- Mudan Incident of 1871
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Mudan Incident Location Formosa Date 1871 Attack type massacre Death(s) 54 Victim Ryukyuan people who wandered into Taiwan whose ship carrying tribute to Shuri shipwrecked Perpetrator(s) Formosans Rover incident (1867) – American expedition (1867) – Mudan incident (1871) – Japanese expedition (1874) – Sino-French War (1884-85) - Pescadores campaign (1895) – Japanese invasion (1895)Mudan Incident of 1871 was the massacre of fifty-four Ryukyuan sailors in Taiwan who wandered into the central part of Taiwan after their ship was shipwrecked. 12 men were rescued by Han Chinese and were transferred to Miyako. After the Taiwan Expedition of 1874, the Japanese sovereignty of Ryukyu was confirmed.
Contents
Shipwreck
On October 18, 1871, four ships which had carried the Nintouzei tax poll tax to Ryukyuan Kingdom started from Naha for their homeland. They met a violent typhoon and one ship disappeared, one ship sailed safely, and two ships were shipwrecked; one reached the eastern tip of Taiwan on November 6. Another ship reached the western part of Taiwan and this one was safe.
Wandering and crossing Taiwan
- 66 people landed on November 6, at the eastern tip of Taiwan called 高雄州恒春郡満州庄九柵 (八遥湾) but 3 persons who landed in a hurry died during landing. They began extraordinary hard traveling for safety. According to two survivors, they reached Mudan community on November 8 and were ordered to stay there; there 66 men and women had some doubts and on November 9, started to escape; there started massacre. 12 survivors were rescued by local people and stayed there for 40 plus several days, in the house of Yoh Yuu Oh (Japanese Pronunciation); they returned via Tainan City and Fuzhou(福州), China, and they came back to Miyako. The distance of their wandering was roughly 100 km in a straight line. The place of the murder was known as 双渓谷 and is now the place of training of Taiwanese army, navy and air force.
Yang Youwang;楊友旺
- 12 survivors stayed at his home for 40 plus several days and they recovered with sufficient food. Yang Youwang paid a considerable amount of money to calm down the aborigines. Originally they got angry for not being given 2 barrels of alcoholic drinks. The son and a nephew of Yang Youwang brought the 12 survivors to safety. They stayed at the Ryukyuan House at Fuzhou, China for half a year and the survivors reached Naha on June 7, 1872 together with the men on another ship, which reached Taiwan on their way to Yaeyama. Yoh and other people made a tomb and have continued memorial ceremonies.
People who rescued the 12 sailors
- 楊友旺(Yang Youwang)(1824–1916)[1] was the head of a township and he looked dignified in formal Chinese uniform in a picture on the cover of the book of Miyaguni Fumio. He sheltered 9 people and saved other 3 people giving precious animals and clothing to the aborigines. He let his son and nephew go with the 12 people to safety.
- 林阿九(Lin Ajiu) was the head of a township and one who saved Japanese. He later persuaded 温朱雷(Wen Zhulei) who stole 44 skulls from a settlement into giving them to the Japanese army. His family has continued memorial services for the victims.
- 鄧天保 (Deng Tianbao) and 凌老生 (Ling Laosheng) were also rescuers.
Victims and Survivors
- Name of origin is from Chinese Wikipedia.
- Niya is the name of a samurai-class person in Ryukyu(Okinawa and Miyakojima), whose name is unknown.
- This table was compiled by Shimabukuro Kame (11 people of Okinawa) and by Motomura Choryo (43 people of Miyakojima). Shimabukuro Kame asked Teruya Hiroshi to look for information in 1925; Teruya asked Motomura Choryo in Miyakojima for information.
