Asians" are the same.

[@user-uc5bu6hd8w]

I think you should register the short film as a documentary. I hope you can consider it.

[@andrewhwang7920]

Fascinating content but completely dreadful pronunciation of Chinese, Japanese & Korean names by the narrator! Just subscribed.

[@getthegoods420]

what i got from this video japanese = asian vikings

[@chang1865]

Interesting how the Chinese also call westerners Folangii, in Thailand we still use that term as an umbrella term for foreigners of western appearance. A popular belief of the origins of the term is Persian word "Farangi" which in turn means Franks (French)

[@Liliphant_]

Wow! I had heard of the Persian term, but didn't know it was used in East Asia as well.

[@JoeL-ji7uw]

Reminds me of the Ferengi from Star Trek.

[@johnr797]

@@JoeL-ji7uw most likely where it came from

[@pyrovania]

It is related to the English word "foreigner" as well.

[@MrJamesr007]

My understanding is it comes from the Arabization of the word "Franks" which they used as a general term for Europeans during the crusades which spread around the cultures of the Indian Ocean via trade routes. Variations of the word exist in The Middle East, India, South East Asia and East Africa - in Ethiopia for example.

[@foschiznit]

Kublai beckoned a eunuch officer “Call in the seamen” Poor eunuch, Kublai asking for things he can never give

[@kassandracouch8012]

Haaaaa took me a minute

[@sadams12345678]

Seamen = sailors

[@tashilodoe7617]

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[@tashilodoe7617]

Ĺĺĺlĺĺĺĺĺĺlĺĺĺl

[@tashilodoe7617]

Lĺĺoĺĺoĺ

[@FreeBroccoli]

"Indeed, that was an apt and true reply which was given to Alexander the Great by a pirate who had been seized. For when that king had asked the man what he meant by keeping hostile possession of the sea, he answered with bold pride, 'What thou meanest by seizing the whole earth; but because I do it with a petty ship, I am called a robber, whilst thou who dost it with a great fleet art styled emperor.' " - St. Augustine, City of God

[@guapbueb5784]

comparing one of the greatest generals of all time with some lowlife thug, another reason to hate st. augustcringe

[@whythelongface64]

Conquerors are just well funded murderers. Period.

[@guapbueb5784]

@@whythelongface64 false

[@whythelongface64]

@The_Jaguar_ Knight conquerors were reviled more than any pirate. A pirate robbed a village and was hated by the people of that village, but loved by the people of his village. Alexander was hated not only by his enemy kingdoms ( nations are a recent phenomena) but by his slaves, and by the peasants and labourers who had to work to the bone to feed his ambition. Agrandising one's nation doesn't feed bellies. Such hollow sentiment is appreciated by those who live lives of privilege only. History doesn't work in so naive a fashion that you can decide the merits of some figure by the glory they brought ( according to the scribes under their patronage). In their times, they would have been hated by many. Most people were kept dumb back then, so they couldn't leave their tales behind very well. Don't mistake absense for non existence.

[@whythelongface64]

@@guapbueb5784 Read ☝️

[@ofallmyintention9496]

From the Mongol invasions around 1220 to the Black Death 120-130 years later, I can understand why many people in Europe thought the world was ending.

[@anthondeutsch3133]

Ww1, Spanish flu, ww2 and covid19 in less than 110 yrs...... should we think the world is ending? Many do many do not.

[@flyingeagle3898]

@@anthondeutsch3133 scale is still idfferent. of those events, only WW2 is even comparable. Black Death killed half or more of the people infected. Spanish flu was far less severe, and Covid "only" kills 1-2% of those infected. Even with war, with Mongols the relative scale of death was worse. The percentage of the world population that died to the Mongols was far higher than the percentage of the population that died in WWII.

[@makky6239]

@@anthondeutsch3133 Are you really comparing the mentality of people back then, to today? Lol

[@RegulareoldNorseBoy]

It's more same that not

[@marcuscooper7550]

@mary steven I agree U.S. schools Don't teach much history. Let alone in context. I guess they don't want kids understanding the past. At least there's videos like this that can get them at least interested.

