Changes

Following the end of the Revolt of the Three Feudatories, the Qing assembled a fleet of some three hundred warships, to be commanded by [[Shi Lang]], one of Zheng Zhilong's men who had surrendered to the Manchus in the 1650s and whose father, brother, and son had all been killed by Zheng Chenggong. Shi Lang set sail from [[Fujian province|Fujian]] in early July [[1683]], destroying forces loyal to the Zhengs on the [[Pescadores Islands|Pescadores]] before making his way to Taiwan, where he vanquished the last of the Ming loyalists within three months,<ref>Spence, 56.</ref> claiming the island for Chinese territory for the first time in history. There were debates at court as to what to do with Taiwan; while Shi Lang and others advocated that it be used as a fortress helping to defend the coast from European navies (and, incidentally, as a trading site), other court officials adhered more closely to the traditional view associating maritime trade with disorder, and with piracy and smuggling, and feared that it would lead to dangerous outflows of silver from the country, and of vital state secrets. In the end, the [[Kangxi Emperor]] decided to incorporate Taiwan into Fujian province, designating it a prefecture with its capital at Tainan, and dividing it into three counties, each governed by a civilian magistrate. A force of 8,000 men would be garrisoned on the island. However, the Qing did not colonize Taiwan; Chinese immigration to Taiwan was to be severely restricted, and while Chinese military and civilian settlement did, in the end, end up pushing many aboriginal tribes from the plains into the mountains, large portions of the island were essentially left completely under aboriginal control. For the next two centuries or so, Taiwan was to be something of a frontier land, occupied by opportunists, maritime traders, and optimistic farmer/settlers, governed by local officials who made considerable personal fortunes managing commercial and other affairs in the Fujian/Taiwan region, while higher-level authorities remained largely hands-off.<ref>Spence, 57-58.</ref>

Following the end of the Revolt of the Three Feudatories, the Qing assembled a fleet of some three hundred warships, to be commanded by [[Shi Lang]], one of Zheng Zhilong's men who had surrendered to the Manchus in the 1650s and whose father, brother, and son had all been killed by Zheng Chenggong. Shi Lang set sail from [[Fujian province|Fujian]] in early July [[1683]], destroying forces loyal to the Zhengs on the [[Pescadores Islands|Pescadores]] before making his way to Taiwan, where he vanquished the last of the Ming loyalists within three months,<ref>Spence, 56.</ref> claiming the island for Chinese territory for the first time in history. There were debates at court as to what to do with Taiwan; while Shi Lang and others advocated that it be used as a fortress helping to defend the coast from European navies (and, incidentally, as a trading site), other court officials adhered more closely to the traditional view associating maritime trade with disorder, and with piracy and smuggling, and feared that it would lead to dangerous outflows of silver from the country, and of vital state secrets. In the end, the [[Kangxi Emperor]] decided to incorporate Taiwan into Fujian province, designating it a prefecture with its capital at Tainan, and dividing it into three counties, each governed by a civilian magistrate. A force of 8,000 men would be garrisoned on the island. However, the Qing did not colonize Taiwan; Chinese immigration to Taiwan was to be severely restricted, and while Chinese military and civilian settlement did, in the end, end up pushing many aboriginal tribes from the plains into the mountains, large portions of the island were essentially left completely under aboriginal control. For the next two centuries or so, Taiwan was to be something of a frontier land, occupied by opportunists, maritime traders, and optimistic farmer/settlers, governed by local officials who made considerable personal fortunes managing commercial and other affairs in the Fujian/Taiwan region, while higher-level authorities remained largely hands-off.<ref>Spence, 57-58.</ref>

===Late 19th century===

===Late 19th century===