Name Name of origin Assignment Address Fate and others Nakasone Gen-an Chudo Head of a large community Hirara of Miyakojima Killed, Huge body carried by two persons Tanahara Gen-ei Chudo Head of a township Hirara of Miyakojima Killed Hoeshige Genkan Chudo Head of a township Hirara of Miyakojima Killed Takaesu Yoshiyo Mazoku Head of a township Hirara of Miyakojima Killed Okudaira Niya Unknown Assistant head of a township Hirara of Miyakojima Killed Takaesu Niya Unknown Assistant head of a township Hirara of Miyakojima Killed Tanahira Genkyo Chudo Secretary Hirara of Miyakojima Killed Hoeshige Genkei Chudo Secretary Hirara of Miyakojima Killed Takaesu Niya Unknown Secretary Hirara of Miyakojima Killed Hirara Keisei Shirakawa Secretary Hirara of Miyakojima Killed Tsukayama Keigo Shirakawa Secretary Hirara of Miyakojima Killed Soeishi Niya Unknown Secretary Hirara of Miyakojima Killed Inafuku Niya Unknown Secretary Hirara of Miyako Killed Takahara Niya Unknown Secretary Hirara of Miyakojima Killed Aniya Yoshimasa Mazoku Secretary Hirara of Miyakojima Killed Yamauchi Niya Unknown Secretary Hirara of Miyakojima Killed Yamauchi Niya Unknown Secretary Hirara of Miyakojima Killed Shitahaku Niya Unknown Secretary Hirara of Miyakojima Killed Ikemura Niya Unknown Makata Secretary Hirara of Miyakojima Killed Magtsukawa Kin None Lower servant(head) Hirara of Miyakojima Killed Maekawa Yashin None Servant(head) Hirara of Miyakojima Killed Hamakawa Kin None Servant(head) Hirara of Miyakojima Killed Maedomari Kin None Servant (head) Hirara of Miyakojima Killed Futenma Kin None Servant(head) Irabujima of Miyakojima Killed Sakumoto Keiza None Servant(head) Irabujima of Miyakojima Killed Ikema Kin None Servant(head) Irabujima of Miyakojima Killed Nakachiya Makoto None Servant(head) Irabujima of Miyakojima Killed Nagahama Kama None Servant(head) Hirara of Miyakojima Killed Uchima Ka-a-ryou None Servant(head) Hirara of Miyakojima Killed Uchima Yashin None Servant(head) Hirara of Miyakojima Killed Kawamitsu Kin None Servant(assistant) Shimojimura of Miyakojima Killed Maesato Kama None Servant(assiatant) Shirabejima of Miyakojima Killed Shimajiri Chabu None Servant(assistant) Simojimura of Miyakojima Killed Nobara Tsuro None Servant(assistant) Shimojimura of Miyakojima Killed Sakugawa Matsu None Servant(assistant) Shimojimura of Miyakojima Killed Kawamitsu Kin None Servant(assistant) Shimojishima of Miyakojima Killed Oyadomari Niya Unknown Samurai class follower(head) Hirara of Miyakojima Killed Karimata Niya Unknown Samurai class follower(head) Hirara of Miyakojima Killed Karimata Niya Unknown Samurai class follower(head) Hirara of Miyakojima Killed Sunagawa Niya Unknown Samurai class follower(head) Shimojimura of Miyakojima Killed Matsukawa Niya Unknown Samurai class follower Hirara of Miyakojima Killed Kataesu Niya Unknown Samurai class follower Hirara of Miyakoima Killed Okuhira Niya Unknown Samurai class follower Hirara of Miyakojima Killed Shinjo Choken ? Getting a lift Shuri of Okinawa Killed Miyagi Mototaka Unknown Getting a lift Shur of Okinawa Killed Taba Kame None Getting a lift Shuri of Okinawa Killed Aragaki Bou None Getting a lift Shuri of Okinawa Killed Nakamatsu Bou None Getting a lift Shuri of Okinawa Killed Iha Hiroyuki ? Getting a lift Naha of Okinawa Killed Matsuda Kame None Getting a lift Naha of Okinawa Killed Aragaki Niou Unknown Getting a lift Naha of Okinawa Killed Nakankadari Kame None Getting a lift Naha of Okinawa Killed Iju Kame None Getting a lift Naka-atama Killed Nakasone Matsu None Getting a lift Nakijin of Kunigami Killed Shimabukuro Jiryou None Unknown Shuri of Okinawa Alive, father of Shimabukuro Kame Shimabukuro Kame None Unknown Shuri of Okinawa Alive, died in 19 26 at age 76, left documents
Jabana Jiryou None Unknown Shuri of Okinawa Alive, Interpreter in Chinese characters Nakamoto Kana None Unknown Shuri of Okinawa Alive Tokeiji Matsu None Unknown Naha of Okinawa Alive Shimajiri Yonabaaru None Unknown Naha of Okinawa Alive Zashiki Bou None Unknown Kerama of Okinawa Alive, boatman Takaesu Matsu None Unknown Kerama of Okinawa Alive Shimoji Niya Unknown Unknown Miyakojima Alive Hirara Niya Unknown Unknown Miyakojima Alive, in exchange for a cow Taketomi Niya Unknown Unknown Miyakojima Alive Urasaki Kin None Unknown Miyakojima Alive, in exchange for clothing Diplomatic conflicts and Taiwan Expedition of 1874
- The Japanese Government demanded that the Chinese government punish leaders of the Taiwanese aborigines but their response was that they were not under the control of the Chinese Government and the Japanese Government decided on sending the Japanese army Taiwan Expedition of 1874.
