ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the Qing government’s settlement and land reclamation policies in Taiwan and analyses the rationale that underpinned these policies. Contrary to the common belief that Qing policies changed abruptly in 1875, this chapter identifies three stages of policy change: the restricting settlement stage (1684–1795), when the Qing Empire was strong and prosperous and the government generally discouraged or tried to prevent Chinese settlement in Taiwan; the transitional stage (1795–1874), when the Qing Empire was in decline and there was an undercurrent to expand government control and Chinese settlement over the aboriginal territories; the expansion stage (after 1875), when the Qing faced grave threats in Taiwan and actively expanded control over the mountains and encouraged settlement. The policy shifts suggest that, the weaker the regime was, the more aggressive it was towards expansion and settlement in Taiwan. In other words, expansion was reluctantly undertaken to ensure security and social stability, an all-time paramount consideration in Qing policymaking concerning Taiwan. The policy trends for Taiwan fit with Qing policy shifts in other frontier areas such as the inner Asian regions and southwest China because, shaped by the Qing legal tradition, the same policy rationale applied.
