Zhao Yongchun Chi Anran: The earliest concept of "China" may have originated in Xia

Author: Zhao Yongchun Chi Anran

Source: Historical Review, No. 5, 2021

What is "China" and when did the earliest "China" begin to appear?

The term "China" is first known to be found in the He Zun inscriptions and the Shangshu ZhouShu Zicai in the early years of the Western Zhou Dynasty, but this does not mean that the concept of "China" also appeared in the early years of the Western Zhou Dynasty.

Written records are often later than word of mouth, and are often not seen in written records until after a period of popularity in society. The "China" seen in the written records of the Western Zhou Dynasty should have been circulated in society for a long time, and perhaps the concept of "China" had already appeared before.

"China" is not found in the oracle bones, but there are a large number of "Zhong" characters, indicating that before the word "China" appeared, the concept of "Zhong" had long been widely spread in society. This is consistent with relevant documentary records, such as the Analects in which Yao said to Shun, "The calendar of heaven is in Erzhu and is allowed to be adhered to in it", and the Records of History records that "the emperor is in charge of the middle and all over the world".

The original meaning of "middle" should refer to the middle, the center, the world, the earth, the earth, the center, etc., for example, the Zhou Li records that the Great Situ had the duty of "measuring the depth of the soil with the method of tugui, and seeking the earth in the middle of the day". There are records of Shun's "seeking the middle" and "winning the middle" in qinghuajian's "Baoxun", indicating that at the time of Yu Shun, there were already ideological concepts in the earth, in the earth, and in the world.

After the concept of using the word "Zhong" to refer to the earth, the earth, and the world appeared, and then the country was founded in the earth, the earth, and the world, and the concept of "China" appeared. The Book of Yi zhou records that "Nai Zuo Dayi Cheng zhou in the soil", which is associated with the He Zun inscriptions "house in Cheng zhou" and "house in China", where "soil" has the meaning of referring to "China", indicating that the concept of "China" appears on the basis of the concept of "Zhong". When the concept of "China" appeared, it had not yet established a country in the middle of the earth and in the land, so there was no "China" concept, and after the establishment of state power in the Xia Dynasty, the concept of "China" was formally formed.

Based on archaeological findings, archaeologists believe that the "earliest China" had appeared in or before the Xia Dynasty. We believe that it is no problem to describe the Erlitou culture, Taosi culture, Liangzhu culture, Hongshan culture, Miaodigou culture, etc. as cultural relics in Chinese history. Because these are inherited by the later "China", there is no doubt that they all belong to China. With the help of the literature's recounting of "China", it should be in line with historical reality to determine the earliest time of the emergence of the concept of "China" during the establishment of the Xia Dynasty.

(The original title of "The Earliest "China": The "China" View in the Xia, Shang, and Western Zhou Dynasties", excerpted from the Journal of Southwest University for Nationalities, No. 6, 2021)

Author Affilications:School of History and Culture, Changchun Normal University