1851
First year of the Xianfeng reign period (Qing dynasty) |
Zheng Shang explores the Beinan area.
October, The American merchant Gideon Nye recommends the occupation of the island of Lanyu. |
1853
3rd year of the Xianfeng reign period (Qing dynasty) |
Pingpu tribesmen in the Ilan area immigrate to Hualien. |
1854
4th year of the Xianfeng reign period (Qing dynasty) |
The Pingpu inhabitants of Jialiyuan village establish seven villages near the mouth of Meilun creek in the Hualien area. |
1858
8th year of the Xianfeng reign period (Qing dynasty) |
Thomas Swinhoe, official translator of the British consulate in Amoy, visits the coastal areas of Taiwan. Swinhoe afterwards writes "A Narrative of a Visit to the Island of Formosa" and many articles concerning the people and natural history of Taiwan. |
1860
10th year of the Xianfeng reign period (Qing dynasty) |
The German Richthofen comes to Taiwan to study of the geology around Tamsui harbor. Marines from the German warship Elbe land and are resisted by the natives. |
1866
5th year of the Tongzhi reign period (Qing dynasty) |
The Englishman Doob surveys the Oluanpi area, but is attacked by the local inhabitants. |
1867
6th year of the Tongzhi reign period (Qing dynasty) |
The America ship Rover runs aground during a typhoon in southern Taiwan. The captain and 12 other persons escape to shore, but are murdered by the Guizaijiao tribe. A survey party from the British vessel Comorant is also attacked when it went ashore. The Americans dispatch two warships carrying marines, but cannot defeat the aborigines. First mate Mackenzie dies in combat. The American consul at Amoy, General La Gendre, personally entered aboriginal territory and made a peace treaty with the local chief Tau Ketok. A party from the British warship Sylvia is attacked while performing survey work at Oluanpi. |
1868
7th year of the Tongzhi reign period (Qing dynasty) |
The Englishman Horn and the German merchant James Milisch make an agreement to illegally fell timber in aboriginal territory near the mouth of Dananao creek in eastern Taiwan. The Komalan tongshi vainly urges them to desist, as do British and German envoys.
Bernard writes "The Laws of the Taiwanese Natives."
The Fengshan Catholic church, the Kaohsiung Presbyterian church, and the Tainan Catholic church are destroyed and their priests flogged. |
1869
8th year of the Tongzhi reign period (Qing dynasty) |
Horn leaves Dananao. |
1870
9th year of the Tongzhi reign period (Qing dynasty) |
The government authorizes coal mining in the Keelung area. A census of aborigines is taken in the Tamsui department. The results show 494 adults in 14 villages. An annual tax of 494 ounces of silver is imposed. |
1871
10th year of the Tongzhi reign period (Qing dynasty) |
The Mudan village massacre: 54 Japanese from the Ryukyu islands shipwrecked on the east coast of Taiwan are massacred by the aborigines of Mudan village.
The British Presbyterian missionary William Campbell establishes a mission in southern Taiwan. |
1872
11th year of the Tongzhi reign period (Qing dynasty) |
February, the Presbyterian Church of Canada sends the missionary Mackay to establish a mission at Tamsui. Mackay later founds the Mackay Memorial Hospital in Taipei and a theological school and girls' school in Tamsui. Mackay's book "From Far Formosa, the Island, Its People and Missions" is published in 1896.
The Japanese accord Wang Shang-tai of the Ryukyus the title of "King of the Aborigines" as a means of affirming the relationship between Japan and Ryukyu and establishing a basis for the invasion of Taiwan. An attack on Taiwan is advocated using the murder of Ryukyu residents as a pretext. |
1873
12th year of the Tongzhi reign period (Qing dynasty) |
The Japanese complain to the Qing court about the treatment of the Ryukyu islanders and reiterate their claim to Ryukyu.
On July 1 the Japanese officer Kabayama visits Taiwan in disguise via Fuzhou. Kabayama tours the island and enters aboriginal areas to assess the sentiments of the natives. |
1874
13th year of the Tongzhi reign period (Qing dynasty) |
On January the Japanese establish the "Taiwan Aboriginal Affairs Bureau" in Nagasaki. On March 22 Japanese forces under Commander Saigo attack the aboriginal villages of Langchiao bay in southern Taiwan. The Chinese authorities protest this Japanese intrusion.
