Understanding China in geography: ethnic groups

Summery:

            Despite its seemingly homogenous society, China is one of the first countries who exhibit a melting pot status throughout history. In other words, the country China, as we know today, evolves from the assembly of multitudes. Its geographical significances are the main assets that facilitated the fusion of the Chinese and the non-Chinese. Invasions of the fertile valleys by the non- Chinese stocks from the changing borders of China, inflicted bloodsheds between the conqueror and the conquered. This repeated episode of Chinese history let to consequent massive migration of Chinese to southern China, and the integration between those who chose to remain. The outcome of ethnic convergence and divergence in its huge territory of 9.6 million square km over a history of 80 centuries is still visible today.

            There are currently 56 recorded ethnic groups according to the 1990 Population Census of China. With Han as the dominant race, 1042.5 million people that encompass an overwhelming 91.2 percent of the total population; the other 55 ethnic groups together made up 8.8 percent of the population with 100.9 million people. The formation and consolidation of the Han and other present ethnic structure in china are the end products of a long historical process of evolution during the last 8000 years. It is closely linked to the political and agricultural development in China since the Neolithic time, with seven subsequent periods.

The first period is the Legendary Period consists of the tale of three rulers and five emperors, who are believed to be the ancestors of the five ancient ethnic groups in China. The tale is orally passed down from generation to generation since 8000 years ago. The Hua, with its prominent political leader, Huang-Di, lived on the Loess Plateau where which agriculture is believed to have taken place. The Chang is governed by Ying-Di, who was the god of agriculture; lived in a broad area in the upper and middle reaches of the Yellow River. Constance wars and integration between these two groups of people eventually led to the formation of one single ethnic group, the Hua-Xia, or the prototype of the Han. Meanwhile, groups like Vo-Hi, Meng, and Di who occupied the lower reaches of the Yellow River, coast of North China, southern China, and the northern borders of Hua-Xia; gradually intermingled and merged with the Hua-Xia for the next 4000 years. This monumental integration generated many short lived dynasties such as the the Xia, Shang, Zhou, as well as the spring and Autumn Period, and the Warring states. It is not until the Qin Dynasty in 211 B.C. when China experienced political stability and agricultural growth.

From 221-205 B.C., China became culturally united with the same written language and social heritage under the Qin Dynasty. It is also during this period that the Hua-Xia began to call themselves as the Han. The Han assimilated many other ethnic tribes including the Huns from Northwest China, and the Yue tribe. From the year of 220-589 A.D., China was tormented by civil wars and a large-scale migration of the Han from northern China to southern China took place. As a result, the agricultural development of southern China was facilitated. China once again was unified by powerful empires of Sui and Tang dynasties. From 589-1279 A.D., different minority people such as the Huns, the Uygur, and the Kazak migrated to China and strengthened the Chinese ethnicity. This period is known as the Middle Period of the Feudal Society. The Late Period of Feudal Society, from 1279 to 1849, is also known as the Foreign Period. The Mongol established the Yuan Dynasty which lasted 90 years until it was overthrown by the peasant uprisings. The successor dynasty, Qing, marked another chapter of Chinese History in which it was totally conquered by a minority people.  The Han Chinese overcame innumerable massacres and persecutions imposed by these two dynasties, and assimilated many minority peoples including the conquerors themselves.

The Modern period was another ugly chapter of Chinese History, for China was reduced to a semi colonial and semi feudal society. Many Han peasants fled to northern Northeast China, southeastern Inner Mongolia, and south Asia to avoid war, famine, and colonization. Hence, there are more than 30 million overseas Chinese in the world categorized into five major ethnic groups: Han, Manchu, Hui, Mongol, and Tibetan. All 56 ethnic groups have equal political, economic, and social status. Major ethnic minorities in China include the Zhuang, the Uygur, the Yi, the Miao, the Mongols, the Tujia, the Buyi, the Koreans, the Dong, the Yao, the Bai, and the Hani. Five of them: the Zhuang, Hui, Uygur, Zang, and Mongol are autonomous to China. More and more people in China are reclaiming their ethnic identity, for they are protected equally under the law.

 Reasons for ethnic diversities:

1. Invasions of the fertile valleys by non-Chinese stocks from the changing borders of China throughout history. Ex. North, Northeast, and Northwest. Episodes of bloodsheds between the conqueror and the conquered led to consequent massive migration of Chinese to Southern China, and integration between those who chose to remain.

2. China is geographically bordered by many ethnic groups like the Koreans, Mongols, Tibetans, Miao, Lo-Lo, and Mo-So = Geographical Circumstantialitie           

General:

1. We don't know whether earliest civilized Chinese were a mixture.

Prehistoric Origin: The Mongoloid Family of People

Historical Development of Ethnography:

·                     8000 years since the Neolithic Era

·                     accelerated by political and agricultural stability

·                     started from Northern China following the Yellow River and

·                     The expansion of the Han Chinese = who are " Chinese" ~ insert the legendary period and the major groups

·                     The consequences of the Han expansion in context with its historic dynasties.

·                     Describe each racial composition of each dynasty

·                     assimilations of the Mongols and the Manchu’s, impact and shift of demography

·                     how the present prominent ethnic groups came about

The National Minority:

·                     list

·                     geographic locations

·                     history

·                     population

·                     distinct cultures

·                     languages

·                     interaction with the Han Chinese throughout history

Present Ethnic Groups:

·                     population distribution

·                     statistics

·                     government policies

·                     Chinese oversea