The problem of piracy is being faced by the people since the ancient times irrespective of the areas. They were not only they were not only active in places like Caribbean and Mediterranean, but the Asian countries were also not untouched with them.
China was a prominent Asian country were piracy flourished. The raiders of China would wear different type of pirate shirt and other dresses, but their intent was similar to those of the western raiders. The word ‘wokou’ was used in Chinese language for the raiders. These wokous have created a great trouble for the government. Some of the famous Wokous of China were Ching Shih (female), Cheung Po Tsai, Cai Qian and more. China also faced the golden era of piracy due to these raiders. There were around 7000 pirates in China.
The influence of the wokous can be estimated with the fact that they created a parallel economy in china, which was the trouble for the mainstream economy. There was a pirate market in China, where looted material was sold at cheaper prices. Moreover, these raiders would collect the taxes also, which were known as ‘tribute’. These taxes were paid by the people to the raiders to avoid their attacks.
There is no doubt that the piracy was more dangerous in China as compared to the western world. As we mentioned above, there were 7000 raiders in China. But, as a matter of the fact, the western world comprises of 5500 pirates even in its golden age. On the other hand, the shadow economy of piracy was being proved much dangerous.
Interestingly, the people of China do not seem to be so interested in the pirate boots and pirate costumes despite such a wide influence. On the contrary, these dresses have become the fashion statements in the western world. Moreover, a number of pirate festivals are organized in order to enjoy the lifestyles of the raiders.
No comments:
Post a Comment