| Abstract: |
Ming refugees in the South Seas seen through inscriptions (c. 1650-c. 1730) This article seeks to use inscriptions to attain a panoramic view of the Ming refugees who, after the rise of the Qing in 1644, decided to settle down in various harbours of what is today Vietnam and of the Malay World. The various strategies of settlement in the host countries are investigated by examining the cases of three communities that are relatively well documented, namely that of Hôi An, in the Nguyen principality, that of Phô Hiên, a river harbour in the Le kingdom, and that of Malacca, which had just been taken over from the Portuguese by the Dutch. Considerable differences are discernable that reflect the various political systems. The easiest settlement was that in Hôi An. In the Le kingdom, things were more difficult because of the proximity of China and because of the perceived threat of being faced with very large migratory movements. In Malacca, the arrival of the refugees coincided with the decision of the Dutch to attract Chinese merchants in order to reestablish trade. It is obvious that in the three harbours the refugees constituted very dynamic and highly qualified minorities that had a significant role in maritime trade as well as in local business and in the administration of customs and shipping. In its conclusion, the article addresses the question of the persistence of a political time that was proper to the refugees as reflected by their calendar.
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