Dr Pei Hsi Lin

I received my PhD in history, under the title “Firearms, Technology and Culture: Resistance of
Taiwanese Indigenes to Chinese, European and Japanese Encroachment in a Global Context circa
1860-1914” from Nottingham Trent University in 2016. The thesis explores the adaptation and the
acculturation of foreign firearms amongst the indigenous people in Taiwan and the role of these in
resistance against Western, Japanese and Chinese invasions in the period of 1860-1914. I argue that, through the avenues of access to firearms and their absorption into indigenous cultures, the
Taiwanese indigenes preserved some of their cultural and economic independence. The firearm did
not only just serve as a killing weapon in the battles for the indigenes, but it also extended in
purpose and meaning within indigenes cultures. I was supervised by Professor Ian Inkster. I was also awarded a PhD History Bursary from Nottingham Trent University. 

I hold B.A in English from Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages and M.A in Media and
Globalisations from Nottingham Trent University.

I was born and grew up in Yunlin, Taiwan. My interest in East-West encounters and the position of
Taiwan in history began when I was studying for my undergraduate degree at Wenzao Ursuline
University of Languages. I taught Chinese language and history at Nottingham Trent University, and also worked as research assistant at Nottingham Trent University and Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages.

•  19 th and 20 th century history of Taiwan, China and Japan, with special reference to their   historical relations and interactions.
•  Cultural history of Taiwan indigenous people
•  Contacts and conflicts in history
•  Military history
•  Technology and culture
•  World history, with special reference to indigenous people and problems of cultural modernity
  and exclusions