Chapter 456: Imperialism
July 23, 1875
A fleet of seven East African warships arrived at the Lanfang Republic and landed at Sanyangkou. Archduke Ferdinand remarked, "Among the many islands in the South Seas, this place is indeed quite well-developed."
Everywhere he looked were fertile fields—very reminiscent of the agricultural development along East Africa's coast. This shattered the stereotype Ferdinand had recently formed while sailing through the Strait of Malacca, where most of the terrain had been dense rainforest with very little settlement aside from a few underdeveloped coastal villages (which to Ferdinand still resembled countryside more than cities).
The Strait of Malacca may have been narrow, but it ran between the massive landmasses of the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra. Yet aside from a few exceptions, development on both sides was sparse and wild.
Lanfang, however, was entirely different. Initially, the East African fleet docked at Bangxia, a northern city of the Lanfang Republic, but since the capital Dongwanlü lay further south, the fleet followed the coast southward.
Along the way, Ferdinand witnessed for the first time how a Chinese-governed nation operated. Lanfang's agriculture and mining were well developed—its farming in particular stood out as the most advanced in the South Seas. With this comparison, Ernst's remarks about the limited capabilities of the native South Sea peoples began to make more sense.
History had already proven this point. The Dutch, who were most familiar with the Lanfang Republic, once documented it best. Dutchman K. Y. Ko wrote:
"The Chinese era in Borneo—the era of prosperity—has completely vanished. The local gold mining industry was replaced by large-scale European enterprises, but the former mining boom of the Chinese era never returned. Agriculture, too, declined after the mass repatriation of Chinese immigrants to the Far East."
So when Ernst said that the Lanfang Republic represented the highest productive capacity in Southeast Asia, he wasn't exaggerating. In fact, the Dutch decision to annex Lanfang was arguably a strategic blunder.
What had Lanfang built its prosperity on? The answer was simple: its people. Once the Dutch drove the Chinese out, the region never recovered. Currently, Lanfang was already under Dutch influence. Its supposed "Grand Consul" was essentially a Dutch puppet.
The arrival of the East African fleet at Sanyangkou caused an immediate stir. For the locals, who had never seen an ironclad warship, the steel leviathans were a terrifying spectacle.
"Is that... a ship?"
"A warship!"
Dutch merchants, more informed, immediately recognized the ships as military vessels—and some even recognized the East African flag.
"Why are the Germans suddenly in Lanfang? What are they up to?"
Archduke Ferdinand was not here for pleasantries. Under the "courteous" watch of the East African Navy, the local Chinese leaders of Sanyangkou hurried out to meet him. They had no choice—the foreign army had already landed.
"May I ask, sir, where you are from and what brings you to Lanfang?"
Ferdinand was caught off guard—he couldn't understand a word. He had expected his limited Chinese would suffice, but clearly, he'd miscalculated.
The Habsburg family was renowned for its multilingualism—being ruler of the Austro-Hungarian Empire meant knowing multiple languages was essential. Emperor Franz himself mastered eight.
Ferdinand was no exception. With experience in Europe, America, and Africa, he spoke even more languages. Within the East African Navy, many sailors were Chinese. While they all spoke German, Ferdinand had personally studied Chinese and, in just three months, had learned enough to communicate without translation—a critical advantage in command.
However, Ferdinand had learned northern Mandarin, the official language of the Far East. The Lanfang Republic used Hakka and Teochew dialects—far outside his grasp.
Fortunately, many East African sailors were southerners recruited from Zhuhai, known for their seamanship—just like how the East African Mountain Division drew from Guangxi. With these interpreters, communication was established.
"We are the Kingdom of East Africa…"
Once translated, the leaders of Sanyangkou understood the East Africans' purpose—but the matter was beyond their authority.
"Respected Archduke Ferdinand, this isn't something a local official like me can decide. I must inform the Grand Consul to make a formal decision."
"If you can't decide, then there's no point talking. We'll go to Dongwanlü and negotiate with your leader directly," Ferdinand declared.
The local leader hesitated—but one look at the well-equipped soldiers and bristling cannons made him swallow his objections.
Dongwanlü, capital of the Lanfang Republic, lay slightly inland but still close to the coast. It took Ferdinand just two days to reach it.
In the 19th century, Lanfang had a population of about 1 million. Chinese made up roughly 500,000, even after gold mining collapsed and many miners moved to the Kingdom of Sarawak. Dongwanlü itself had about 10,000 residents.
While nominally independent, Lanfang claimed to be a vassal of the Qing Empire, but in reality paid tribute to the Dutch—protection money. Its Grand Consul Liu Asheng was a compromise between pro-Chinese and pro-Dutch factions—a half-puppet regime.
Lanfang's political landscape was chaotic. Some leaders, like Liu, collaborated with the Dutch; others fiercely opposed them.
For East Africa, none of this mattered. The East African Navy had come to force Liu's regime to open the gates. Once Dongwanlü signed the agreement, East African businesses would begin an economic takeover.
In fact, East Africa already had commercial ties in Lanfang—mainly through Zanzibar merchants. But this time, East Africa was taking direct control.
Dongwanlü had two main streets forming a large cross, about a quarter-mile long. Buildings were neat and well-built—but the town was eerily quiet, like an American city after a cholera outbreak. Many homes were abandoned—an effect of the exhausted mining industry.
When Ferdinand entered Dongwanlü with over 2,000 troops, the local government offered no resistance. With only 10,000 people total, they knew they couldn't fight.
Local Chinese factions didn't resist either—they didn't know what the outsiders wanted, and as long as their own interests weren't threatened, they kept quiet.
The Dutch were a different story. They had a reputation in Lanfang—they'd made enemies. The East Africans, by contrast, with their mixed yellow and white military force, looked unfamiliar but undeniably professional—unlike the Dutch, whose forces often resembled mercenary bandits.
Ferdinand reached Dongwanlü unopposed. Upon meeting the so-called Grand Consul Liu Asheng, he immediately presented East Africa's list of demands.
"Mr. Liu, these are all our terms. If your nation values friendship, the Kingdom of East Africa is willing to engage in amicable relations."
With rifles practically pointed at his head, Liu—derided by pro-Chinese factions as a "traitor"—barely glanced at the document before tremblingly signing the treaty.
He didn't really have a choice. At least East Africa didn't demand tribute like the Dutch—this was still tolerable.
For now, East Africa wasn't interested in squeezing small profits. The goal was long-term control: open up trade, recruit forces, encourage immigration, and expand investments. The idea was to cultivate pro-East Africa factions and later absorb the whole fractured republic.
Lanfang's political system was bizarre. Aside from the Lanfang Company, there were other Chinese syndicates—but Lanfang was the strongest, a "hegemon" with more authority.
This "negotiation" was essentially a military threat, very different from how East Africa operated in Africa or Europe.
In Africa, East Africa didn't bother with threats—it used brute force. Disobedient natives were simply suppressed—negotiation wasn't even on the table.
This so-called "friendly visit" to Lanfang marked the first time East Africa revealed the face of imperialism—a taste of classic colonial bullying.
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 40 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Canserbero10