Han nationalism

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
This article is about the form of Chinese nationalism that only includes Han people within the Chinese nation. For the contrasting form of nationalism that asserts the existence of a Chinese nation encompassing both Han people and ethnic minorities, see Chinese nationalism. For the multilateral diplomatic ideology that emphasizes Chinese centrality in the greater world, see Sinocentrism. For ethnocentric attitudes among ethnic Han people within China, see Han chauvinism.

Emperor Hongwu of the Ming dynasty
, February 15, 1912

Han nationalism is a form of

People's Republic of China
.

Han people also constitute a sizable ethnic minority or plurality group in a number of other countries, such as Malaysia and Singapore. In the modern era, ethnicity's role in the Chinese nation continue to color conceptions of Chinese culture, geopolitics, and history. Han nationalism is to contrasted with the opposing concept of local ethnic nationalism.

Han nationalism
Hanyu Pinyin
Hàn mínzú zhǔyì
Bopomofoㄏㄢˋ ㄇㄧㄣˊ ㄗㄨˊ ㄓㄨˇ ㄧˋ

History

See also: Ethnic groups in Chinese history
The Hongwu Emperor
The president Sun Yat-sen

Unlike

Sinitic people. Han Chinese nationalism has often been used as a rallying force, stemming from the historical pride of the Han Chinese people in developing one of the world's earliest civilizations.[1][2]

Since the Han dynasty, ideas of Han Chinese superiority have been frequently used in attempts to expand China's territory. Examples of this can be seen in previous Chinese invasions of Korea and Vietnam, and in historical conquests of Central Asia, Tibet, Xinjiang and Mongolia.[3][4][5] This was later inherited by later dynasties of China, notably the Tang dynasty and the Ming dynasty. The Tang dynasty exerted control beyond the border of old Huaxia, allowing the later Ming dynasty to become a major naval power. Han Chinese ideas of superiority were complex, with contrasting Confucian narratives of Han superiority and ones of diversity in the army and the Empire.[6][7][8][9]

Han Chinese nationalism also played a key part in rallying against non-Han control of China. The Han Chinese nationalist movement led by

Western imperialism.[11][12][13] The Boxer Rebellion in late 19th century had been seen as another specific part of Han Chinese nationalism juxtaposed against Western imperialism in China, where Han Chinese nationalists were against Western and modern ideas and sought to revive old Chinese traditions.[14][15]

Following the fall of the Qing dynasty, Sun Yat-sen attempted to build a more multi-ethnic form of Chinese nationalism. He had some noteworthy successes, such as the rise of

five-colored flag. Han Chinese nationalism remains prominent in China today. Chinese leaders have employed Han nationalist sentiments, including the ongoing Han domination of China, and promotion of nationalism, as witnessed in the Republic's domestic and foreign relations.[16]

Han chauvinism

Main article: Han chauvinism
Two Hanfu promoters at the Chinese Cultural Festival in Guangzhou

Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party titled "Criticize Han Chauvinism," Mao said, "In some places, the relations between nationalities are far from normal. For Communists, this is an intolerable situation. We must go to the root and criticize the Han chauvinist ideas which exist to a serious degree among many Party members and cadres ..."[17]

It appeared again in a 1956 speech, titled

People's Republic of China's zhonghua minzu conception of China as a multi-ethnic nation, both historically and in the present, which includes not only the Han but also 55 ethnic minorities. This is expressed in the constitution of the People's Republic of China, which states that China is a "unitary [multiethnic] state created jointly by the people of all its ethnicities" and "it is necessary to combat big [ethnic group] chauvinism, mainly Han chauvinism, and combat local [ethnic] national[ist] chauvinism".[19]

The PRC's notions of Han chauvinism and China as a multicultural state have been subjected to criticism, mainly by the western media. One critical view is that the Han Chinese "are less homogeneous than official policy recognizes".[19] Zhonghua minzu has been criticized as an invention of the 20th century, and was adopted by the Communist Party only to criticize the failures of the rival Kuomintang (KMT), which officially promoted zhonghua minzu as part of its nationalist ideology. Many policies have been made to give privilege to minority ethnicities, leading to grudges from some of the Han Chinese.[20] Despite this, authorities in China have also denied the existence of racism or racial discrimination in China.[21]

In post-Mao China, Han chauvinism has been recognized as a threat by successive generations of its leadership, including the

administration of CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping. However, Xi Jinping's concept of a Chinese Dream is believed to have distinctly Han dimensions, and it is also believed to support Han chauvinism even if it is unwittingly doing so.[22] The fusion of traditional Han chauvinism with Chinese nationalism as practiced by the modern Chinese state has been described as Han-centrism.[23]

Relations with Chinese nationalism

Yuan Shikai, a Beiyang nationalist
Chiang Kai-shek, a Kuomintang nationalist
Xi Jinping, a communist nationalist

Although Han Chinese nationalism and Chinese nationalism are different in terms of ideology, with the latter often emphasizing a more multi-ethnic form of nationalism, both forms of nationalism have frequently been connected and espoused together, due to historical and current control of China by the ethnic Han Chinese majority. The concept was first debated in the early 20th century; one of those who debated it was