On June Governor Shen Baozhen takes office and institutes a policy of "treating the aborigines leniently and allowing access to mountainous areas." Commanders Xia Xianlun and Luo Dachun advance along a northern route, while Yuan Wentuo and Zhang Qiguang take a southern route. The Qing authorities announce the repeal of the bans on immigration to Taiwan and settlement of mountain areas. The "General Militia Bureau" is established. |
1875
First year of the Guangxu reign period (Qing dynasty) |
The administrative units of Taipei prefecture, Keelung department, Hengchun county, Beinan department, and Puli department are established. Taipei prefecture includes the three departments of Tamsui, Hsinchu, and Ilan.
On January 10 the bans on immigration to Taiwan and settlement of mountain areas are revoked by imperial decree. The administrative units of Taipei prefecture, Hengchun county, and Beinan department are established. The ban on entering aboriginal land is lifted. There are major reforms in aboriginal policy.
Officially-sanctioned development of mountain areas begins. Commander Luo Dachun takes a northern route over the mountains, Zongbing Wu Guangliang takes a middle route, and commanders Yuan Wentuo and Zhang Qiguang take a southern route (the latter force reaches eastern Taiwan in October). Hong Minqi reports: "The ban on restricted areas was lifted and aboriginal culture began to collapse ."
Wu Guangliang leaves Linyipu and leads his troops on a middle route over the mountains. One force crosses from Dapuding to the foothills of Fenghuangshan; another crosses from Tungpu to Pushige in Taitung county (modern Yuli). |
1876
2nd year of the Guangxu reign period (Qing dynasty) |
Luo Dachun quells an uprising of the Taroko aborigines of eastern Taiwan in the spring. In July Wu Alai of Keelung gathers supporters and declares an uprising.
The book "Report on the Pacification of the Aborigines" is completed. Edward House writes "An Account of the Conquest of Taiwan." |
1877
3rd year of the Guangxu reign period (Qing dynasty) |
On May The Hengchun Zhixian Zhou Youji conducts an exploratory survey of Lanyu and declares it part of Chinese territory.
On August Wu Guangliang suppresses the aboriginal rebellion at Qimi village and moves Puli village to a new site, referred to as Dapucheng. |
1877
3rd year of the Guangxu reign period (Qing dynasty) |
Wu Guangliang suppresses the aboriginal rebellion at Qimi village and moves Puli village to a new site, referred to as Dapucheng. |
1878
4th year of the Guangxu reign period (Qing dynasty) |
Rewards are given for the settlement of aboriginal areas.
The Ami of Jialiyuan and Zhuqiaoyuan in Taitung county rebel. Troops under Wu Guangliang and Zhang Taolian suppress the uprising.
"An Illustrated Account of the Land and Customs of Taiwan" and "Records of the Edification of the Aborigines" are published. |
| 1880 6th year of the Guangxu reign period (Qing dynasty) |
Yuan Wentuo pacifies the aborigines of the Beinan area.
Government troops taking the northern route over the mountains are ambushed in the Dananao-Dazhuoxi area by "thousands" of Taiya warriors (note: Qing military reports tend toward exaggeration) from the Nanao and Daosai tribal groups. Commander Luo Dachun is forced to station troops from his Changhua headquarters along the mountainous route.
A rebellion of the "assimilated aborigines of Shuishalian" is put down. |
1881
7th year of the Guangxu reign period (Qing dynasty) |
A rebellion of the "Pingpu aborigines of Taitung" is put down. |
| 1882 8th year of the Guangxu reign period (Qing dynasty) |
A pacification tongpan is stationed at Puli. |
1884
10th year of the Guangxu reign period (Qing dynasty) |
On May Fujian governor Liu Mingchuan begins regular visits to Taiwan to supervise military affairs. The administration of Taiwan is reorganized as two prefectures and four departments: Taiwan prefecture consists of Taiwan (Tainan), Fengshan, Hengchun, Chiayi, and Changhua counties, and Pulishe, Beinan, and Penghu departments. Taipei prefecture consists of Keelung department and Tamsui, Hsinchu, and Ilan counties.
An uprising of the Beishi aborigines of Shuaimang village and Dongshijiao is suppressed.
Jiang Shiche advocates an aboriginal pacification policy of "suppressing rebellion and rewarding loyalty with generous treatment." |
1885
11th year of the Guangxu reign period (Qing dynasty) |
Fighting erupts between the aborigines and Chinese settlers in the Zhuolan area of Miaoli county.
The Taiya of the Dongshi area are pacified. Five army battalions are stationed at Zhuolanzhuang.
The Taiya of Wulai village are pacified.