As The History Guy uses to say, every good story has pirates in it.

[@brokeneyes6615]

George Lucas: agreed.

[@jozz2248]

Ice Pirates... was a good movie? 😄

[@galloe8933]

Lol, with his bowtie.

[@Likexner]

@@jozz2248 You misunderstand. Every good story has pirates in it =/= every story with pirates in it is a good one

[@jozz2248]

@@Likexner heha. Thought that response might appear. 🍻

[@1changi]

Not to mention the Republic of Singapore Navy, Indonesian Navy and Malaysian Navy have been modernised and strengthen to deal with piracy problem that plague the 20th century along the Straits of Malacca and the South China Sea around the Riau Islands. Jobs creation in these countries have helped to lower the livelihood issue sand provided for a dignified way of life as fishermen or other trades.

[@jastermereel4946]

those navies also participate in piracy and slaving though. the good guys ain't always good guys. alot of innocent people get caught in the struggles between the powerful.

[@anzaiharsyedzaihar820]

​@@jastermereel4946remember what you nation do those year?

[@hkrsztt]

Thank you so much your focus on foreign relations, and the interconnectedness of peoples in the past. I find sometimes that, especially in discussions of premodern history, the focus can become very insular and not overly discuss the interactions between nations beyond wars and larger battles. I appreciate the way you shed light on some lesser known exchanges from the past, as well as adding in mentions of other events which were going on congruently in different parts of the world.

[@BluJean6692]

56:30 some irony to note here: until the Spanish started circulating Incan silver across the Pacific and Atlantic, China had used copper-based currency (silk for higher denominations or salaries).

[@MotivateMoments2023]

Paper money*

[@kddiodox]

No. The Chinese were already using silver-based currency..... for example, in 1526, the Iwami Silver Mine was opened in order to trade with China, something decades before the first manila galleons. Provincial taxes were required to be paid in silver in 1465....

[@annunakian8054]

Your series on Asian history is truly eye-opening. Much of this history is hidden, especially if you've been educated in "the west". A must watch for sure.

[@Kaimenhoi]

I guess that with the limited technology, sailing off the coast during those ages were like gambling with your life every day. It gives me chills just to imagine what kind of mindset would have been built under such a condition, life.

[@DrasscoOfRascia]

あなたは日本人ですか?

[@Kaimenhoi]

@@DrasscoOfRascia Yes.

[@DrasscoOfRascia]

@@Kaimenhoi Is this something youre taught about in Japan?

[@ZaJaClt]

Well yes, that's why in Civ2 you cannot sail off coast till you upgrade xD

[@Gabriel-jk2tg]

You should release these longer videos as a podcast too, I'd love to be able to listen to these while travelling or working!

[@Likexner]

Just search for a youtube video downloader and choose an audio format.

[@Gabriel-jk2tg]

I know how to do that, it's just not the same

[@Likexner]

@@Gabriel-jk2tg How is it not the same?

[@Nerwesta]

Podcasts often mean no KZbin revenues.

[@Gabriel-jk2tg]

You can update to both

[@fusion9619]

If you ever visit Shanghai, there's a diary written by an English naval officer, sitting under a glass case in the Shanghai History Museum (I'm probably remembering the name wrong) - the page that's open is very entertaining, recording his experience meeting the Chinese at the docks and calling them liars. I'm sure it's open to that page on purpose. Maybe you'll find that diary and read it sometime.

[@DailyDamage]

Amazingly done documentary of piracy. I’ve enjoyed all of ur voices from the past and find the combination of solid research, underlie unt graphics and calm narration quite enthralling. Can’t wait for more 🤓

[@Numba003]

You guys have like my favorite channels on KZbin these days. These documentaries are incredible. Major kudos. Somebody could write an epic about some of these figures. Stay well out there everybody, and God bless you friends. :)

[@goodlifegreenscapesbrecken5928]

This was a phenomenal episode, folks. Thanks for producing!