Tibetans and Turkic Muslims.[24] Zhang Taiyan strongly criticized non-Han ethnic groups, notably the Manchus, he considered the Manchus and other non-Han peoples oppressors and believed that they could not be assimilated because they had no understanding of Han Chinese culture and customs.[24] There were, however, significant proponents of a multi-ethnic form of Chinese nationalism as well, and Tibet remained independent during the rule of the Republic of China.[25][26]

The multifaceted image of Han Chinese nationalism continued to develop during the formation of the modern Chinese state. Han Chinese nationalists had a low opinion of ethnic

Japanese.[31][32]

In ethnic relations

See also: Ethnic minorities in China and Racism in China
Southern Song armies against the Jurchen Jin dynasty
Great Wall
, a national symbol of China
A drawing of Hong Xiuquan, leader of Taiping Rebellion against Qing dynasty

Although the current Chinese government has largely attempted to promote the idea of a multiethnic nationalism with Han Chinese is the main people instead of a singular ethnic nationalism, scholars and analysts have pointed about the lack of an agreed-upon definition of Chinese nationalism may have impacted on China's political decision with regard to other non-Han people and non-Chinese nations.[33][16][34][35]

Tibetans

See also: Sinicization of Tibet

Since the

Songsten Gampo of Tibet and introduced Buddhism to Tibet.[38] Further, Han Chinese extremists believe that Tibetans [and Mongols, Uyghurs] are actually part of the wider Han Chinese family with different genetics.[36][39]

Uyghurs

See also: Migration to Xinjiang, Xinjiang conflict, and Persecution of Uyghurs in China

Since being conquered in 1758, Uyghurs from Xinjiang have had issues with the Chinese government. Han migration dating back to the Qing dynasty led to the increasing sinicization of the region, which the policy further extended to ethnic relations.[40] Han and Hui people often live closer to Uighurs and many developed a negative stereotype of them.[41] The Chinese government's repressive policies in Xinjiang since 2014 are often characterized as a genocide.

Mongols

See also: 2020 Inner Mongolia protests

Inner Mongolia has been largely pacified since the 20th century, thanks to massive Han migration and intermarriage; Mongols have been perceived to be better integrated into the society than that of Uyghurs and Tibetans.[42] However, this is also where the infamous Inner Mongolia incident happened, leading to deaths of 16,000 to 27,000 Mongols.[43] Further policies deemed to be anti-Mongol by the Han Chinese government had led to 2011 Inner Mongolia unrest and was followed by another wave of unrest in 2015 against the exploitation and misuse of Mongol lands, as well as perceived bias in favor of ethnic Han Chinese.[44]

See also

Library resources about
Han nationalism

References

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  3. ^ "Selections from the Han Narrative Histories". depts.washington.edu. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
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  7. ^ "Effects of Tang Imperialism on Its Eastern Neighbors". 4 June 2009.
  8. ^ "An introduction to the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) (article)". Khan Academy.
  9. ^ Hong, Wontack. "A Tripolar Approach to East Asian History" (PDF).
  10. ^ "Decline of the Yuan Dynasty". oer2go.org.
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  12. ^ "Top Rebels in Ancient China". 18 September 2019.
  13. ^ Miller, Frederic P.; Vandome, Agnes F.; McBrewster, John. Anti-Qing Sentiment. ASIN 6130642490.
  14. ^ "The Boxer Rebellion: The West and the Rebels". OpenLearn. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  15. ^ Field, Lydia. "The Chinese Dream: Cultivating Expansionist Chinese Nationalism in the South China Sea and the Role of Weibo". pp. 58–59.
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  17. ^ Tse-tung, Mao. "Criticize Han Chauvinism". www.marxists.org. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
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  22. ^ Meyer, Patrik. "Could Han Chauvinism Turn the 'Chinese Dream' into a 'Chinese Nightmare'?". thediplomat.com. The Diplomat. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
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  26. ^ Marsh, Jenni (26 May 2020). "China says it has a 'zero-tolerance policy' for racism, but discrimination towards Africans goes back decades". www.cnn.com. CNN. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  27. ^ "Genocide as Nation Building: China's Historically Evolving Policy in East Turkistan". Journal of Political Risk. 7. 29 August 2019.
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  29. ^ Sperling, Elliot (2004). "History and Polemics". East-West Center – via JSTOR.
  30. ^ Dai, Tinglan. "The Great Han: The Development, Evolution, and Influence of Chinese Ethnic Nationalism on Modern Chinese Society and Government" (PDF).
  31. ^ "Han Nationalism in China". Al Jazeera Center for Studies.
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  33. ^ Townsend, James. "Chinese Nationalism" (PDF). The Australian Journal of Chinese Affairs.
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  39. ^ "Friedman: Chinese Believe Tibetans, Other Ethnic Groups Should be Incorporated into One China". Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
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  42. ^ Qin, Amy (31 August 2020). "Curbs on Mongolian Language Teaching Prompt Large Protests in China". The New York Times.
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  44. ^ Wu, Zhong (8 June 2011). "Green motives in Inner Mongolian unrest". Asia Times. Archived from the original on 12 July 2011. Retrieved 11 June 2011.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
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