preface
The Yuan dynasty was a very important dynasty in Chinese history, ruling from 1271 to 1368.
During the Yuan Dynasty, the status of the Mongols was the highest.
The reigning rulers were the Mongols, who considered themselves "sons of destiny" and the Han as a conquered people.
Due to cultural differences and historical hatred between the Mongols and Han Chinese, prejudice and discrimination against the Han people was widespread in the Yuan government.
Therefore, the Yuan government took a series of measures to restrict the status and power of the Han people, such as prohibiting Han people from holding important positions, restricting Han land and property, and prohibiting Han people from owning weapons.
These policy measures have left the Han Chinese marginalized and exploited.
This article focuses on the impact of the Han people's low status.
Han status in the Yuan Dynasty
Genghis Khan, the founder of the Yuan Dynasty, and his descendants, were Mongols who, through conquest and rule, built a vast empire.
After conquering the Central Plains, they adopted a series of policies to limit the social, political, economic, and cultural status of the Han Chinese in order to ensure Mongol rule and control.
Mongols also enjoyed higher status and wealth, owning more land and property while being subject to less tax burden.
In terms of culture, the Yuan dynasty encouraged Mongolian culture and Mongolian traditions, while less supportive of other ethnic cultures.
In social life, Mongols also enjoy a higher social status and respect, while Han Chinese and other ethnic minorities are in a lower position.
During the Yuan Dynasty, the status and influence of figures depended on their status and achievements in areas such as government, military, culture, and commerce.
On the government side, officials of the Yuan Dynasty consisted of Mongols, Han Chinese, and other ethnic minorities.
They are divided into nine ranks, and each grade is divided into two ranks, chief and deputy members, with actual power and wealth as the main measure.
High-ranking officials and close associates of the emperor generally enjoyed higher social status and wealth.
In the bureaucracy of the Yuan dynasty, Mongols held the highest political and military leadership positions, with high official titles and privileges.
Therefore, in order to be able to strengthen their regime, they adopted many policies to suppress the status of the Han Chinese.
1. Divided rule: The Yuan Dynasty implemented divided rule, separating Han and ethnic minorities such as Mongolians, Hui, and the Western Regions.
The Han are divided into four classes and are at the bottom of society.
They were deprived of many political and social rights and could only improve their social status if they voluntarily joined the Mongolian army, learned Mongolian culture and abided by Mongolian laws.
2. Heavy tax oppression: The Yuan government imposed heavy taxes on the Han people, restricting their economic development.
For example, the Yuan Dynasty implemented the "equal-loss method", which involved a fixed tax in one region, regardless of the local economic situation and population size.
This severely restricted Han production and trade, and undermined their economic position.
3. Restrictions on cultural inheritance: The Yuan Dynasty government promoted Mongolian culture, forbidding Han people to use Chinese and Chinese characters to write, and could only use Mongolian script and Mongolian language.
This has greatly limited the cultural inheritance and education of the Han people.
4. Restrictions on freedom of marriage: The Yuan government stipulated that marriages between Mongols, Hui, and Han Chinese were subject to strict censorship and permission, which limited communication and integration between Han and other ethnic groups.
Politically, militarily, economically and culturally, the Mongols were dominant, held supreme power, and enjoyed privileges.
In terms of the army, the rulers of the Yuan Dynasty focused on military power and conquest, and the status and influence of military commanders were also high.
For example, Kublai Khan, the first emperor of the Yuan Dynasty, personally commanded an army to attack the Southern Song Dynasty and successfully conquered the south.
In terms of culture, there were many famous cultural figures in the Yuan Dynasty, such as Ma Zhiyuan, Wang Shifu, Wu Zimu, etc., whose works had a profound impact on Chinese culture.
The culture of the Yuan Dynasty also incorporated the characteristics of the Han, Mongols and other ethnic minorities to form a unique Yuan Dynasty culture.
In terms of commerce, the economy prospered during the Yuan Dynasty, and many merchants and wealthy people became important figures in society, and their status and influence were also high.
In addition to the Mongols, the Semu people also enjoyed a high status during the Yuan Dynasty.
The Semu people were ethnic minorities in the Western Regions and Central Asia, and they had a high degree of participation and influence in the political, military, and economic spheres of the Yuan Dynasty.
Among them, Yelü Chucai and Kublai Khan's mother were also Semu, and Yelü Chucai became the second emperor of the Yuan Dynasty.
In politics, the Semu people also occupied many important positions and became important officials and generals of the Yuan Dynasty.
In military terms, the Semu were one of the main forces in the army of the Yuan Dynasty and made important contributions to the expansion and rule of the Yuan Dynasty.
Economically, the Semu were also the center of trade in the Yuan Dynasty, mastering important commercial and communication routes.
During the Yuan Dynasty, the status of Han people varied according to factors such as personal social background, occupation, and region.
The rulers of the Yuan Dynasty have brutally suppressed and massacred the Han people many times, such as Zhang Shicheng, Li Ying, Chen Youcheng and other uprisings have been bloodily suppressed, bringing great disasters and oppression to the Han people.
During the Yuan Dynasty, the Han had a relatively low status and suffered many injustices.
On the political front, the Yuan Dynasty imposed a Mongol-dominated bureaucracy, with officials mostly Mongols or other ethnic minorities, while Han Chinese were confined to lower-level official positions and had difficulty advancing to senior leadership positions.
On the economic front, the Yuan Dynasty implemented a nine-part system, and Han people could only engage in low-level occupations in areas such as commerce, handicrafts, and agriculture.
Han people have also been treated unfairly in terms of land, property, taxes, etc.
In terms of culture, the Yuan Dynasty officially encouraged Mongolian and Tibetan, but did not support Han culture, which was also suppressed to a certain extent.
