Editing History of Taiwan (section)

===Invasions===
[[File:Departure of a Loo Choo (Ryukyu) Junk with Tribute to Pekin (Peking, China) 2.jpg|thumb|Departure of a [[Ryukyuan Kingdom|Ryukyuan]] ship bearing tribute to [[Beijing]], 1831]]
[[File:TaiwanShuppei.jpg|thumb|Japanese painting of the expedition forces attacking the Mudan tribe, 1874]]
[[File:Evacuation of Keelung.jpg|thumb|Evacuation of [[Keelung]] by the French forces, image created 1887]]

By 1831, the [[East India Company]] decided it no longer wanted to trade with the Chinese on their terms and planned more aggressive measures. Given the strategic and commercial value of Taiwan, there were British suggestions in 1840 and 1841 to seize the island. William Huttman wrote to [[Lord Palmerston]] pointing out "China's benign rule over Taiwan and the strategic and commercial importance of the island."<ref name="Tsai2014">{{cite book|author=Shih-Shan Henry Tsai|title=Maritime Taiwan: Historical Encounters with the East and the West|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vUbfBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA66|date=2009|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-317-46517-1|pages=66–67}}</ref> He suggested that Taiwan could be occupied with only a warship and less than 1,500 troops, and the English would be able to spread Christianity among the natives as well as develop trade.<ref name="Gordon2009">{{cite book|author=Leonard H. D. Gordon|title=Confrontation Over Taiwan: Nineteenth-Century China and the Powers|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vIfFCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA32|year=2007|publisher=Lexington Books|isbn=978-0-7391-1869-6|page=32}}</ref> In 1841, during the [[First Opium War]], the British tried to scale the heights around the harbor of [[Keelung]] three times but failed.{{sfn|Elliott|2002|p=197}} The British transport ship ''Nerbudda'' became shipwrecked near Keelung Harbour due to a typhoon. In October 1841, HMS ''Nimrod'' sailed to Keelung to search for the ''Nerbudda'' survivors, but after Captain Joseph Pearse found out that they were sent south for imprisonment, he ordered the bombardment of the harbour and destroyed 27 sets of cannon before returning to Hong Kong. The brig ''Ann'' also shipwrecked in March 1842. The commanders of Taiwan, Dahonga and Yao Ying, filed a disingenuous report to the emperor, claiming to have defended against an attack from the Keelung fort. Most of the survivors—over 130 from the ''Nerbudda'' and 54 from the ''Ann''—were [[Nerbudda incident|executed in Tainan]] in August 1842. The false report was later discovered and the officials in Taiwan punished.<ref name="Tsai2014" />

On 12 March 1867, the American barque ''Rover'' [[Rover incident|shipwrecked offshore]] off of southern Taiwan. The captain, his wife, and some men escaped. The Koaluts (Guizaijiao) tribe of the [[Paiwan people]] captured and killed them. Two rescue attempts failed.{{sfn|Barclay|2018|p=56}}{{sfn|Wong|2022|p=119}} Le Gendre, the US Consul, demanded that the Qing send troops to help him negotiate with the aborigines. On 10 September, Garrison Commander Liu Mingcheng led 500 Qing troops to southern Taiwan with Le Gendre. The aboriginal chief, Tanketok (Toketok), explained that a long time ago the white men came and almost exterminated the Koaluts tribe and their ancestors passed down their desire for revenge. They agreed that the mountain aborigines would help the castaways.{{sfn|Wong|2022|p=119–120}} It was later discovered that Tanketok did not have absolute control over the tribes. Le Gendre castigated China as a semi-civilized power for not seizing the territory of a "wild race".{{sfn|Wong|2022|p=121–122}}

In December 1871, a [[Ryukyuan people|Ryukyuan]] vessel shipwrecked on the southeastern tip of Taiwan and 54 sailors were killed by aborigines.{{sfn|Barclay|2018|p=50}} The shipwreck and murder of the sailors came to be known as the [[Mudan incident (1871)|Mudan incident]], although it did not take place in Mudan (J. Botan), but at Kuskus (Gaoshifo).{{sfn|Barclay|2018|p=52}} The [[Ryukyu Kingdom]] did not ask Japanese officials for help regarding the shipwreck. Instead its king, [[Shō Tai]], sent a reward to Chinese officials in Fuzhou for the return of the 12 survivors. The Mudan incident did not immediately cause any concern in Japan; it was not until April 1874 that it became an international concern.{{sfn|Barclay|2018|p=53–54}} The Imperial Japanese Army started urging the government to [[Japanese invasion of Taiwan (1874)|invade Taiwan]] in 1872 with the Mudan incident as casus belli. The king of Ryukyu was [[Ryūkyū Disposition|dethroned]] by Japan and preparations for an invasion of Taiwan were undertaken in the same year.{{sfn|Wong|2022|p=124–126}} On 17 May 1874, [[Saigō Jūdō]] led the main force, 3,600 strong, aboard four warships.{{sfn|Wong|2022|p=132}} They invaded indigenous territory in southern Taiwan. On 3 June, they burnt all the villages that had been occupied. On 1 July, the new leader of the Mudan tribe and the chief of Kuskus surrendered.{{sfn|Wong|2022|p=137–138}} The Japanese settled in and established large camps with no intention of withdrawing, but in August and September 600 soldiers fell ill. The death toll rose to 561. Negotiations with Qing China began on 10 September. The Western Powers pressured China not to cause bloodshed with Japan as it would negatively impact the coastal trade. The resulting Peking Agreement was signed on 30 October. Japan gained the recognition of Ryukyu as its vassal and an indemnity payment of 500,000 taels. Japanese troops withdrew from Taiwan on 3 December.{{sfn|Wong|2022|p=141–143}}

During the [[Sino-French War]], the French invaded Taiwan during the [[Keelung Campaign]] in 1884. On 5 August 1884, [[Sébastien Lespès]] bombarded [[Keelung]]'s harbor and destroyed the gun placements. The next day, the French attempted to take Keelung but failed to defeat the larger Chinese force led by Liu Mingchuan and were forced to withdraw. On 1 October, [[Amédée Courbet]] landed with 2,250 French forces and defeated a smaller Chinese force, capturing Keelung. French efforts to capture [[Tamsui]] failed. The French shelled Tamsui, destroying not only the forts but also foreign buildings. Some 800 French troops landed on Shalin beach near Tamsui but they were repelled by Chinese forces.{{sfn|Gordon|2007|p=142–145}} The French imposed a blockade Taiwan from 23 October 1884 until April 1885 but the execution was not completely effective.{{sfn|Gordon|2007|p=146–49}} French ships around mainland China's coast attacked any junk they could find and captured its occupants to be shipped to Keelung for constructing defensive works. However, for every junk the French captured, another five junks arrived with supplies at Takau and Anping. The immediate effect of the blockade was a sharp in decline of legal trade and income.{{sfn|Gordon|2007|p=149–151, 154}}

In late January 1885, Chinese forces suffered a serious defeat around Keelung. Although the French captured Keelung they were unable to move beyond its perimeters. In March the French tried to take Tamsui again and failed. At sea, the French bombarded [[Penghu]] on 28 March.{{sfn|Gordon|2007|p=149–151}} Penghu surrendered on 31 March but many of the French soon grew ill and 1,100 soldiers and later 600 more were debilitated.{{sfn|Gordon|2007|p=161–162}} An agreement was reached on 15 April 1885 and an end to hostilities was announced. The French evacuation from Keelung was completed on 21 June 1885 and Penghu remained under Chinese control.{{sfn|Gordon|2007|p=162}}