Mudan Incident of 1871

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

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.

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 1874

Tomb 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

1. ^ Miyako Islanders Met Massacre (1998) Fumio Miyaguni, Naha Shuppansha, Naha.ISBN4-89095-097-4 p380
2. ^ Miyakotoumin Taiwansounanjikenn (1998) Fumio Miyakuni Naha Shuppansha, Naha
3. ^ 「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]
4. ^ 「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]