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Text: Liao Yuan
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introduction
The Manchus occupy an important place in the long history of China. Since the founding of the Qing Dynasty in the early 17th century, the Manchus have not only had a significant influence in the political sphere, but also had a profound impact on Chinese culture and society.
Manchu, as the traditional language of the Manchu people, played an important role in the history of the Qing Dynasty and witnessed many historical events. But what is puzzling is that after the fall of the Qing Dynasty, although the Manchu population was still large, the Manchu language gradually disappeared into the long river of history. Why is this happening?
(Emperor of the Qing Dynasty)
During the Qing Dynasty, the Manchu language was not only widely used in government, law, education, culture, and social interactions, but even Han Chinese officials usually had to learn some Manchu language in order to communicate with the Manchu rulers.
The Manchu language also added a whole host of new vocabulary and grammar to the Chinese language, which had a huge impact on Han Chinese society. However, the reasons behind the gradual demise of the Manchu language, which had such an important position, are complex and varied.
1. The Sinicization policy in the middle and late Qing Dynasty
In the middle and late Qing Dynasty, with the increasing population of the Han and the improvement of social status, the Qing rulers adopted a series of sinicization policies, mainly aimed at consolidating the dominance of the Han people, but also trying to promote the integration of the Manchu and Han ethnic groups.
The emperors realized that the absorption of Han cultural elements could not only improve the cultural level of the Manchus, but also help to reduce inter-ethnic contradictions, promote social harmony, and maintain the long-term stability of the country.
(Manchu)
First, the Qing emperors began to encourage Manchu officials to learn the Chinese language and culture.
They believed that this would not only strengthen exchanges and cooperation between Manchu and Han officials, but would also make Manchu officials more comfortable in handling Han affairs. More importantly, it would attract the support of Han Chinese intellectuals and realize the ideal of "one family between Manchu and Han", thus consolidating the foundation of Qing rule.
With the in-depth implementation of the Sinicization policy, Chinese gradually became the mainstream language among officialdom and aristocracy. This had a great impact on the status of the Manchu language. In the court, Manchu officials and nobles began to use Chinese more frequently for official and day-to-day communication.
The popularity of the Chinese language is not just a linguistic change, it also reflects a shift in cultural identity. In order to better integrate into the ruling class, Manchu officials and aristocrats began to imitate Han Chinese mannerisms, including the use of language.
(Manchu)
In addition, with the widespread spread of Han culture in Manchu society, more and more Manchu people began to use Chinese in their daily lives. This trend is especially pronounced among Manchu youth and city dwellers.
In cities and economically developed areas, many Manchus gradually abandoned the traditional Manchu language in favor of Chinese for communication in order to better integrate into society. This linguistic shift is not only a matter of ease of communication, but also a strategy for adapting to social changes and preserving one's status.
As time passed, the use of Manchu became narrower and narrower. In the late Qing Dynasty, due to the further penetration of Han culture, the status of the Manchu language in the officialdom was much less than before.
(Puyi)
2. The dilution of the Manchu national consciousness
After the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1912, the fate of the Manchus was like turning a new page. During the newly established Republic of China, they faced unprecedented challenges. In order to integrate into society, many Manchus learned Chinese and gradually abandoned their mother tongue, Manchu.
In this process, the Manchu people's identification with their own culture weakened, and their feelings for traditional culture and language gradually weakened. At that time, the inheritance of the Manchu language faced serious challenges.
Fearing that their children would be excluded from society, many Manchu parents no longer taught them to speak Manchu. As time passed, fewer and fewer people could speak Manchu, and the vitality of Manchu as a language slowly faded.
(Qing Dynasty official)
At the same time, with the development of modernization and urbanization, the traditional Manchu lifestyle and culture have gradually been replaced by the modern lifestyle. Many Manchus left their traditional places of residence and moved to predominantly Han Chinese cities.
In the cities, they had to adapt to a new way of life, learn Chinese, and thus gradually lost the opportunity to use the Manchu language. This change in lifestyle also means that the traditional Manchu culture and social structure are slowly disintegrating, and the national consciousness is becoming more and more diluted.
3. Regional differences
The distribution of the Manchus in China is like a large canvas, mainly painted in the three northeastern provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning, as well as parts of Inner Mongolia. But the storms of history and the migration of people have also brought them to Beijing, Hebei and other places. Such a vast and uneven distribution allowed the Manchu language to grow its own characteristics in different regions.
(Full)
In the Northeast, the Manchu language retains much of its ancient flavor, especially in the remote countryside. The Manchu language here is similar to that recorded in ancient texts, but it also has a lot of Chinese vocabulary and grammar.
Moving to Inner Mongolia, the Manchu language is like putting on the cloak of the Mongolian people, with some unique pronunciation and vocabulary. Around Beijing, the history of mixed Manchu and Han Chinese has imprinted the Manchu language with a deep Chinese imprint, and many traditional features have disappeared.
(Manchu)
Manchu in different regions is like a dialect with different styles, not only in pronunciation and vocabulary, but also in grammar and usage habits. These differences make it difficult for Manchus from different regions to understand each other when speaking Manchu. Because there is no uniform Manchu language education and standards, these regional differences are like a river of history that has been flowing and getting wider and wider.
This regional difference weakened the Manchu people's sense of identity with the Manchu language. When Manchu ceased to be a unified, shared cultural heritage, people's enthusiasm for preserving and passing on the language diminished.
Although the Manchu language almost died out after the fall of the Qing Dynasty, there are still a number of scholars, language enthusiasts, and Manchu organizations dedicated to documenting and studying the Manchu language in order to pass it on and revive it. In addition, some local governments have taken measures to support the preservation and transmission of the Manchu language, such as offering Manchu language courses and holding cultural events. However, more needs to be done to completely preserve and revive the Manchu language.
(Manchu living fossils)
In short, with the passage of time, the dilution of the national consciousness of the Manchu people, changes in social status, and the continuous influence of the external environment continued to act on the use of the Manchu language. Together, these factors led to the demise of the Manchu language. The demise of a language is not just the disappearance of a form of language, but also the loss of a rich and unique cultural heritage.
Language is not just a simple communication tool, it also carries the essence of a nation's culture. Therefore, we should be aware of the importance of preserving languages and take proactive measures to ensure that these unique cultural voices can be maintained.
Resources:
Most of the tens of millions of Manchus in the mainland do not know Manchu Chinese, CPPCC members call for rescue.Hebei News Network,2010-11-29
GUO Mengxiu. "Analysis of the Causes of Manchu Endangerment." Manchu Studies 2 (2008): 7.