Connolly, Daniel Phillip (2014) Succoring strangers: Castaway humanitarianism in nineteenth century East Asia. In: 23rd International Conference of Historians of Asia 2014 (IAHA2014), 23 - 27 August 2014, Alor Setar, Kedah, Malaysia.

PDF Restricted to Registered users only Download (664kB) | Request a copy

Abstract

Although the safety of castaway sailors was used to publically justify interventions such as Commodore Perry’s arrival in Tokyo Bay in 1852 or the Japanese invasion of Formosa in 1874, the historiography of this period has searched for alternative explanations, such as commercial expansion or cultural chauvinism. This paper argues that the protection of castaways was more than a pretext for overseas military actions. Shipwrecks were a formidable problem of international relations in the period, demanding the creation of shared norms and mechanisms. In East Asia, European interlopers encountered a pre-existing system dedicated to regulating this problem that differed from their own.Although both systems protected shipwrecked sailors, they were in reality based on very different assumptions. Westerners made a conscious decision to subvert these indigenous institutions, even while benefiting from them. Ultimately, this struggle over the treatment and repatriation of shipwrecked sailors can be seen as a key component of imperialism.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Additional Information:	ISBN 978-967-0474-76-2 Organized by: Universiti Utara Malaysia and Malaysian Historical Society (Persatuan Sejarah Malaysia).
Uncontrolled Keywords:	castaways, shipwrecks, imperialism, intervention, tributary system
Subjects:	D History General and Old World > DS Asia J Political Science > JZ International relations
Divisions:	School of International Studies
Depositing User:	Mrs. Norazmilah Yaakub
Date Deposited:	11 Jun 2015 07:39
Last Modified:	12 May 2016 03:19
URI:	https://repo.uum.edu.my/id/eprint/14450

Actions (login required)

View Item