African Nationhood

Chapter 304 Occupying the Sulu Sultanate

“The Sulu Islands are located between the Sulu Sea and the Sulawesi Sea, that is, between Mindanao and Kalimantan, and include nearly 400 small islands and hundreds of reefs.

Extending more than 320 kilometers from northeast to southwest, it is divided into 5 groups of islands: Jolo Islands, Pangutalan Islands, Samales Islands, Tapul Islands and Tawi-Tawi Islands, with a total area of ​​about 2823 square kilometers.

The largest ethnic groups on the archipelago are the Sulu and Bajau people, and the largest residential areas are Port Jolo, Siasi, Sitankai and Talipao.

Okay, now that we have finished talking about the general content of the Sulu Islands, let’s talk about the specific content of our reception operation this time. "

Xue Youfu said, putting away the previously hung map of the Sulu Islands, and then hung up another map.

“This map is Jolo Island in the Sulu Islands, where the royal capital of the Sulu Sultanate is located.

The island is 59 kilometers long from east to west and 19 kilometers long at its widest point from north to south. The land on the island is fertile and there are several extinct volcanoes. The total area is 869 square kilometers. The islands are Jolo, Parang, Patikul and Talibo. Waiting towns.

What we are going to is the town of Jolo, which is the royal city of the Sultan of Sulu and the largest port and trading port on the island.

Therefore, after we arrived there this time, we immediately controlled the royal city of the Sultan of Sulu. Only by controlling it can we successfully take over the Sulu Islands. Do you understand? "

After Xue Youfu finished speaking, a group of navy soldiers and Lanfang Company garrison soldiers opposite him, holding steel guns in their hands, responded in unison: "Understood."

"In addition, I also want to announce an order. You are not allowed to shoot without permission on the island, and you are not allowed to rob and kill locals at will. Violators will be severely punished!"

"understand!"

The Nanhua Navy took over the Sulu Islands with the intention of peaceful takeover, but peaceful takeover does not mean that it will not show force as a deterrent.

Therefore, Xue Youfu directly borrowed a garrison battalion of soldiers from Lanfang Company. More than 900 people were enough to control the Sulu Sultanate on Jolo Island.

After announcing the precautions, the "Guan Yu" sounded its whistle and sent an entry signal to Jolo Port.

The port of Jolo is not big. Facing the ironclad ship with a hull of nearly 90 meters, the Sulu people in Jolo Port have no ability to resist.

There was a chaos in the harbor. They hurriedly jumped onto their own small fishing boats, fearing that they would be capsized by the armored ship. Some of them just rowed away because they were afraid.

"Woo~"

随着“关羽号”停稳，船8门4吋后膛炮，以及上层甲板的4门6磅和6门3磅速射炮，齐齐调整炮口对准了霍洛镇。

Xue Youfu ordered the crew to fire a round of shells from a 3-pound rapid-fire gun at the farmland near Jolo Port.

"Boom~~"

This round of artillery shells directly blew up the good farmland into mud, and the crater caused by the shell explosion was also very large, which looked very scary!
  The power of the cannon fired suppressed the Sulu people at the port, and Xue Youfu ordered the Sulu guides recruited from Lanfang Company to shout below.

Inform the Sulu people that they are here to assert their sovereignty and ask the Sultan of Sulu to come as soon as possible, otherwise the city will be bombarded with cannon.

The sound of cannons also alerted the Sulu Sultanate in the center of the town. The guards in the palace rode out from the palace to inquire about the situation.

After the guards saw the dark ironclad ship in the port, they were frightened. One of the leaders boldly approached the port and asked a fisherman about the situation.

After learning the intention of the ironclad ship, the guard leader immediately ordered his men to report the news, and he bravely approached the port slowly.

The close contact made him even more frightened. This armored ship was too big. He had never seen such a large gunboat since he was a child.

Moreover, he had never seen the flag hanging above it. He only knew that the Union Jack flag belonged to the British Empire, but wasn't it controlled by the Spanish here?

"Hello, may I ask where you are from?"

The guard leader spoke Malay, and the guide on the boat translated and informed Xue Youfu.

"Tell him that we are the British South China Company and we have signed an agreement with the Spanish government.

The Sultanate of Sulu has been handed over to our Nanhua Company, and their sultan is required to arrive here within one hour, otherwise we will bombard the town of Jolo and bloodbath the entire island! "

Xue Youfu's words frightened the leader of Wang Sultan's guard below. He did not dare to delay any longer and rode directly back to the capital to report the news in person.

The Sultan's capital has already received a message from the guards. Sulu Sultan Kilang II Chamaru Hiram has just come of age and does not know how to deal with this sudden battle.

He had no choice but to look at his royal uncle Jamal Hiram, "Uncle, what should I do?"

Uncle Wang didn't have any good ideas. He said to the young Sultan: "His Royal Highness, you should face it bravely. Escape will not solve the problem. Jolo Island is not big, and we cannot fight against that ironclad ship."

After listening to Uncle Wang's words, the young Sultan took a deep breath and made up his mind.

"Let's go meet those outsiders."