On January 29 the British warship Wily transports a force of 870 soldiers under Nie Shicheng to the Beinan area. |
1887
13th year of the Guangxu reign period (Qing dynasty) |
September 8, the administration of Taiwan is reorganized by imperial decree: Puli department and Taiwan, Changhua, Yunlin, and Miaoli counties are administered from Taiwan prefecture. Penghu department and Anping (formerly Taiwan county), Fengshan, Hengchun, and Chiayi counties are administered from Tainan prefecture (formerly Taiwan prefecture). Taipei prefecture remains unchanged. A provincial capital is established at Qiaozaitu (in the southern part of modern Taichung). Due to incomplete preparations, the governor of Fujian province continues to stay at Taipei during his regular visits. This provisional system of provincial administration remains in effect until the Japanese occupation.
June 9, 280 villages of "unassimilated aborigines" in the deep mountains and 260 villages of "assimilated aborigines" in the foothills have surrendered since September of the previous year. A total of 280,000 aborigines have accepted government rule. |
| 1889 15th year of the Guangxu reign period (Qing dynasty) |
The Taiya of Dakekan (modern Tahsi) attack an outpost near Masu village and kill 30 Chinese. Liu Mingchuan sends troops to attack the aborigines from two directions, but the Qing forces lose half their number to disease and are forced to retreat.
Liu Zhaodai (nephew of Liu Mingchuan) suppresses the aborigines of inner and outer Xitou village in Ilan.
Governor Liu Mingchuan attacks the aborigines of Nanao from land and sea with the help of marines from Fujian province, but is forced to retreat due to heavy casualties. The Masushe tribe of Dakekan, the Lujiawang tribe of Taitung, and the Laogou and Jiajiu-an tribes along the northern route over the mountains are pacified. |
1890
16th year of the Guangxu reign period (Qing dynasty) |
The Laogou tribe is pacified. Ke Dezhong, lieutenant commander of the Tongan marines, falls in combat. Governor Liu Mingchuan forces the aborigines to surrender by ordering the laying of mines along their food supply route. In December Zongbing Wan Guoben leads two battalions to Hengchu.
Wu Hongluo pacifies the aborigines of Jiu-anban and Nanao in Ilan county.
The various bureaus of pacification and settlement discuss the education of aboriginal children. An "aboriginal academy" is established in Taipei prefecture. The "Kuangxi academy" is established in Tatu. The General Telegraph Bureau establishes the "Telegraphy Academy." |
1891
17th year of the Guangxu reign period (Qing dynasty) |
The aborigines of Dakekan are pacified.
The Taiya tribesmen of Wuzhishan attack the military outpost at Aiyongsi and kill several dozen soldiers. The government sends several relief parties, but cannot achieve a decisive victory. A peace treaty is signed. |
1892
18th year of the Guangxu reign period (Qing dynasty) |
Superintendent of Pacification and Settlement Lin Weiyuan sends troops against the Dakekan aborigines and forces them to surrender.
The Shebuli tribe of Hengchun is pacified. |
1894
20th year of the Guangxu reign period (Qing dynasty) |
War breaks out between China and Japan. |
1895
21st year of the Guangxu reign period (Qing dynasty) |
May 2, after failing to obtain support from the Qing government, the residents of Taiwan declare the establishment of the "Taiwan Republic." Former vice governor Tang Jingsong serves as the new republic's president, Liu Yongfu is commander-in-chief, Qiu Fengjia is tongling, and Lin Weiyuan is the head of the legislature. Before long a million ounces of silver are collected for use in the republic's defense. The national flag consisted of a yellow tiger on a blue background. The reign period is styled "Yongqing."
June 7, the Japanese establish a provisional administration in Taiwan. |
1896
29th year of The Meiji reign period (Japan), 22nd year of the Guangxu reign period (Qing dynasty) |
Mackay's book "From Far Formosa, the Island, Its People and Missions" is published. |
1897
30th year of The Meiji reign period (Japan), 23rd year of the Guangxu reign period (Qing dynasty) |
A party of 14 by led the Japanese lieutenant Fukabori disappears while surveying a route for a cross-island highway. |
1898
31st year of The Meiji reign period (Japan), 24th year of the Guangxu reign period (Qing dynasty) |
A party led by the head of the Pulishe Office of Pacification and Settlement is resisted by the Taiya of Wushe while exploring in the mountains. The aborigines are contained by cutting off their sources of supplies. |
1899
32nd year of The Meiji reign period (Japan), 25th year of the Guangxu reign period (Qing dynasty) |
October 30, the Taiwanese Customs Research Association is established. |
1900
33rd year of The Meiji reign period (Japan), 26th year of the Guangxu reign period (Qing dynasty) |
June 12, Large tracts of valuable forest are found at Alishan. |
