Suggestion that enhance japanes pirate to vs Ming

[neondt]

From the view of history, the so called 'japanese pirate problems' is not mainly caused by japanese actually. The fundamental reason for the pirate is the trade ban policy made by Zhun Yuanzhang, most 'pirates' are actually Chinese businessmen with some armed ships and merchant fleets. They would rob other ships if they thought it was profitable, otherwise, they would sit down and trade with you. The nature of these guys are businessmen, they are driven by profit. However the policy ban obstructed the trade development in South China which had been very flourishing since Song dynasty. These guys who might be regulated businessmen now become pirates, and among these fights between pirates and Ming or pirates within, there are a few Japanese banished samurai hired to take assault (due to their high displine). These Japanese were not in the leader position, they were merely hired fighters. In one word, the pirate problem is a more interior ruling problem than a exterior diplomatic problem.

To add to this, when piracy became rampant in the 1520's and onwards many 'pirates' started to base their operations outside of China. It's not a coincidence that this is also when we start seeing large Chinese communities emerging in South-East Asia (both continental and maritime). Pattani for example was a major hub for these people, a place where they could safely sell their illicit Chinese goods without fear of reprisals. Another things traders did was to exploit China's tributary relationship with Ryukyu; their traders were allowed to buy Chinese goods to a limited extent. This made the Ryukyus a semi-legitimate place to buy Chinese porcelain and silk. The wider point here is that Ming's anti-piracy policies were hopelessly ineffective, and instead of legitimsing and profiting from foreign trade, the Ming state was economically crippled by it.