China has a history of 5,000 years, and its Confucianism is deeply contaminated. Influenced by Confucian culture, Chinese in ancient times paid special attention to their own hair, and there was a theory that "the body has skin, and the parents dare not destroy it, and the beginning of filial piety" has been born. Although this theory is not a big problem, what should the Han people in the Central Plains do in the face of the reality of Manchu rule? It may be quite humiliating to say.
Leave your head without hair, and leave your hair without your head
With the sound of trampling on the iron hooves of the Manchus, a clear decree was issued: leave no hair on the head, and leave the hair without the head. Yes, the people of the Central Plains have tied their hair for thousands of years, and the way of life they sincerely want must be changed.
This was the will of the regent Dorgon, the father of the Qing Dynasty, not only hair, but also the clothes could not be worn as before, and it was necessary to wear beard clothes. So why did he care so much about the Han people's hairstyles and even clothing? In fact, there is a political purpose.
At that time, the Manchus entered the customs because they seized the Country and Mountain of Daming, and Daming was not only a name, but also a collective name for thousands of Han people. No matter how dissatisfied people were with the policies of the Ming Dynasty, they recognized the dynasty as their own country.
The Qing Dynasty is different, an invader from a barbaric land, whether it is culture or habits, or even the smell of the body, makes the Han people unable to accept it. This is very uncomfortable for a ruler.
At the same time, although it is only a change of lifestyle on the surface, it is more important to be a Han chinese inner language: The Han people who refuse to change their clothes and shave their hair will absolutely not accept the new regime of the Qing Dynasty in their hearts, and for those who do not accept it, the Manchu people are naturally not polite.
Therefore, as soon as Dorgon entered the pass, he gave the Han people a scare: leave your head without hair, leave your hair without your head, and you can choose it yourself. It is said that there were many Han Chinese who could not accept it at that time, and thus paid the price of their lives for it.
Later, the people of the Central Plains came from the life-saving complex to the expedient and important, and finally learned the Manchu hu costume and shaved their hair. This acceptance lasted until the end of the Qing Dynasty, thus making braids the iconic hairstyle of the Qing Dynasty.
What about bald, bald people?
In this way, embarrassment arises, what about those who do not have long hair on their heads, or who have been at the top in their early years? After all, baldness comes from natural disasters, and external forces cannot affect it. Is it necessary to be executed because of this problem?
Don't worry, although the Han people have the habit of tying their hair, it is definitely not forced nature, that is to say, you have to keep your head bald with the trend of the times or your own "personality", all depending on your own situation.
Naturally, the Qing Dynasty naturally had to recognize this "catastrophic" reality, and people without hair, or balding, were embarrassed? How can the law be used to oppress others? As a result, the Qing Dynasty regulations also humanized a hand, not forcing bald heads and bald people to wear braids.
But this must have a premise, that is, the bald person must shave the hair on both sides of the sideburns, and you think of "local support center", which is not the door.
In fact, there is a big difference between the pigtail problem of the Qing people and the image in the current film and television drama, definitely not only shaving off the top of the head, the entire big back head has a long-haired yin and yang head.
The so-called Qing people's braids are to shave most of the front half of the head, only a small handful of hair behind the head into a small braid, which is similar to the past many children to stay long life braids are not poor, the amount of less pitiful, like a mouse tail like a small pinch. Therefore, the hair braids of the Qing people are also called money rat tails.
It can be seen that baldness does not affect braiding at all. As for the bald head, there is still a way, China's wig industry did not start now, as early as the Qing Dynasty, rich people knew how to use wigs to cover their bald heads.
Of course, the majority of people who don't have money, really don't have hair, and people who can't afford wigs will not let you die for this. After all, all they want is an attitude of submission or disobedience to you, so the person with the whole head is like this.
Resources:
History of the Manchu Barnyard