Fighting Beyond the Beaches and Landing Grounds: The Ming Navy in the Imjin War

This paper investigates the transformation of the Ming dynasty’s maritime power during the Imjin War (1592–1598). It aims to bring the contributions of the Ming maritime assets towards the overall war effort into greater light. The concepts of “two-fluked navy” and “green/blue-water” taxonomies of naval power are proposed to gain greater insights into the Ming’s (envisioned) deployment of its maritime assets during this brief but transformational period. In addition, I seek to challenge the framework on the development of naval power established by Alfred Thayer Mahan. The Ming navy’s case proves that beyond inherent characteristics, the exigencies of war itself can be decisive in turning a continental power into one that dominates the seas.