Preamble
Only a little over a hundred years ago, the fall of the Qing Dynasty marked the end of an era. In the midst of this historical upheaval, it is striking that tens of millions of Manchus have lost their connection with their mother tongue, the Manchu language. What kind of historical process and cultural collision are hidden behind this loss of culture? What is the reason for the rapid decline of the Manchu language?
The purpose of this article is to delve into this historical mystery, the language crisis that the Manchus suffered after the end of the Qing Dynasty. How did the Manchu language gradually disappear from the daily lives of tens of millions of Manchus over time, and eventually fell silent? This article will take readers through the long stream of history, uncover the secrets of the demise of the Manchu language, and search for those historical and cultural memories that have been forgotten by time.
Nurhachi proposed"The Manchu family"explore the tortuous road of Manchu and Han integration
When Nurhachi unified the Manchurian tribes and established the Later Jin, the fledgling minority regime faced a great challenge from the Han dynasty of the Ming Dynasty. Backed by its profound cultural traditions and strong national strength, the Later Jin Dynasty had to break through the Ming Dynasty's defenses if they wanted to dominate the Central Plains.
Nurhachi realized that force alone was not enough to conquer. The Han people are the main body of this land, and in order to occupy the Central Plains, they must win the support of the local Han people. Therefore, he put forward the slogan of "Manchu and Han family" and began to implement a policy of wooing Han Chinese.
Han literati who were willing to surrender to Houjin could receive generous remuneration and honor. In the turbulent environment of the time, this was undoubtedly a huge attraction. Soon, the Han officials and literati on the border of the Ming Dynasty began to surrender one after another, and the degree of sinicization of the Later Jin gradually deepened.
Still, Nurhachi's idea of a "Manchu-Han family" is really just a slogan. Accounts indicate that Nurhachi was a visionary and ambitious minority leader. He understood that in order to occupy the Ming Dynasty, force alone was not enough. The Han Chinese have a deep traditional culture and Confucianism, and if they want to control the Central Plains, they must win the hearts and minds of the people.
Therefore, he adopted the strategy of wooing the Hanchen in order to favor the Hanchen in order to win their support. However, as a Manchurian, Nurhachi still maintained pride and pride in his own nation.
He tried to get Hanchen to learn the Manchu language, to adopt the cultural habits of the Manchus, and to use the Manchu language in government affairs. This is tantamount to asking a group of entrenched Confucian scholars to abruptly abandon their familiar language in favor of a completely different language. Obviously, this was extremely difficult for the Han literati.
Nurhachi also gradually realized this. In his later years, he realized that although land could be quickly seized by force, in order to truly replace the Ming Dynasty and rule the Central Plains for a long time, it was necessary to deepen Sinicization and gain the profound support of the Han Chen. Sadly, he died before he could fully realize this transformation.
Huang Taiji was fluent in Chinese, and Dolgon was worried
After Nurhachi's death, his son Huang Taiji succeeded to the throne. On the basis of inheriting his father, Huang Taiji further strengthened his understanding and application of Han culture. Not only can he write Chinese characters fluently, but he can also speak Chinese fluently, and his demeanor is comparable to that of an elegant Confucian student.
Under his rule, the use of the Manchu language decreased significantly, while the Chinese language and Chinese characters became more widespread. Hanchen was quickly promoted to senior **, and the children of the Eight Banners competed to learn Chinese and literature, and active sinicization became the mainstream at that time.
Dorgon was deeply concerned about this. As a senior Manchu leader, he feared that Han culture would erode the Manchu traditional cavalry and archery culture, and feared that under the assimilation of Han culture, the Manchu Empire would fall apart. Although Dolgon repeatedly exhorted Huang Taiji to pay attention to the transmission of the Manchu language and martial arts, Huang Taiji did not consider them a priority.
Huang Taiji's mother tongue is Chinese, and he has been deeply influenced by Han culture since he was a child, and he is essentially a typical Confucian student of Han culture. Although he understood Dorgon's concerns, he also believed that Manchu-Han integration would not only gain Han support, but also enrich Manchu culture. Of course, there are risks associated with this approach, but Huang Taiji believes that he can control the situation and prevent the worst assimilation from happening.
**Wan Fan Incentive Plan Shunzhi strengthens the use of Hanchen, and Kangxi respects Han culture.
In 1636, Huang Taiji died, and his son Fulin ascended the throne, which became the Shunzhi Emperor. Influenced by Han culture from an early age, Fulin immediately took steps to make extensive use of Hanchen and encouraged Manchus to learn Chinese and Chinese characters.
