Certificate accredits A-mo as the Local Headman of various aboriginal villages issued by the Chu-lo County Magistrate, 1715

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This certificate is a document from the Lahodobool community of the Pazeh people in the central area of Taiwan. It is now stored in National Taiwan Museum. It is the earliest existing warrant appointing an indigenous leader, and a precious historical document for studying the history of Han-indigenous relations and the development of central Taiwan during the Qing dynasty. It was designated as a national treasure in 2010.

The word “Lahodobool” first appeared in Zhou Zhongxuan’s Zhuluo County Gazetteer. The passage stated that, “the Lahodobool savages” lived in the village community between the two mountains of Shalu and Niuma In Yu Yonghe’s writing, the same “savages” are “fully covered by tattoos on their body and face, looking odd in the extreme and like a devil.” They were known for abrupt raids and killing, and were one of the indigenous groups that the Qing government found difficult to control and manage.

In 1699, when the Qing government was unable to quell the Tunxiaoshe Incident, the officials adopted the idea of recruiting the Lahodobool people, for they could swiftly move in the mountains and carry out sieges. So they gave Amok, the head of the Lahodobool community, money and treasure to fight for the Qing dynasty. The Lahodobool community showed great strength in the battles, making the Qing dynasty recognize them as an indispensable fighting force controlling Taiwan. In 1715, the Qing dynasty further recruited indigenous communities such as Annei and Lalusai, and appointed Amok as the headman of all the tribes to act as a liaison with official. The appointment resulted in the allegiance of the five communities (Lahodobool, Lalusai, Saosu, Wuniunan and Puzaili) and the transformation of their identity from “raw” to “cooked” savages, which were terms the Qing dynasty used to denote the extent to which indigenous people had assimilated into Han culture. Although the indigenous groups were formally affiliated to the Qing dynasty, in practice there were not under strict control.

The Qing dynasty’s policy of recruitment was a turning point for the Lahodobool people, where they started to be recorded in official documents. The Lahodobool troops were often the officials’ first option when a major incident of civil unrest broke out. As a reward, they were constantly granted with land by the Qing dynasty. During the Qianlong period, Dunzai, the third generation headman, was given the Chinese surname “Pan” and appointed as an “interpreter,” which, from the perspective of the Qing dynasty, marked his transition in status from a submissive “raw savage” to a cooperative “official savage.”