The Sultan gave the order, and the entire royal capital moved. The Sultan's guards quickly gathered with swords and matchlocks, while most of the nobles hid secretly, fearing that they would die in the next war.

The young Sultan did not pay attention to the nobles who escaped. Surrounded by his guards, he boarded his royal couch and walked towards Jolo Port.

……

Xue Youfu saw the Sudan's movement through the telescope at the bow of the ship. He turned around and told the first mate and gunners to get ready.

As the Sultan's team got closer, the soldiers on the "Guan Yu" became more and more nervous.    …

When the Sultan's team approached the port, the young Sultan stopped sitting on the couch.

"Uncle Wang, go and negotiate on my behalf and ask about their intention."

After receiving the order, the old Jamal Hiram bowed his head to the young Sultan and said, "As ordered."

After he rode forward to the port, he also saw the full picture of the ironclad ship.

He bowed his head to Xue Youfu on the bow of the ship and asked humbly: "Hello, envoy from afar, I am Jamal Hiram, the prime minister of the Sulu Sultanate. Can I find out your purpose of coming?"

After listening to the translator, Xue Youfu looked at the young Sudan in the distance, "On behalf of the British South China Company of the British Empire, I announce that our company has signed a formal agreement with the Spanish government.

The agreement stipulated that the British South China Company took over the Sultanate of Sulu from the Spanish government, and our company had full sovereignty over the Sultanate of Sulu.

Therefore, you and your Sultan are all subjects of our Nanhua Company. If the Sultan does not believe it, he can come and check whether the agreement signed between our company and the Spanish government is true or false. "

Jamal Hiram was not too surprised when he heard Xue Youfu informed him of his intention. After all, it was not a big deal to change the suzerainty. As long as they did not go deep here to depose the Sultan's power, it would be fine.

"Okay, I will report to His Highness the Sultan right away."

……

After listening to Uncle Wang's report, the young Sultan breathed a sigh of relief.

He smiled and said to the people around him: "Since they have become the new sect masters, let me go and greet them. I think they look like Qing people, so let's go and follow me."

With the arrival of the young sultan, the Sulu people in the port all knelt down and saluted their sultan.

The crew members on the ship looked at the Sulu people saluting below and couldn't help but think of themselves. Thanks to Master Shi's declaration that "everyone is equal", otherwise they would not be able to stand up. Thank you to Master Shi.

The young Sultan smiled at Xue Youfu on the bow of the boat and said, "Please let the envoy get off the boat and come to my royal capital to talk."

After hearing what the translator said, Xue Youfu smiled and nodded, "Okay, Your Excellency Sultan, I will come down right away."

As the gangway was lowered, the sailors on the ship and the soldiers from the Lanfang garrison got off the ship first. After landing at the port, they formed a column in order.

I saw so many soldiers with serious faces, holding steel guns tightly, and they also carried some long items around their waists, and I didn't know what they were used for.

The colors of their military uniforms are also different. Where are they from, and why do they all have faces from the Qing Dynasty?

After all the soldiers on the ship were disembarked, Xue Youfu disembarked leisurely.

Kilang II was about to step forward to greet the envoy. Suddenly, some of the soldiers lined up at the port suddenly moved. They quickly formed a circle, pulled the bolts of their guns, and held the Sultan and his ministers high. They were all surrounded.

"Your Excellency, what are you doing?"

Xue Youfu, who was standing outside the circle, smiled and said: "Of course our safety has been ensured, Your Excellency Sultan, we have negotiated on the ship.

You can’t go back to your royal capital for the time being. "

The remaining soldiers at the port started running directly towards the royal capital. They wanted to occupy the royal capital as soon as possible and then wait for the next order.

"Come on, Your Majesty the Sultan, please follow me on board, and then we can sit down and talk."

The young Sudan looked at the black muzzle of the gun and the soldiers retreating. He was so frightened that he could hardly stand.

Xue Youfu saw the facial muscles on the young Sudan's face beating with fear, and he smiled: "Don't be afraid, Mr. Sudan, as long as you cooperate with us, I will not kill you.

On the contrary, I will ensure your safety. After all, what we want is a peaceful Sulu Sultanate. "

After hearing what the translator said, Geelong II breathed a sigh of relief. He nodded, and then he was escorted up the gangway by the soldiers.

After boarding the ironclad ship, he stood on the deck and looked back in the direction of the royal capital, and found that black smoke was rising over there, and there were constant explosions.

Are these people looting the royal capital?
  "What exactly are you going to do?"

Xue Youfu was expressionless, "What we want is a peaceful Sulu Sultanate, so you must follow my warships to various islands and announce our status to the people of the Sulu Sultanate, and then we will help you reorganize officials and institutions that govern the country.

When the time comes, Your Majesty Sultan, just be a doctrinal leader and leave the management of the country to us.

In addition, you have been under the rule of our Nanhua Company, so you must express some feelings to the leader.

Half of the precious items in your royal capital need to be donated to our respected Lord Shi. As for which items should be donated, it is also up to us to choose and decide.

There are so many things. Mr. Sultan, have you finished understanding? "

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  (End of this chapter)