Fu Lin (Shunzhi) grew up in an environment that was heavily influenced by Han culture, so he immediately reused Hanchen after coming to power. He believed that Hanchen was proficient in classical culture, familiar with people's livelihood and governance, and the Han accounted for the vast majority of the country's population, without the assistance of the Han **, it would be difficult to govern this huge empire.
This practice once again intensified the contradictions between the Manchus and Hans. Many Manchu ministers opposed Fulin's policy of favoring Hanchen. But Fulin insisted on his own policy, and even ordered that the Manchus must also study Chinese and Chinese characters seriously. Because he realized that in order to rule the Central Plains in a long-term and stable manner, it was necessary to achieve Manchu and Han integration. Lacking Chinese cultural accomplishment and language ability, it is difficult to win the hearts and minds of the people.
Emperor Kangxi was an enthusiastic supporter of Han culture. Under his rule, culture and art reached the ultimate prosperity. Kangxi himself is not only a participant in culture and art, but also a promoter of it. He has written tens of thousands of Chinese poems, and his enthusiasm and achievements are astonishing.
This is because the Chinese language itself has given him great aesthetic satisfaction. Considering that Manchu is only the language of an ethnic minority in the north, its writing system is relatively simple, and it is difficult to carry out complex literary and artistic creations.
Thus, under the rule of Kangxi, the use of the Manchu language had become very rare, and Manchu-Han fusion reached unprecedented heights. ** When they met, they used the Beijing dialect, and the distinction between the Manchu and Han gradually blurred, which together contributed to the prosperity of the empire.
In his later years, Kangxi began to worry that Manchu culture might be assimilated by Sinicization, and hastily ordered the promotion of Manchu language learning. However,Sinicization has been deeply rooted in the hearts of the people.,This policy is difficult to implement.,In the end, it didn't come to fruition.。 Cultural assimilation has proven to be a slow and irreversible process.
Qianlong tried unsuccessfully to save the Manchus
Emperor Qianlong saw the crisis facing the Manchu language and culture and was determined to turn the situation around. He vigorously promoted the Manchu language in the palace, restored Manchu education, and ordered the children of the Eight Banners to strengthen their studies. This was out of consideration for the identity and legitimacy of the emperor. The legitimacy of a minority-dominated regime is challenged if it is unable to preserve even its own culture and language.
However, the position of Han culture in the Manchu ruling class was unbreakable. Whether it is the beautiful rivers and mountains or the poetry and songs, they are deeply loved by the Manchu people. Even Qianlong himself could not resist the charm of Han culture and deviated from his original goal. The use of Manchu at the court became scarce, and it was only blurted out unconsciously when the emperor and ministers were angry. This is a clear indication of the fate of Manchu as a marginal language.
In the face of the decline of the Manchu language in his later years, Qianlong reluctantly accepted this reality: "No way, who let us live in the Central Plains." "The conqueror is eventually conquered, and this is the fate that every conquering dynasty cannot escape.
During the Guangxu period, the Manchu language had become history
After Qianlong, several generations of emperors of Daoguang, Xianfeng, and Tongzhi tried to promote the Manchu language, but all failed. Emperor Daoguang knew that his ability to govern the country was not as good as that of his predecessors, and he only hoped to spend the rest of his life in peace. Emperor Xianfeng and Emperor Tongzhi were exhausted from the Taiping rebellion and were unable to pay attention to the Manchu language.
By the Guangxu era, Manchu had become a dead language, and only historians and linguists would study it. The use of Manchu was limited to a small number of members of the royal family, and its status almost disappeared.
The young princes used fluent Beijing
Mandarin exchanges. Emperor Guangxu himself could only speak the authentic Beijing dialect and was also very proficient in other Chinese dialects. This has become the trend of the times, and it is difficult to change.
The Empress Dowager Cixi didn't even know a single Manchu alphabet, and the teachers she supervised Guangxu to learn Manchu were just for the form. As the de facto supreme ruler, Cixi had no interest in promoting the Manchu language, which she considered a "minority language." No wonder her nephew, Guangxu, did not consider Manchu as important.
By the time of the last emperor, Puyi, the decline of the Manchu language was a foregone conclusion. It is recorded that Pu Yi could not speak Manchu at all, and that he was obsessed with the luxury of the West and had no interest in trying to save the Manchus.
Conclusion
The Manchu Empire, the official language of the once glorious Manchu Empire, has almost disappeared in the long course of history. The process of its decline is closely related to the tortuous process of Manchu and Han integration.
The Manchu language fell victim to this fusion, and its demise revealed a harsh reality: the laws of survival are cruel, and only those who adapt can survive. When a strong and advanced civilization emerges, the backward one is destined to be assimilated. This is the immutable rule of history.