Main article: Taiwan Expedition of 1874Tomb and afterwards
The Japanese expedition army established a memorial tower in front of the tomb where Taiwanese rescurers made, and collected skulls, 44 skulls; 10 skulls could not be recovered. The skulls were transferred first to Nagasaki and then to Naha and buried there and later at Gokoku-ji (Okinawa) in the same city. In 1980, the tomb was made again anew, and related people attended the ceremony from Miyako Island. In 1997, Fumio Miyakuni visited the related places and wrote a book.[2] In 2005, Taiwanese people visited Miyako Island for an apology and they and Miyako people shaked hands of frienship.
Shimabukuro Kame(1850-1926)
- Shimabukuro Kame was a survivor and an important informant concerning the incident and victims. His father and he were lower class samurais without salary living at Shuri, Okinawa; there were 5 victims living at Shuri, and they were being given a lift on the ship. In 1872, his father and he were interviewed by the Ryukyu government. After the abolition of the clan, what they did was not known. In 1925, Kame sent a letter to Iha Fuyū who introduced Teruya Hiroshi who gave the address of rescuers, since Kame wanted to thank them. Teruya Hiroshi was deeply moved and after the addresses of Miyako victims were investigated by Motomura Choryo, the names of the victims were engraved into the tombs of both Taiwan and Naha.
- Teruya Hiroshi(1875–1934) was born in Naha and studied at Daiichi Higher School and Tokyo University. He became a train engineer in Taiwan and later became the Mayor of Naha.
- Motomura Choryo (1876–1937) was the town head of Hirara between 1917 and 1919. He gave information on Miyako victims.
Episodes
- The attitude of Miyako people to Taiwan is good; in the last war, many Miyako people evacuated Miyako to Taiwan. The leader of the tragic group Gen-an Nakasone was partly responsible for the tragedy; he was a greatly fat man, which delayed the speed of their movement.
The view of Lianes, Punanang (Chinese)
高加馨 Lianes, Punanang, defended the inhabitants of Taiwan in papers[3][4] to the point that at that time, foreign people whom the inhabitants did not know and went into their land without a reason, had been regarded as intruders, and should be punished. Because of the large number of foreigners, there arose a misunderstanding and a quarrel, leading to the massacre. This incident of that time should not be viewed from a present point of view. The Japanese governnment used this incident as a touchstone to know the reactions of the Qing Dynasty, and their true intention was not the realization of justice, but to know Taiwan and to occupy Taiwan. This incident was one of the key points in the history of Taiwan, and has posed serious influences.
See also
- Rover incident
References
- 宮古島民台湾遭難事件(1998) 宮国文雄 那覇出版社 那覇 ISBN4-89095-097-4 C0020 Y1810E
- The Miyako Islanders Met Massacre (1998) Fumio Miyaguni, Naha Shuppansha, Naha.ISBN4-89095-097-4 C0020 Y1810E
- The history of Japanese nationals, Vol. 90 (1961), Tokutomi Iichiro , Jiji-tsushinsha. Tokyo.(in Japanese)
- Viscount Tani Tateki. (1935, reprinted in 1981), Michio Hirao, Zozansha, Tokyo. (in Japanese)
Footnotes
- ^ Miyako Islanders Met Massacre (1998) Fumio Miyaguni, Naha Shuppansha, Naha.ISBN4-89095-097-4 p380
- ^ Miyakotoumin Taiwansounanjikenn (1998) Fumio Miyakuni Naha Shuppansha, Naha
- ^ 「Sinvaudjanからみた牡丹社事件 上」高加馨(traslated by Satoi Yoichi)(琉球大 学教育学部紀要第72集2008-3)[1][2]
- ^ 「Sinvaudjanからみた牡丹社事件 下」高加馨(translated by Satoi Yoichi)(琉球大学教育学部紀要第73集2008-8)[3][4]
Categories:- Murders
- History of Taiwan
- Ryukyu Islands
- Wars involving Japan
- Massacres in Taiwan
- Taiwanese aborigines
- 1871 in Taiwan
- Foreign relations of the Empire of Japan
- Foreign relations of the Qing Dynasty
- Military history of Japan
- Massacres in China
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