Aboriginal History of Taiwan

The Dadu Kingdom is a loose tribal alliance. The area governed by around 1645 is mainly the Dadu River Basin today, approximately from the south of Houli in Taichung City on the north bank of Dajia River to Wuxi (Dadu River) Basin. The Netherlands knew in 1638 that the Dadu Kingdom was the regime that ruled the aborigines in central Taiwan. It is a super tribal kingdom composed of 27 villages of the Babula, Maowuhu, Bazehai, Hongya, and Daukas. In the heyday of the domain, the southern end of the domain was approximately to Lukang, and the north to the south of Taoyuan. The kingdom surrendered after the Dutch invaded by force in 1644. In April 1645, the Dutch convened a local meeting in the south. Ganzaih Alamy of the Dadu Kingdom signed a contract with the Dutch East India Company to express surrender, but it was not until the Netherlands in 1662. Until people left Taiwan, Dadu Kingdom remained semi-independent.

Although the Dadu Kingdom was friendly to the Dutch East India Company, it never submitted to the Zheng dynasty and even stubbornly resisted the Zheng army, leading Zheng Chenggong and others to believe that they were instigated by the Netherlands. In 1661, Zheng Chenggong obtained part of the rule of Taiwan. As a result of the implementation of the “combination of soldiers and agriculture” policy, Zheng Jun was sent to various places to farm, infringing on the space of activities of the aboriginal peoples, leading to several armed conflicts between the Zheng Dynasty and the Dadu Kingdom.

After the demise of the Zheng regime, in 1722 (the 61st year of Kangxi), Huang Shuzheng, who served as the official historian of Taiwan, wrote in his book “Taiwan Shichalu”: “The shape of a big belly mountain looks like a high city of hundred pheasants. Fan Chang is named Big Eyebrow.” Although a few words show that there was indeed a super-tribal kingdom in central Taiwan in the 17th century. In 1731 (the ninth year of Yongzheng), the officials of the Qing court assigned too many labors to the aboriginal peoples, which caused the aboriginal peoples to resist, and the Dajiaxi Society resisted the Qing incident. The following year was suppressed, people of all ethnic groups fled their original places and moved to Around Puli, the Dadu Kingdom finally collapsed.

Great Turtle Kingdom

Also in the 17th to 19th centuries, the area south of Mangxi on the Hengchun Peninsula in southern Taiwan and north of Fenggang River (Nanhui Highway) was ruled by the Great Guiwen Kingdom established by Nanpai Bay, also known as the “Great Turtle”. “Wenshe”, “Neiwen Community” or “Lang Qiao Shang Eighteen Society”. The Miscellaneous Record of the Japanese Army Fenggang Camp records: “From the south to Fenggang’s east back, and from Beiyuan to the east, the west is separated from Fenggang, Chutongjiao, Bengshan, and Jialuotang. The border is not opened, and the number of personnel is unknown.” At present, it is known that the most powerful and prosperous period includes 23 tribes and several Han villages. The main ruling class is the two major suzerain boss families. The leader of the kingdom is called the “head of state” (Mazazangiljan), and has Almost all land ownership. In the early period of the Dutch rule, the kingdom had a friendly relationship with the East India Company, and the officials were very courteous to it. Daguiwen was one of the six official languages of the Nanlu local meeting. Even so, the kingdom still passively resisted local meetings most of the time, often being absent by servants or excuses, and the “head of state” only went to participate in 1644. The officials hope that the three main communities of the kingdom can move down the mountain, and the “head of state” has also continued to use excuses to delay.

At the beginning of 1661, due to the long-term conflicts between the kingdom and the Pingpu Macadao tribe and the Han people, the Daguan authorities launched two large-scale conquests against the Daguiwen Kingdom. The statements of the results of the two sides are very different. Dutch documents record the successful capture of Durkeduk, but the oral history of the Paiwan tribe is that the ancestors almost completely wiped out the Dutch army that invaded the Lion’s Head three hundred years ago. Regardless of victory or defeat, this military action may have a very negative political and military impact on the high-ranking officials who were about to face a decisive battle with Zheng Chenggong that year. Until the end of the Qing Dynasty’s rule of Taiwan, Fenggangying’s Miscellaneous Records (1874) recorded that 23 tribes in the territory and Han villages such as Jintongjiaozhuang and Jialuotangzhuang still paid taxes to the kingdom.

In the Peony Society incident in 1874, Japan sent about 3,600 troops to Taiwan to attack the Eighteenth Society of Langqiao (the Kingdom of Skaroo), and the Japanese troops stationed in Fenggang on the North Road. In June, some members of Langqiao Shangshiba Society (Daguiwen Society) returned to the Japanese army. In August, the two villages of Zhutongjiao and Bengshan Han were attacked and requested Japanese protection, and the Japanese troops went to the north to station troops at Zhutongjiao. At the end of that year, the Japanese troops withdrew from Taiwan, the Lionhead tribe took the opportunity to get out of the grass, and then clashes with the Han people broke out. In 1875, Shen Baozheng asked for further discussion. With Tang Dingkui led the Huai army and thousands of Xiangyong, they advanced from Nanshi Lake to the mountains, and after the fierce battle, they broke through Caoshan and Zhukeng. In April, although the Qing army was disturbed by the epidemic, Tang Dingkui personally supervised the army to forcibly attack the Neishitou Society, and Daguiwen sent troops to assist him, but he was defeated in the fall, and the leader’s brother Alabai died in battle. After the Qing army attacked the Waishitou Society, the chief leader led the crowd to surrender, and all the communities were naturalized.

