Yao Ying's Observation on Taiwan Society and His Policy on Public Security.

• Main Authors: Wen-ting Liu, 劉文婷
• Other Authors: Mei-fang Su
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2009
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/33078658311009991466

碩士 === 國立成功大學 === 歷史學系碩博士班 === 97 === During the Qing Dynasty, Taiwan was in a period of transition when armed fights, banditry, and popular revolts happened so frequently that the public was unstable and the public security in serious trouble. Reaching a climax in the early 19th century, with constant social strife and conflict, the social unrest was such that it created a distinct image that the Taiwanese were fierce, rebellious, and troublesome. It is the background against which Yao Ying came to Taiwan. Yao Ying was born in Tongcheng, Anhui, full of favorable academic atmosphere, to a family of profound academic tradition. Instructed and encouraged by his family elders and teachers, he became determined to achieve his ambition of serving his country. He thrived in imperial examination and official career so that he had the opportunity to fulfill his ambition at an early age. The time when he had the ups and downs of his official career was also the time when China fell into decline. With his ambition in mind, whether serving as an official or adviser, he showed consideration for his people, had the same likes and dislikes as his people did, and developed strategies for solving social problems in earnest. Having been to Taiwan three times, lived in Taiwan for around twelve years, and held the post of Taiwan County Magistrate, Kavalan Magistrate, Taiwan County Magistrate’s Adviser, Taiwan Dao, Yao Ying paid attention to and understood the social problems of Taiwan deeply and comprehensively, such as armed fights, popular revolts, banditry, litigiosity, extravagance, gambling, and so on, major problems about which Yao Ying was concerned. Instead of attributing the social disorder in Taiwan to “Taiwanese habits and nature,” Yao Ying gained insight into the problems and argued that they originated from the former customs of the Fujian and Guangdong immigrants, communities with a strong sense of ancestry, the existing economic conditions of Taiwan, and the increasing number of vagrants. These characterized the immigrant society of Taiwan in the mid 19th century. Thus Yao Ying adopted measures of benevolent authority and comforting suppression. On the one hand, he clamped down on banditry and punished the culprits; on the other hand, he put forth an insightful policy of uniting villages and caring for vagrants, a strategy that made vagrants employed and bandits virtuous; he got to the root of the social problems, achieving the desired result of enhancing public security and defense. At the same time, he did not overlook the fact that culture and education had an influence on people and customs, rewarding people for learning and creating an atmosphere of academic studying. He also set an example of shattering superstition in the hope of civilizing his people and improving the atmosphere of the society.