[@EggShen905]

One correction here: you wrongly attribute the "three rules" to Madam Zhang; she enforced those rules and likely agreed with them but they came from her husband, not from her. This is a common mistake, since most scholarship on her traces at least partly back to an earlier book about her by a British sensationalist author. Wikipedia actually has good info on this.

[@avyitis3425]

That appears to be recorded history which could've been twisted and changed to anyone's liking. I for sure am not one of those delusionals believing in the true power of the women at the time but this particular recount makes a lot of sense to have been changed in order to reinforce male leadership by re-telling, especially regarding the masculine favoured culture of all of SEA, as well as JP and PRC, to this day, instead of recounting the truth of events.

[@michealdean3750]

One of the best short histories I have watched, and I've watched quite a few in the last year or so. Very well done with an amazing narrator.

[@HierophanticRose]

Piracy and thassalocratic thought was so prevalent around pacific at that time that even Malacca Sultanate would rule under what they call "The Laws of Allah AND the Captain" Big part of this push towards naval life was also heavily spurred on as a reaction to Ming's, and then Qing's expansionist tendencies towards the eastern seaboard. Also it is a very interesting story of Koxinga and Kingdom of Tungning that most in the west do not know. It is basically how Taiwan got in the hands of the Chinese

[@givethanks01]

Any books I can read on thalassocracies and how pirates are instrumental on forming them

[@AngryKittens]

Yeah. It's weird how a documentary on Asian piracy doesn't mention Austronesian pirates at all. Austronesian sailors of Island Southeast Asia ruled the seas thousands of years before East Asians learned how to build boats (ironically by copying Southeast Asian - specifically Srivijayan - ships).

[@ex-navyspook]

Totally engrossing, and absolutely fascinating. Thanks for all your hard work; this was excellent.

[@Likexner]

This is one of my favourite channels. I especially like to hear the descriptions of foreign peoples how the travellers saw them.

[@kuroazrem5376]

That's it! I'm declaring myself Pirate King in the Philippines.

[@d4n4nable]

My liege!

[@ichankomo8767]

Aye aye kaptain! Hoist the colours!! 🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️🏴‍☠️

[@FuckGoogle2]

I'll put the kettle on.

[@constantdrowsiness4458]

Wow, you really put a lot of work into this. Great work!

[@EvilSmonker]

Wow, what a treat; thank you again for the high quality content.

[@talanigreywolf7110]

This one got you my sub. Thank you! Absolutely amazing, the depth of research that went into this combined with the awesome imagery was just amazing. Again, thank you!

[@Stitchwitchstitch]

This was great! The narration is perfect- calm, clear, not over-dramatic- engrossing! I really enjoyed listening to this. Thanks!

[@mrjolieguy8673]

Just learned about everything I never understood throughout my history classes in middle school & high school in a about 1hour. It was like connecting the dots in all the little parts I had no idea how or when they fit exactly. Wow Thanks for sharing this captivating & fascinating video 👌👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👏🏼😉 ✌🏼

[@amadeusasimov1364]

Entire history!? Alright, time to get comfy and enjoy the ride. Amazing work, thank you for sharing this one.

[@alecpayne18]

The introduction had me hooked, great writing

[@Hatersgonnahate726]

Bro the quality on this is impeccable, I love it, can't wait to see more of it 🔥

[@stephenelberfeld8175]

I keep trying to grasp what the traces of Japanese, Chinese, Khmer, Punjabi, and Bengali DNA mixed in with Peruvian and Colombian Native DNA from my Acadian ancestry of Nova Scotia means. They had to be pirates exiled from their ports of operation to become crewmen on a European spice trader's ship. It had to be a tale with a lot of twists and turns. I've been looking for this kind of information, but according to one source it was the Portuguese pirate, Capt. Pinto that made a pact with the Japanese pirates around 1550 that began an era of cooperation. and trade.

[@jupitercyclops6521]

One never really knows. Could have been prostitutes captured by or sold to pirates . Gotta think outside the box. Hope this helps

[@michaelhusada2276]

Great documentary, a whole lot information gathered for this. Well done! I enjoyed this very much.

