Europe meets Formosa, 1510-1662: Two historical studies

Part I investigates Portuguese “discovery” and “naming” of the island as Formosa, in the context of conflicting claims and recent scholarly debates in Taiwan which challenged the conventional wisdom on this matter.  

Part II deals with Dutch efforts to educate and convert native Formosans, examining motives of the coloniser for pursuing this “civilising” project, identities of the colonised such as race (tribal village), age, gender, language, and faith which had influenced school policies, and responses of the tribes ranging from partnerships to conflicts. 

The two studies reconstruct historical events in the 16th and 17th centuries, drawing on many primary sources. But, as shall be shown, Portuguese “naming” of the island and Dutch “civilising” of its indigenes both retain some relevance for the Aboriginal minority and the Chinese majority in Taiwan to this day, hundreds of years later.