Introduction
The depiction of historical events is a highly controversial issue since there is no possibility to check the reliability of the evidence and recorded available facts. Another problem is that history is multifaceted since every party writes it from its own point of view, which frequently leads to disputable statements. The history of Taiwan and its people belongs to such polemical questions since it was written both by aboriginal people and invaders. The present paper will investigate the relationship between Taiwanese people and their neighbors and invaders. The connections between aborigines and migrants will be outlined, and the effect of different rulers on these relationships will be analyzed.
The Relationships Between Aboriginal People and Migrant Chinese in Taiwan
It is frequently difficult to distinguish between reality and fiction when analyzing past events and their impact on the present. As Stainton remarks, the history of Taiwan language and people belongs to such cases when one should be particularly careful about what features to believe in and which ones to doubt.[1] The scholar even remarks that it is a “matter of debate” whether the peoples and languages of Taiwan might be recognized as separate categories.[2] Three models of the aboriginal origins of Taiwan are outlined by Stainton: the theory of southern origin, the theory of northern origin, and the theory of Taiwan as the Austronesian homeland.[3]
According to the southern origin theory, there exists a historical and conceptual disconnection between Taiwan and China. Taiwan is considered as a home for aboriginal people who need support from other non-Chinese citizens against the “Chinese invaders.”[4] The northern origin theory regards China as the center and birthplace of all cultures across the Pacific.[5] The supporters of this model view Taiwan aborigines as a constituent part of the Chinese culture and nation and believe that Taiwan should be reunited with China.[6] Finally, the theory of Taiwan as an Austronesian homeland regards Taiwan as the “center and a place of origins.”[7] Thus, two out of three models demonstrate the relationships between aborigines and migrant Chinese people as rivalrous and unfriendly.
If compared to southern and northern theories, the Taiwan origin theory views the connection between Taiwan and China as a rather remote link. Aboriginal people are considered as “contributors” to the world culture.[8] As Stainton notes, the third model has stolen the northern origin theory and then turned it into an argument against itself.[9] The approach is thus regarded as the Taiwanese nationalist discourse rather than the aboriginal one. In accordance with the Taiwan origin theory, there exists only a slight connection between the Taiwanese and migrant Chinese people.
The gap between the aboriginal people and Chinese migrants in Taiwan can also be demonstrated through cultural traditions and moral values. Taiwanese people identify themselves as a community and emphasize that their culture and traditions are ingenious and have nothing to do with Chinese migrants.[10] There is a popular myth in Taiwanese culture that depicts the story of “two suns” and the way people managed the destructive power of nature to provide themselves with better living conditions.[11] This myth shows the community spirit of the Taiwanese as well as the readiness for self-sacrifice for their people. A variety of ceremonies and customs pertaining to the Taiwanese testifies to their ingenuity and independence from Chinese migrants in the formation of their culture.
The disempowerment of Taiwanese people by a variety of rulers led to the rise in self-identity. Having been under pressure for many decades, Taiwan started emphasizing its own culture as soon as it became possible.[12] Taiwanese people remark that they have always had unique beliefs and customs but could not respect them properly under the rule of numerous invaders. At present, Taiwanese people are doing everything possible to revive their traditions and dismiss the myth of their dependence on the migrant Chinese. Whereas in the past, the latter had an impact on the former, at present, Taiwanese people are trying to cooperate with Chinese migrants on an equal basis and demand respect towards their aboriginal culture. The changing relationships mean that Taiwan is becoming to be recognized by its neighbors and former invaders, which is a rather positive trend in this region’s development.
The Impact of the Dutch and Japanese Rulers on the Aboriginal-Chinese Relationships
Apart from the aborigines and Chinese, there were other parties that had a great effect on the aboriginal-Chinese relationships. One of such parties was the Dutch, whose arrival in Taiwan led to considerable changes both in the aboriginal people’s lives and their relations with the Chinese. As Wills mentions, the Dutch served as a catalyst for the invasion of Chinese people in Taiwan.[13] If before the arrival of the Dutch, the Chinese had only a slightly negative effect on the life of the aborigines, after the Dutch came, the Chinese could practice their barbaric behaviors to a greater extent.
Along with certain discomforts, the arrival of the Dutch also had some positive effects on Taiwan. For instance, the trade was initiated between the aborigines and the Dutch, while before the latter came, the Chinese had not engaged in such a relationship with the Taiwanese.[14] Thus, in the 17th century, the trade business in Taiwan started to be governed by the Dutch.[15] The majority of this group’s population was represented by missionaries, merchants, soldiers, and officials.[16] One of the effects of the Dutch on the aboriginal-Chinese relationships was the desire of the new invaders to inculcate their culture to the Taiwanese, which created a bigger gap between the former and the Chinese.
Another party that had an influence on the aboriginal-Chinese relations was Japan. With the cession of Taiwan to Japan at the end of the 19th century, another series of changes occurred.[17] While modern scholars tend to criticize the alterations that Taiwan had to undergo with Japan’s annexation, initially, those changes were considered rather positive for the region. In particular, Chinese nationalism was ceased, and Taiwan was able to gain some achievements in its development under the colonial regime.[18] The Taiwanese were promised to be entitled to the advantages of “civilization and enlightenment” that Japan brought to their land.[19] Still, while the Japanese helped Taiwan to become free from China’s persistent intrusions, they soon made it clear that the Taiwanese were to lose their power over their own land again, surrendering to Japan at that time.
Conclusion
The history of Taiwan’s relationships with China is a complicated and controversial one. The Chinese tried to suppress the authenticity of the Taiwanese by inculcating their culture, language, and traditions. According to some theories, Taiwan’s culture and customs had always been the major ones on the territory. Other studies suggest that the Chinese had a prominent impact on this state. The relationships between the aborigines and the Chinese were rather strained due to the desire of the latter to make their culture dominant in Taiwan. In recent decades, the Taiwanese people have succeeded in constituting their own rules on their territory, which has led to more diplomatic communication with the Chinese.
Bibliography
Chang, Shu-Chun. “Evaluation of Taiwan’s Aboriginal Development Before Ching Dynasty.” Applied Economics 44, no. 34 (2012): 4409-4419.
Lamley, Harry J. “Taiwan Under Japanese Rule, 1895-1945: The Vicissitudes of Colonialism.” In Taiwan: A New History, edited by Murray A. Rubinstein, 201-260. New York: Routledge, 2015.
Stainton, Michael. “The Politics of Taiwan Aboriginal Origins.” In Taiwan: A New History, edited by Murray A. Rubinstein, 27-44. New York: Routledge, 2015.
Wills, John E. “The Seventeenth-Century Transformation: Taiwan Under the Dutch and Cheng Regime.” In Taiwan: A New History, edited by Murray A. Rubinstein, 84-106. New York: Routledge, 2015.
Wu, Meiyao. “Moral Education and the Aboriginal Peoples of Taiwan: From Sino-Centrism to the Ethic of Multiculturalism.” Journal of Moral Education 46, no. 1 (2017): 69-78.