Before continuing Zheng Zhilong's story, we take a moment to look at piracy in the Taiwan Strait and surrounding seas, briefly discuss two unlikely samurai and get an understanding of the Chinese concept of the Mandate of Heaven.

A brief introduction to the background of the man who would inherit Li Dan's pirate empire and his radical departure from operating in the shadows, outside of Dutch notice.

The pirate prince who would unite the pirate bands across Southeast Asia into the first Asian multinational conglomerate.

We discuss the concept of empires and look at some of the actions and inter-actions of the Dutch on Formosa, including the massacre at Lamey Island.

We get some insight into the Europeans at the time and of the impression the Taiwanese indigenous were likely to have had of them. This will then set us up nicely for our next episode, when we look at what the Dutch did on Formosa.

This episode is a brief overview of the changes in trade and religion across southern Asia and Far East Asia, giving a clearer picture on the world that the European explorers in general (and the Dutch in particular) were stepping into.

This episode briefly covers the period of Japanese history from the beginning of the Sengoku Jidai to the mid-17th Century,

A brief look at Japanese history from the late classical period up till the Sengoku Jidai in the mid 15th Century.

With the Portuguese dominating European trade in the East Indies and Far East, the actions of one man will bring about the end of the monoploy.

An overview of the Age of European Exploration in the search for Eastern Spices