During the Pleistocene Ice Age, which is 3 million to 10,000 years ago, Taiwan was connected to mainland Asia several times. When the two places are connected, creatures from the mainland and ancient humans may come to settle in Taiwan. The earliest known humans in Taiwan are primitive human skeletons excavated in the Zuozhen district of Tainan City, and they are called Zuozhen people. However, no corresponding culture has been found in Zuozhen area. However, according to the research on the blood components of Taiwanese by Professor Lin Mali, the “Mother of Blood in Taiwan”, the ancestors of Taiwan’s aboriginal people migrated to Taiwan from Southeast Asian islands and other places before the end of the ice age 15,000 years ago. In addition, in the legends of the aborigines of Taiwan, such as the dwarf spirit offerings of the Saixia or the Paiwan tribe, some stories may be about dwarf blacks (Negritos), but so far there is no Relevant archaeological evidence.

After excavating several archaeological sites, it was learned that Taiwan was already inhabited by humans in the late Paleolithic period (50,000 years ago to 10,000 years ago). Based on the available evidence, the earliest culture in Taiwan is the Changbin Culture (the Baxiandong site in Changbin Township, Taitung County is the most representative), and a large number of rough stone tools and bone horns have been excavated. Although the Changbin culture has a certain degree of similarity with the culture of southern China today, based on current archaeological evidence, it is still uncertain which ethnic group of humans left Taiwan’s Paleolithic culture.

Taiwan’s Neolithic and Metal Age cultures are not highly related to Paleolithic cultures. The more famous ones include the Dazukeng Culture and Shisanxing Culture in Bali District, New Taipei City, Yuanshan Culture and Botanical Garden Culture in Taipei Basin, Taiwan Beinan Culture and other sites in East County. Coins and other objects from China have been unearthed in some of these sites, indicating that some cultures may have contact with regions outside Taiwan. It has been confirmed that the prehistoric culture since the Neolithic Age (beginning 5,000 BC) is the legacy of Taiwan’s Austronesian people.

The Japanese scholar Igawa Kozura once stated: “Today, among the various ethnic groups regarded as aboriginals in Taiwan, there is no shortage of oral inheritances that prove the existence of earlier inhabitants. Since prehistoric times, there have been nearly 20 kinds of inhabited ethnic groups on the island. ” In addition, some cultures may be the ancestors of today’s aboriginals. For example, the Shisanxing cultural people may be the ancestors of the Ketagalan tribe. However, the current archaeological evidence cannot completely determine the aborigines of Taiwan and the Neolithic Age Correspondence between cultures.

Taiwan’s aborigines are diverse and complex. The groups officially recognized by the Republic of China’s research classification during the Japanese rule are: Atayal, Saixia, Puyuma, Ami, Paiwan, Bunun, Tsou, 9 tribes including Rukai and Dawu. After the 21st century, the newly recognized ethnic groups include: Thao, Kavalan, Taroko, Sakilaya, Saidiq, Laalwa, Kanakanafu, etc. Most of these 7 ethnic groups live in the mountains and the Rift Valley of the East Coast today, and their cultural characteristics are still clearly identifiable.

In addition to the officially recognized ethnic groups, there are 8 ethnic groups: Ketagalan, Daukas, Bazai, Babura, Maowuzu, Hongya, Silaya and Monkey Etc., mainly from the traditional so-called Pingpu ethnic group. Taiwan’s aborigines had no written language in the past, so they can only infer the early history of the aborigines from ancient records and archaeological evidence written by outsiders. Important historical documents include Xingang Documents, Dongfan Ji, and Xiao The Story of Long City” etc.

Foreign Relations – China Mainland

Scholars have different interpretations of the political relationship between Taiwan and ancient China, but it is uncontroversial that it was included in the Qing Empire after the 23rd year of Kangxi (1684). Before Kangxi, there were dozens to hundreds of indigenous peoples and tribes on this island, which was later called Taiwan. After the 17th century, there were areas under Dutch and Spanish colonial rule. Ancient China first included Taiwan in its territory and actually ruled. It was the Ming Zheng Dongning regime in the Southern Ming Dynasty, and before Kangxi included Taiwan in the territory of the Qing Dynasty, Taiwan was never regarded as a Chinese territory. Taiwan mentioned here does not include the Penghu Islands.

Ancient Chinese history books, including “Three Kingdoms·Wu Zhi”, “Sui Shu·Liu Qiu Zhuan” and “Chen Tong Kao”, are believed to have records that appear to be suspected of Taiwan. For example, “Sui Shu·Liu Qiu Zhuan” records: “Liu Qiu country is in the sea, when Jian’an County is east, the water travels five days to reach.” The People’s Republic of China and some scholars claim that this is evidence of early connections between Taiwan and China. However, some opinions claim that there is no evidence that these documents describe Taiwan among the many islands in the Western Pacific. Some scholars believe that the historical records are the Ryukyu Islands.

Japan

Since the Muromachi period, the Japanese began to call Taiwan as Takasago, Takasago, and Takayama. In the second year of Bunroku in the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1593), Toyotomi Hideyoshi sent an emissary Harada Sunchiro to order the Takayama country to pay tribute, but the emissary failed to return because he could not find anyone who could pass the document to the Takayama country. In the 14th year of Keicho in the Edo period (1609), Tokugawa Ieyasu appointed Harunobu Arima to pay tribute to the land. In the 2nd year of Yuanhe (1616), Tokugawa Ieyasu appointed Nagasaki’s Daikan Murayama to conquer Taiwan, waiting for An’s second son, Murayama Qiu’an to lead two or three thousand people to conquer Taiwan, which was the largest one. It won. In the 18th year of Huan Yong (1641), the national lock-up system was completed, and communication gradually decreased. However, during the Ming and Zheng period, Taiwan and Japan during the lock-up period still maintained considerable trade and political exchanges. The trade volume between Taiwan and Japan reached a peak from 1665 to 1672. See Japanese beggars.