Mao Wenlong
Encyclopedia
Mao Wenlong; (1579–1629) was a marine corps
commander of the Ming Dynasty
, famous for battling the Manchu
s in the Yellow Sea
. He was known for excelling in artillery warfare and for successfully incorporating Western-style tactics into a Far Eastern military.
and worked as a fortuneteller in his youth. He joined the Ming military in northern Shanhaiguan
around 1600.
. He was known for operating against the Manchu from bases within Korea, a Ming ally at that time. When the Manchus mounted a punitive expedition into Korea
, Mao ordered a general retreat of all Chinese forces. This angered many Beijing merchants who had previously traded with the Korean peninsula
.
Mao never dared to drag major Manchu cities into war even when there was a strategic advantage in doing so. In addition, Mao bribed a number of eunuchs and other public officials. In this way Mao was able to bring to bear the influence of many powerful Chinese officials against Yuan Chonghuan
, a fellow Ming military commander.
Mao engaged in widespread smuggling using the Ming marine corps
, contributing heavily to the booming economy of northern China. He was eventually caught and executed for smuggling. It is believed that Mao's death lead in part to an economic downturn in Ming China.
Marine corps
A marine is a member of a force that specializes in expeditionary operations such as amphibious assault and occupation. The marines traditionally have strong links with the country's navy...
commander of the Ming Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
, famous for battling the Manchu
Manchu
The Manchu people or Man are an ethnic minority of China who originated in Manchuria . During their rise in the 17th century, with the help of the Ming dynasty rebels , they came to power in China and founded the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which...
s in the Yellow Sea
Yellow Sea
The Yellow Sea is the name given to the northern part of the East China Sea, which is a marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean. It is located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula. Its name comes from the sand particles from Gobi Desert sand storms that turn the surface of the water golden...
. He was known for excelling in artillery warfare and for successfully incorporating Western-style tactics into a Far Eastern military.
Early life
Mao was born in HangzhouHangzhou
Hangzhou , formerly transliterated as Hangchow, is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. Governed as a sub-provincial city, and as of 2010, its entire administrative division or prefecture had a registered population of 8.7 million people...
and worked as a fortuneteller in his youth. He joined the Ming military in northern Shanhaiguan
Shanhaiguan District
Shanhaiguan District is a district of the city of Qinhuangdao, Hebei province, People's Republic of China, named after the pass of the Great Wall within the district, Shanhai Pass...
around 1600.
Career
Mao is sometimes blamed for the Manchu invasion of KoreaFirst Manchu invasion of Korea
The First Manchu invasion of Korea occurred in 1627, when Hong Taiji led the Manchu army against Korea's Joseon dynasty. It was followed by the Second Manchu invasion of Korea.-Background:...
. He was known for operating against the Manchu from bases within Korea, a Ming ally at that time. When the Manchus mounted a punitive expedition into Korea
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
, Mao ordered a general retreat of all Chinese forces. This angered many Beijing merchants who had previously traded with the Korean peninsula
Korean Peninsula
The Korean Peninsula is a peninsula in East Asia. It extends southwards for about 684 miles from continental Asia into the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by the Sea of Japan to the south, and the Yellow Sea to the west, the Korea Strait connecting the first two bodies of water.Until the end of...
.
Mao never dared to drag major Manchu cities into war even when there was a strategic advantage in doing so. In addition, Mao bribed a number of eunuchs and other public officials. In this way Mao was able to bring to bear the influence of many powerful Chinese officials against Yuan Chonghuan
Yuan Chonghuan
Yuan Chonghuan was a famed patriot and military commander of the Ming Dynasty who battled the Manchus in Liaoning. A commander of Cantonese origin, Yuan Chonghuan was known to have excelled in artillery warfare and successfully incorporated Western tactics with those of the East...
, a fellow Ming military commander.
Mao engaged in widespread smuggling using the Ming marine corps
Marine corps
A marine is a member of a force that specializes in expeditionary operations such as amphibious assault and occupation. The marines traditionally have strong links with the country's navy...
, contributing heavily to the booming economy of northern China. He was eventually caught and executed for smuggling. It is believed that Mao's death lead in part to an economic downturn in Ming China.
Further reading
- Martino MartiniMartino MartiniMartino Martini was an Italian Jesuit missionary, cartographer and historian, mainly working on ancient Imperial China.-Early years:Martini was born in Trento, in the Bishopric of Trent...
, De Bello Tartarico Historia (Antwerp, 1654) or Regni Sinensis a Tartaris evastati depopulatique enarratio (1661). Mao Wenlong's name is rendered by Martini into Latin as "Maovenlungus". - Johan NieuhofJohan NieuhofJohan Nieuhoff was a Dutch traveler who wrote about his journeys to Brazil, China and India...
, http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/DLDecArts/DLDecArts-idx?type=turn&entity=DLDecArts.Nieuhof.p0299&id=DLDecArts.Nieuhof&isize=MAn embassy from the East-India Company of the United Provinces, to the Grand Tartar Cham, emperor of China : delivered by their excellencies Peter de Goyer and Jacob de Keyzer, at his imperial city of Peking wherein the cities, towns, villages, ports, rivers, &c. in their passages from Canton to Peking are ingeniously described by John Nieuhoff ; also an epistle of Father John Adams, their antagonist, concerning the whole negotiation ; with an appendix of several remarks taken out of Father Athanasius Kircher ; Englished and set forth with their several sculptures by John Ogilby] (1673), p. 266 sq.