Ta-pa-ni Incident
Encyclopedia
The Ta-pa-ni Incident was one of the largest armed uprisings against Japanese rule in Taiwan
. Alternative names used to refer to the incident include the , after Silai Temple where the revolt began, or the Yu Ching-fang Incident, after the leader Yu Qingfang.
attempts to portray the Ta-pa-ni Incident as a nationalist uprising, either from a Chinese (unification) or Taiwanese (independence) perspective, whereas Japanese colonial historiography attempted to portray the incident as a large scale instance of banditry led by criminal elements. However, the Ta-pa-ni Incident differs from other uprisings in Taiwan's history due to the elements of millenarianism
and folk religion
, which enabled Yú Qīngfāng to raise a significant armed force whose members believed themselves to be invulnerable to modern weaponry.
The similarities between the rhetoric of the leaders of the Ta-pa-ni uprising and the Righteous Harmony Society of the recent Boxer Rebellion
in China were not lost on Japanese authorities, and subsequently, the colonial government paid more attention to popular religion, and took steps to improve on colonial administration in southern Taiwan.
Taiwan under Japanese rule
Between 1895 and 1945, Taiwan was a dependency of the Empire of Japan. The expansion into Taiwan was a part of Imperial Japan's general policy of southward expansion during the late 19th century....
. Alternative names used to refer to the incident include the , after Silai Temple where the revolt began, or the Yu Ching-fang Incident, after the leader Yu Qingfang.
Consequences
Modern Taiwanese historiographyHistoriography
Historiography refers either to the study of the history and methodology of history as a discipline, or to a body of historical work on a specialized topic...
attempts to portray the Ta-pa-ni Incident as a nationalist uprising, either from a Chinese (unification) or Taiwanese (independence) perspective, whereas Japanese colonial historiography attempted to portray the incident as a large scale instance of banditry led by criminal elements. However, the Ta-pa-ni Incident differs from other uprisings in Taiwan's history due to the elements of millenarianism
Millenarianism
Millenarianism is the belief by a religious, social, or political group or movement in a coming major transformation of society, after which all things will be changed, based on a one-thousand-year cycle. The term is more generically used to refer to any belief centered around 1000 year intervals...
and folk religion
Folk religion
Folk religion consists of ethnic or regional religious customs under the umbrella of an organized religion, but outside of official doctrine and practices...
, which enabled Yú Qīngfāng to raise a significant armed force whose members believed themselves to be invulnerable to modern weaponry.
The similarities between the rhetoric of the leaders of the Ta-pa-ni uprising and the Righteous Harmony Society of the recent Boxer Rebellion
Boxer Rebellion
The Boxer Rebellion, also called the Boxer Uprising by some historians or the Righteous Harmony Society Movement in northern China, was a proto-nationalist movement by the "Righteous Harmony Society" , or "Righteous Fists of Harmony" or "Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists" , in China between...
in China were not lost on Japanese authorities, and subsequently, the colonial government paid more attention to popular religion, and took steps to improve on colonial administration in southern Taiwan.