Preamble:
The Qing Dynasty, an empire founded by the Manchus, left behind magnificent palaces and a rich cultural heritage, and its fate as the official language of the Qing Dynasty did not escape this fate.
It has only been more than 100 years since the fall of the Qing Dynasty, but there are very few people who can speak Manchu now.
What kind of process is it that makes a language almost disappear from the world?
The Manchu language is in decline
In 1616, Nurhachi founded Houjin, and he was not only a brilliant military strategist, but also a far-sighted statesman.
Aware of the importance of a unified language, he created the Manchu language in an attempt to strengthen the political basis for unification through the "book of texts".
When the Qing army entered the customs in 1644, Nurhachi's son, Huang Taiji, continued his father's policies, making the Manchu language more widely used among the clan.
As the Qing Dynasty expanded, the rulers faced a new challenge: how to manage the growing Han Chinese population.
In order to consolidate his rule, the Qing emperors had to begin to absorb Han culture, especially since Emperor Shunzhi, and Han culture became more and more important in the court.
At this time, Chinese became the dominant language of the imperial court, and the position of Manchu began to be challenged.
Emperor Qianlong tried to revitalize the Manchu language, but in the face of the tide, even the power of the emperor seemed to be stretched.
By the end of the 19th century, the Qing Dynasty's national power was declining, and external and internal troubles were intertwined.
During this period, the rise of Han officials such as Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang further expanded the influence of Han culture.
In this environment, the use of Manchu is even more restricted. Even the Empress Dowager Cixi at the end of the Qing Dynasty, although she was a Manchu, relied almost entirely on Chinese to communicate with her ministers.
During the reign of the last emperor, Puyi, the Qing Dynasty was already in turmoil, and the use of Manchu was almost a formality, more of a symbolic reservation.
In the late Guangxu period, when Yuan Shikai presided over the government, the Manchu language was even more marginalized, not only that, even Cixi of the previous Qing Dynasty, her own Manchu language was not good, and the communication with the ministers was basically all Chinese.
Although Manchu is no longer an active everyday language, it is still rich in historical information and cultural value as a part of culture.
The disappearance of language is often accompanied by the end of the old era and the beginning of the new era.
The gradual disappearance of the Manchu language is not only the decay of the language itself, but also a reflection of a cultural transformation.
The fall of the Qing Dynasty and the decline of the Manchu language were irreversible trends in the course of history.
Nevertheless, the historical value and cultural significance of the Manchu language are still worthy of in-depth discussion and reminiscence.
The Manchu language ceased to exist
In the middle and late Qing Dynasty, with the gradual decay of the children of the Eight Banners and the rise of Han officials, the environment for the use of Manchu became more and more difficult.
The children of the Eight Banners were supposed to be staunch guardians of the Manchu language, but they gradually indulged in a privileged life and neglected the inheritance of their own culture.
In addition, the strong influence of Han culture and language made even the Manchus themselves accustomed to using Chinese for daily communication and official affairs.
In the late Qing Dynasty, especially under the impact of Western culture, the use of Manchu was increasingly reduced.
After the Qing Dynasty took power in the whole country, Manchu officials were sent to all parts of the country, and the Manchus in the local areas naturally did not use Manchu to communicate with the locals, and naturally there were fewer Manchu speakers, so the demise of Manchu was inevitable.
Epilogue:
Although the number of Manchus today is huge, there are very few who can actually speak Manchu.
The imminent disappearance of this language is not only the loss of a national culture, but also the loss of a part of the diversity of humanity as a whole.
Although the Manchu language is not widely spoken, for the Manchu people, the language remains an important symbol of their identity and culture.
As society's attention to minority cultures gradually increased, the preservation and revival of the Manchu language also received more support.
Through the promotion of movies, books and online platforms, Manchu is slowly moving towards more people's vision.
This is not only the revival of an old language, but also the respect and inheritance of an ancient culture.
From Nurhachi's ambition to Puyi's helplessness, from its heyday to its near disappearance, the Manchu language has experienced a complete cycle from prosperity to decline.
Although we cannot go back to the era when the Manchu language was popular, we can protect and revive the Manchu language, so that this precious cultural heritage can shine in a new era.
Let us remember that every language is the fruit of human wisdom and deserves to be cherished and protected.