[@realrhetoric]

You missed the part where Opium had been used as currency in Southern China hundreds of years before the arrival of the British. Peasants would go to the market with a cake of opium under their arm, and shave off a few grams to pay for their vegetables. It was currency. What the British did was to import a more potent strain of opium from India, and traded on that value. Still their trade advantage only lasted about ten years, until the Chinese were able to replicate that more potent strain.

[@The_Captainn]

@@OttomanSultana This is as near as I've got to a source so far as I'm just looking into the point myself. Maybe you can make headway on your own books.google.com/books?id=H2g3DAAAQBAJ&pg=PA28&lpg=PA28&dq=First+listed+as+a+taxable+commodity+in+1589+opium+china&source=bl&ots=ZFwX_IL3V7&sig=ACfU3U03WnM93QNtumG9jWntLYsEZyxomg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj3r66Lm_fwAhVOEFkFHbajAmEQ6AEwBHoECAMQAw#v=onepage&q=First%20listed%20as%20a%20taxable%20commodity%20in%201589%20opium%20china&f=false

[@medea27]

Just excellent 👌 It was so nice to stumble upon a telling of the history & complexities of piracy & international diplomacy that wasn't the usual go-to content of 'the Golden Age of European/Caribbean Piracy' or 'Barbary pirates'... especially since the 'conflicts' over & around these waters are still going on to this day. Now I'm off to follow a 'Zheng Shi/Asian pirate' research rabbit-hole... immediately subbed! 👍

[@anabelamok689]

I’m surprised the big networks have not asked to purchase your program and broadcast it. The quality is incredible,narration is captivating as are the graphics. Bravo!

[@powellmountainmike8853]

When I was a kid there was a comic strip in the Sunday newspaper called "Terry And The Pirates," which was about pirates in Asian waters.

[@DarwinianUniversal]

I'm sailing through Indonesia right now and this story has shed a whole new light on my sense for this region and nearby. This is remarkable

[@PedroEnamorado]

Absolutely brilliant and a delight to listen to.

[@mjc11a]

Excellent presentation. Informative as it is educational. Thanks for posting and be safe 🙏

[@AA-wd2or]

In Japan was similar situation like with Slavs in Europe . Slavic tribes have nostop war with other Slavs .In old Russia only Viking can unite them and stabilise them when they join with them.

[@hansihobr]

Yes, the nostop war with each other describe old Europe in general.

[@gottaproxy8826]

@@hansihobr never existed. Look on old maps of these places where they say people were fighting and uncivilized. it's a giant country that has been deleted from history and it starts with a T

[@hansihobr]

@@gottaproxy8826 ¿What your point? Are you saying that all Europe during Viking age didn't fight each other? so all of those historic references are all lies?

[@kevg1617]

@@gottaproxy8826 countries didn't exist back then, so no dice there. Old maps is a good way of putting it, I'd call them the musings of people looking for some form of glory. Unless there is archeological evidence of a unified civilization living under a single code of law and a central governmental entity, which to date there is not, you are just writing words.

[@AngryKittens]

Actually no. Japan and China both had centralized civilizations. With emperors at the top and squabbling nobles at the bottom. The equivalents of Vikings were the Austronesians of Island Southeast Asia. They were thalassocratic, each city-state was independent, headed by a chieftain (datu/datuk), which in turn formed federations with other city-states of the same ethnic group (i.e. they speak the same language), which in turn formed alliances with other federations. Bear in mind that there are HUNDREDS of ethnic groups in Island Southeast Asia. Every year, these alliances raided each other, both coastal raids and naval warfare, for captives and for loot. Participation in these raids was recorded in full body tattoos. Some of these alliances eventually became full-blown empries. Like the Srivjaya and its successor, the Majapahit. Moreover, unlike Japan and China, Austronesians were a true maritime people. They built the first true maritime sailing ships in human history around 5000 years ago. The ships that Japan and China were using in the last millennia were actually COPIES of Srivijayan trade ships, copied by the Chinese during the Song Dynasty. China itself only started becoming more maritime during the colonial era, when Europeans had basically conquered and subdued Southeast Asia, leaving a void in maritime trade that they quickly filled. This is why there's such a widespread misconception among westerners today that it was China who traded with its neighbors. That it was the Chinese who exported their own goods. When in reality, it was Southeast Asian ships (as well as later Arab and South Asian ships) who traded with the Chinese and then brought those goods elsewhere (as far as East Africa and Arabia). In the same way that the operators of the Silk Road were Central Asian and Persian traders, not the Chinese.

