[MR] Piracy in period

[sigrune at aol.com]

-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Mowbray <syrrichard at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [MR] Piracy in period

...Because there was almost never an offer to submit or a means to flee 
attack, and
the unfortunately common abuse of prisoners, sea raiders were often 
given the
harshest treatments and soundly condemned for their abuses. This, of 
course, was
still the time when formal agreements to battle in specific places and 
dates
were often arranged. The less formal and sometimes downright viscious 
methods of
raiders were strictly against these "rules of war".
 
It should be remembered that the English King (Edward III) and his 
noble
commanders (Knights of the Garter - epitomes of chivalry) committed the
chevauchee in France against peasants and property. Alot like land 
pirates.
 
In the end, the tactics were oten criticized by gentlemen who used the 
same
devices under slightly different circumstances...

Syr Richard
-------------------------------------------------

Yup, the difference between the Kings, Princes, and Dukes who 
predicated Chevauche and pirates was legitimacy.  Since no Lord at that 
time wanted to set forth on a ship for extended periods (since they had 
better things to do) conducting "piracy" was probably not thought as a 
lucrative enough trade for the nobility.  By the time of Henry 
(probably having to do with the wealth of the Italian city states) We 
start to see Lords taking a keen interest, the potential pay-outs for 
seized goods had grown to the point it needed to be legitimized. 
(privateering)

As far as the use of gunpowder goes (the other part of the email chain) 
it is documented that:
1543 Europeans brought Matchlocks to Japan (by 1545 production centers 
in Japan were cranking them out, by 1580 it is estimated the number in 
Japan may have surpassed those in Western Europe)  Small cannon of 
european production appeared by 1560...  These were not unknown to 
Japan, China had been using firearms on white ships for at elast 100 
years, after Japanese prduction started, the Japan began exporting them 
to China, and in short order the Chinese guns improved based on the 
Japanese models (which had much more reliable mechanisims than the 
european guns)

By 1560 Japanese, Chinese, Korean, SE Asian pirates were utilizing 
firearms to a large degree, Since it was unusual that Spanish, 
portugese and later (post period) Dutch & English ships were not usualy 
engaged by pirates one can probably safely assume that they were 
heavily enough armed both in small weapons and larger ones, that it was 
enough of a deterrent.

It is also known that explosive or gunpowder incindiary devices were 
used by the Chinese Navy (and also the pirates, since that is typically 
what the chinese navy did in the off-months) since at least the late 
1200's  These early ones were rockets, "roman candle" type munitions, 
and hurled grenades/shells.  Catapul type devices, Manpowered 
Trebuchets, giant crossbows as well as single man crossbows, slings, 
and bows. were used to probel flaming exploding death upon the 
unfortunate.  "Cannon" were later and did not achive the considerable 
force and pressures of Europe until much later.

Based on the surviving accounts, it looks like Europe invented the 
cannon navy... The East developed the exploding shell navy, heavily 
agumented by handgones and flaming arrows.  Piracy in the east from 
very early on ranged from the poor to the very rich, the idea of state 
sponsored "privateering" caught on very very early.  In Japan, even the 
Shogunate of the 1300's was known to be generating a significant 
portion of their income by preying upon Chinese and SE Asian shipping.  
No Kidding, but how do you think Ashikaga Yoshimitsu paid for his 
Golden Pavillon in 1397? -no kidding!

-Takeda