Culture of Firearms: A Story of Indigenous Resistance in the late 19th Century Taiwan

Date: June 5th, 2019,

Time: 11.30-13.00

Place: Institute of Middle and Far East, Oleandry St 2a, room no. 0.05

Lecturer: Dr. Pei Hsi Susan Lin

Lecture title: Culture of Firearms: A Story of Indigenes Resistance in the late 19thCentury Taiwan

The aim of the talk is to discuss the circumstances of indigenous people in the late 19th century Taiwan while it was forced to open its ports for trade and the Western nations were eager to secure strategic positions in Asia and exploit industrial raw materials. Numerous clashes and wars between the indigenes and the European, Japanese and Qing armies, and the Chinese exploiters were inevitable. However, the Taiwanese indigenes did not appear to lose their power entirely in the late 19th century to early 20 the century, but defended their right of living and their territories in armed resistance by using firearms. The firearms did not only serve as a killing weapon in the battles for the indigenes, but they were also extended in cultural purpose within indigenes cultures until today.

Dr. Pei Hsi Susan Lin completed her PhD at Nottingham Trent University in September 2016. Her PhD research topic ‘Firearms, Technology and Culture: Resistance of Taiwanese Indigenes to Chinese, European and Japanese Encroachment in a Global Context circa 1860-1914’ investigated the history of procuring firearms among the indigenous people and the embedment of firearms within the indigenous societies and cultures. She taught modern Chinese and Taiwanese history and led undergraduate seminars in World History and the Great Divergence modules at Nottingham Trent University, UK. She was a research associate at the Centre of Taiwan Studies, SOAS, University of London. She is currently a project manager for European Association of Taiwan Studies and an editor for Taiwan insight.

 

 

  

Published Date: 04.06.2019
Published by: Ewa Trojnar