[@Rebelcommander6]

And here I am needing some inspiration/research for my Wokou inspired Pirate Republic in D&D XD

[@drownedtoad6391]

Your videos are typically great, this one is especially. Fantastic work.

[@johnmitchelljr]

So well done, thank you for sharing.

[@jcastle614]

This was outstanding! Thank you.

[@Dayvit78]

This was an awesome documentary (and excellent voicework as usual). Would you be able to do a follow-up one on Indian Ocean/Indonesian piracy next?

[@marksminis]

WoW that was an eye-opener. Wonderful ending too. I'm in awe.

[@wouldyouliketomeetkenbamba9495]

I do not know if this is related, but i've been reading Malay folk stories that border the Malacca Strait and boy do they fear their "Lanun" (Pirates). Some communities, especially ones that were outside the protection of strong Malay States, even placed their settlements as far as they could from the shores, place watch on hills, and keep water close to extinguish fire when signal is raised, all because of the fear of being raided.

[@MegaGangsta4life]

I had to hold off on watching this. I save these for when Im in the middle of work A treat 🥰

[@benedict_323]

Excellent documentary I thoroughly enjoyed watching and learning.

[@lisaa.4667]

I just discovered you folks. You make history interesting. Thanks for your informative and well-researched documentary.

[@cjclark2002]

Excellent vid dude and such smooth narration, keep em coming!!

[@konkyolife]

I studied in Vietnam as a grad student under the auspice of my Japanese university. The ancient Vietnamese slang word for a Japanese person was “ Tattoo face “ or “ Wide toes “ no doubt from Japanese pirates who were heavily tattooed and wore wide geta sandals.

[@hensonlaura]

I'm surprised it wasn't 'bare ass' 🤭

[@konkyolife]

@@hensonlaura lets ask em! LOL

[@cummings_144]

Great job! I enjoyed this one. Nice and lengthy

[@jacobbrassard2776]

Thank you for posting such fantastic content on youtube.

[@LucianoSilvaOficial]

Incredible work. Very well, congratulations!

[@Tarathathe77wookiee]

Thank you for this great history lesson!!

[@toddgaines8476]

This video is magnificent. Amazing work, incredible channel.

[@noobsauce6992]

thanks for the upload just found this channel its awesome

[@Jumpoable]

Wow. Amazing scholarship. We study Cheung Bou (Tsai) in Hong Kong, & Koxinga is very revered in both Taiwan & Japan, but the details are scant. Thank you for giving us back the full picture.

[@medea27]

@Hussein Abbas While I haven't read the sources myself, it's important to remember that the British & Portuguese accounts are from a time when neither culture would allow themselves to be seen to have been outmanoeuvred strategically by a woman... let alone an ex-prostitute & head of a pirate navy! There was a _huge_ cultural divide between Asia & Europe, and there are many instances of Europeans 'glossing over' details like kowtowing to child rulers or female dignitaries to 'save face' when they reported home. So any accounts (especially European ones) need to be taken with a really big pinch of salt!

[@datemike1184]

Ive never clicked a video so fast, love all this channels video, i listen to them daily while I shower and get ready for work.

[@Zarinaea.]

I've been subscribed for a while, but this is the first thing that's made me see it and go, I have to watch this

[@emmanuelflores1557]

Yeah I never saw a video on this thanks for making it!!!

[@VictorNobrega1986]

This was fantastic, thank you so much. As a fan of Asian history it can be hard to find quality videos to watch, so this was like opium to my soul 😀. Thank you.

[@rodneyhighwaystar1]

lovely presentation!! One about Barbary corsairs and Maltese corsairs please :)

[@miketackabery7521]

You should have a million subscribers by now. Your videos are beautifully written and narrated, and look just as beautiful. And your research is just as good. Just marvelous.

