| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立臺南大學 === 台灣文化研究所碩士班 === 99 === 1895 is a crucial year to the modern history of Taiwan, which commenced
Japan''s colonization in Taiwan. However, to the Presbyterian Church in Madou, it is
the year when its missionary suffered from great frustration. During the Anti-Japanese
War, the incident of the Presbyterian Church in Madou happened. Nineteen followers,
their relatives and friends were slandered by the rumor of "Christians'' intrigue with
Japanese soldiers"; they were killed by the compatriots. Due to the particularity of the
Madou incident and the distinction of its victims, the British consul in Taiwan urged
Taiwan Governor-General Office to punish and salve for the justice. Tainan Mission
Council demanded the locals for compensation. However, when these compensation
schemes reached no results, the people in Madou repeled Christianity more, which led
to its long-term weakness in Madou.
Because of the spread of Madou incident, the missionaries in Tainan had crisis
consciousness. Therefore, during the final stage of the Anti-Japanese War, after the
marshal of Republic of Formosa, Younfu Liu, abandoned and fled and the people in
Tainan were almost in chaos, the request of the gentry in Tainan and the British consul
was accepted; the message of peace in Tainan was transmitted to the Japanese military
camp, which advanced the time of ending battles and saved the people and Christians
in Tainan.
The fact that the British missionaries led Japanese soldiers into Tainan initiated
the interactions between missionaries and the upper management in Governor-General
Office during the initial stage of Japanese ruling. In addition, the report of
investigating the Madou incident made the office realized the fact that Christians were
easily instigated by missionaries might become an obstacle to applying new policies;
in order to prevent from it, the office adopted protection and guidance for Christianity.
Under the care of the new government, Christianity grew stably.
Although the Madou incident was just microcosm, its influence on history
might not be neglected.
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