侵略前的臺灣史

A History of Pre-Invasion Taiwan

在臺灣充滿爭議的歷史洪流中，從六千年前到1624年荷蘭人入侵的這段歲月，不僅距離相當渺遠且我們所知甚少。由於臺灣原住民缺乏書寫紀錄，對其研究得依賴考古上的證據。這些證據顯示出，臺灣文化的精緻度在此數千年間已逐漸增加。至早在公元前2800-2200年間，臺灣島上的住民已經和澎湖群島，建立起了交易網絡。臺灣原住民更從公元前1500起幾乎成為是前往太平洋上每個適合居住的島嶼，甚至橫跨印度洋遠達馬達加斯加島海上移民的來源。公元前500到公元後500年間，臺灣原住民是周邊地區內廣大交易網絡的一部份。這交易網絡涵蓋了今日的菲律賓、馬來西亞東部、越南中南部、泰國半島，以及柬埔寨的東部。值此同時，臺灣內部的交易活動也在擴張中。這類的交易與進口，以金屬鍛造技術為例都來自於東南亞，且無證據顯示曾與已有此等技術的中國有所接觸。早期中文記錄除了確認臺灣為「外地」，中國在十七世紀早期有關臺灣原住民的記載，也都與早期荷蘭的紀錄相當。而且上述歷史紀錄顯示，臺灣原住民有著健全且繁榮的社會，其村落建置也展現出高度的複雜與精緻化。由於福建是漢人移住最靠近太平洋岸的最遲慢位置，以致於中國人早期對臺灣並不留意。而儘管明代試圖完全禁絕對外貿易，臺灣仍舊能在中國海商與海盜、日本及稍後洋人間的東亞和東南亞貿易間領有一席之地。只是直到1624年，荷蘭人接受各方建議，退出澎湖轉往「無主地」的臺灣前，上述各個團體並未在臺灣建立永久的根據地。

In Taiwan's long and contested history, we know least about the first and most extended period, which began over six thousand years ago and lasted until the invasion of the Dutch in 1624. Since Taiwan's aboriginal peoples lacked writing, the analysis first relies on recent archeological evidence, which shows the increasing sophistication of Taiwan's culture over the millennia. As early as 2800-2200 BCE, Taiwan's peoples had trading networks with the Pescadore (Penghu) Islands. From 1500 BCE Taiwan's peoples became the source of migrations to virtually every inhabitable island in the Pacific Ocean and across the Indian Ocean to Madagascar. From 500 BCE to 500 CE Taiwan's peoples were part of a large trading network that included what is now the Philippines, eastern Malaysia, central and southern Vietnam, peninsular Thailand, and eastern Cambodia. Trade within Taiwan was also widespread. This trade and imports, such as metal technology, all came from Southeast Asia; no evidence of contact with China exists. Early Chinese writing confirms Taiwan was “foreign.” In addition, early 17th century Chinese accounts of Taiwan aborigines mesh with early Dutch accounts. These accounts demonstrate that Taiwan's aborigines had healthy and prosperous societies and that village construction demonstrated considerable sophistication. Chinese had little to do with Taiwan in part because Fujian was the last part of the Pacific coast inhabited by Han Chinese. Although the Ming Dynasty basically withdrew from foreign trade, Taiwan became a place for trade among Chinese merchant-pirates, Japanese and later Westerners within the wider trading networks of East and Southeast Asia. Yet, none of these groups established a permanent base in Taiwan. Only in 1624, did the Dutch accept advice from several sources to retreat from their base in the Pescadore (Penghu) Islands to the “stateless area” of Taiwan. Thus, only in 1624 did the Dutch establish the first colonial regime in Taiwan.