[@alanchappell414]

This is the third documentary of yours that I have watched and each has been totally brilliant 👍👍so well researched and wonderfully commentated. You have me👍👍👌👌well done👍👍

[@paulopheim4224]

Fascinating and brilliantly presented.

[@LudyLoomy]

Truly impressive work sir. Now only to wait until the great space pirate age.

[@specex]

I learned a lot from this one. Bravo!

[@dflatt1783]

390k subs. Why am I not surprised? Good job bro. Keep plugging. You will get to 1 million.

[@carapo66]

Excellent, thanks for this.

[@bendyloco]

Great video - thank you for making this!

[@bobman3388]

Ahhrrrr! I like the the cut of your gib! Excellent vid. Thanks.

[@matdolan2208]

Keep up the good work. Excellent documentary. 👍

[@NiederDrifts]

Better than almost any history class I’ve had… and I only say almost cause a couple of my best teachers were history teachers honestly

[@nicolasavilaperez7730]

There are a lot of memoirs of famous japanese fighters, it would be interesting to see a video featuring them or their letters.

[@Xenibalt]

this is actually a masterpiece i think MAYBE but actually perfection 10/10

[@daniellekennedy8118]

Wonderful narrative on a fascinating subject. I would posit that in her own time and place, Grace O'Malley gave Madame Zhang a run for the "baddest pirate queen" title, lol.

[@NeilRoy]

Wow, excellent job with this one. Thanks. I was reminded of an old C64 game I used to play called Taipan.

[@bluebird3281]

Yeah dude I loved that game !

[@z0ks_]

Imagine how many people were stopped by that one pesky mosquito...

[@HarcusCGTV]

Absolutely superb, great job!

[@user-uf2df6zf5w]

Thats great, more of it!

[@jamesbugbee6812]

Excepting at least one of PRC's 'coast guards', playing a game of bumperboats w/ Japan's MSA; interesting times. Great video! Will watch it again God willing.

[@itsrifahanif]

this..is awesome, thanks!

[@DDAWGY1]

This is bar none one of the best videos ever created on you tube!

[@kairos4486]

Great idea for a video, I hope you'll do one on the pirates of the west too.

[@sumitrana2420]

I read this as 10 minutes and 6 seconds and was baffled when it just didn't stop

[@franksinatta6440]

”Jurchens, like the danes, dwellers of inhospitable icy lands” As a swede this cracked me up good

[@Astronic]

Amazing. I just found your channel.

[@ralphh7853]

Great story! I enjoyed it as I am a history nerd and martial artist. Thanks 🙏

[@chriso9505]

Finally! A history lesson with a perfect narrator voice. You really are cut out for this type of content. Subbed

[@kevineleven5610]

Looking at this and recently seeing other similar documentaries about European and Arabic Dynasties I'm just amazed there's anyone left to tell these stories , all told the deaths must be in the tens of millions probably more ! Just amazing 😀👍☠️

[@desperatelyseekingrealnews]

Cor!! wot a blinder, ta muchly for one of the best produced, informative and enjoyable videos I've seen in many a long day.

[@jessicarees104]

Keep it up mate. top documentary.

[@judithlewis9634]

My junior and high school history classes left out a lot of details covered in this fabulous and terrifying film.

[@jamesharrington4752]

well done, thank you

[@yifu100]

The pirates in Eastern coastal of china were mostly chinese, they were called wako(japanese pirates) by the Ming imperial court, but when Ming officials captured many of the fleets, 7 out of 10 are Chinese from Fujian, only 30 percent are real Japanese. zheng chenggong also called Koxinga, who conquered Taiwan, and his father is also from a Fujian pirate Zheng clan. Hakkanese people are good sailers.

[@liammurphy2725]

Nice artwork on the dagger. I particularly appreciated the coin set on the hilt dating it to 1925

[@joelkavanagh1464]

,,, engrossing,, informative, so well presented!! ...

[@brokenbridge6316]

Nice video about these very unique pirates.