The Yuan Dynasty's suppression of the Han people's drawbacks
Social unrest: During the Yuan Dynasty, discontent among the Han people continued to accumulate due to large-scale conquests and oppression of ruling policies.
At the end of the Yuan Dynasty, the Han uprising broke out, which became one of the important reasons for the establishment of the Ming Dynasty.
Cultural destruction: During the Yuan Dynasty, Mongol rulers implemented a series of cultural policies that weakened and destroyed the inheritance of Han culture.
They banned the use of the Chinese language and restricted the cultural activities of the Han people, which adversely affected the protection and development of traditional Chinese culture.
Economic Recession: During the Yuan Dynasty, the production and commercial activities of the Han people were greatly affected due to wars and restrictions on ruling policies.
At the same time, the rulers of the Yuan Dynasty adopted a high-pressure tax policy, which caused a heavy burden on the Han people, resulting in economic decline and deteriorating livelihood.
Ethnic tensions: Relations between Mongolians and Han Chinese were very tense due to the cross-ethnic nature of the rulers.
The Han people have been suppressed and restricted by the Mongols in the political, economic, cultural and other aspects, which has led to the escalating ethnic contradictions between the Han and the Mongols.
Damage to the prestige of the ruler: During the Yuan Dynasty, due to the special status of the Mongols, the Han people had doubts and distrust of Mongol rule.
The large-scale suppression of the Han by the ruler may cause the Han people to lose confidence and prestige in the ruler.
Continuous resistance and rebellion: During the Yuan Dynasty, due to the suppression of the Han people, the Han people often rebelled and rebelled, posing no small threat to the Yuan regime.
Such revolts and rebellions not only exacerbated social unrest, but also burdened rulers.
Formation of regional division: During the Yuan Dynasty, the life and culture of the Han people were greatly affected due to the suppression and restrictions of the rulers.
At the same time, it has also aggravated the geographical and ethnic differentiation in various parts of China, which has adversely affected China's unification and development.
Damage to the prestige of the ruler: During the Yuan Dynasty, due to the special status of the Mongols, the Han people had doubts and distrust of Mongol rule.
The large-scale suppression of the Han by the ruler may cause the Han people to lose confidence and prestige in the ruler.
Continuous resistance and rebellion: During the Yuan Dynasty, due to the suppression of the Han people, the Han people often rebelled and rebelled, posing no small threat to the Yuan regime.
Such revolts and rebellions not only exacerbated social unrest, but also burdened rulers.
Formation of regional division: During the Yuan Dynasty, the life and culture of the Han people were greatly affected due to the suppression and restrictions of the rulers.
These influences had a profound impact on the Han people, limiting their development and progress.
While the status and reputation of the Han people in society have declined, the participation and contribution of the Han people in politics and culture have also been restricted, resulting in the Han people's opportunities and development space in social development becoming narrower.
This is also a negative impact on the development of Chinese history and culture caused by the low status of the Han people in the Yuan Dynasty.
The disadvantage of suppressing the Han people to the Han people
In the long run, suppressing the Han does not have any practical benefit to the Han people.
Although in some cases the suppression of Han Chinese may give the rulers temporary political benefits, this practice usually leads to more social instability and unrest.
First of all, the suppression of the Han people will cause dissatisfaction and resistance among the Han people, which may lead to social unrest and political instability, and bring great political risks and burdens to the rulers.
Second, the suppression of the Han will restrict and destroy the cultural and economic activities of the Han people, thereby hindering the development and progress of the entire society.
For a country that has been in a state of multi-ethnic coexistence for a long time, maintaining harmony and stability among ethnic groups and promoting multicultural exchanges and integration are the keys to national development.
The crackdown on Han Chinese can also tarnish the country's image and reputation internationally.
For a strong country, it should not maintain its ruling power by suppressing a certain ethnic group, but should achieve the common development and progress of all ethnic groups through a fair and just political system and policy.
From the perspective of long-term interests, the suppression of the Han people has no practical benefit to the development of the Han people and the country as a whole.
But for those in power, suppressing the Han can be more advantageous to control the Han.
Maintain the stability of the rule: By suppressing the Han people, the rulers can effectively control the Han people and prevent them from threatening the regime, thereby maintaining the stability and continuation of the regime.
Increase the political prestige and status of the ruler: In some cases, the suppression of Han Chinese may make the ruler's position among ethnic minorities more prominent, increasing their political prestige and status.
Promoting political and economic interests: Some rulers may suppress Han Chinese to promote their personal or family political and economic interests, such as plundering Han property and imposing high taxes.
It should be emphasized that these "advantages" are short-lived, superficial, and often at the expense of the interests of the Han people.
For a country that has been stable and developing for a long time, the power of the regime and its rulers should not be maintained at the expense of the interests of a certain people.
Instead, we should adhere to ethnic equality and multicultural development, and promote harmonious coexistence and common development of all ethnic groups.
The author's opinion
We believe that relations among peoples are interdependent and mutually restrictive.
If a certain ethnic group is suppressed, it will undermine the stability and development of the entire country and cause long-term negative effects.
Therefore, any repression of a certain ethnic group should be firmly opposed.
The repression of the Han may lead to a backlash and revolt from the Han people, which may also have a different impact.
On the one hand, it may exacerbate social contradictions and unrest, thereby threatening the stability and security of the entire country;
On the other hand, it may also promote social progress and reform, and promote the improvement and progress of the political system and ethnic relations.
In the process of the evolution of Han culture, we can also see the influence and borrowing of foreign culture.
Therefore, we should respect the culture and traditions of all ethnic groups, promote exchanges and integration among all ethnic groups, and achieve common prosperity and development.
bibliography
"Historical Commentary"
"Yuan Magazine Series"
"The Case of Song Yuanxue"
"Metahistory"