Founded in the 13th century, the Yuan Dynasty included many ethnic groups such as the Mongols, Han, Jurchens, Khitans, and Weiwuers. It is worth noting that a large number of "Han Chinese" (that is, northerners) in a broad sense, including the Khitan and Jurchen ethnic groups, have voluntarily given up the original ethnic names and used Mongolian names, and even some have taken the initiative to give their children Mongolian names.
Territory of the Mongol Khanate
So the question is, why did these people use Mongolian names instead? I checked some information, and then I will talk to you briefly.
<h1 class="pgc-h-decimal" data-index="01" data-track="3" > the "bestowal" of the Mongol ruling class</h1>
Throughout the centuries of the Yuan Dynasty, there are countless Han people who have changed to Mongolian names, and the ways and purposes of changing to them are not the same. Among them, the case of the Mongolian ruling class "giving (surname) a name" occupies a large proportion. Among them, Kublai Khan, the ancestor of the Yuan Dynasty, gave the largest number of surnames and names, and even "changed their names several times" for some people to show their attention.
In today's view, behind the operation of the Mongolian ruling class to "give (surname) names", there is a certain political purpose and a strong connotation of "united front".
1) Give the name "Battu" to reward those who are enterprising and meritorious
In fact, "Batu", another transliteration of "Batu", is a long-standing honorific term used by the ancient northern peoples to praise bravery. As early as the beginning of the founding of the Mongol Khanate, the Mongol ruling class repeatedly gave this name to the heroic and warlike Han Chinese.
In the Yuan Dynasty, many "strange" faces can be seen
"The Biography of Yuan Shi Zhang Badu": "Zhang Badu, a native of Changping." Shi Xinwei, Taizu (Genghis Khan) marched south, Batu led the crowd to attach, willing to be the precursor, so he left the guards. From the nearby Han capital Hu Xi expedition back to Hui, Hexi Zhufan, Daolong, Shu into Luo, repeated battles, flowing arrows in the cheek, many (retreat) but. The emperor smelled and was strong, and gave the name Batu...."
"Yuan Shi Yang Jie Only Brother Biography": "Yang Jie only brother, Yanjing Baodi people, family industry farmers.... Attacking Xuzhou, the Jin general Guo An refused to fight, and Jie Zhige led more than a hundred horses to break into the battle, meet Yu Hou, and was defeated, and returned with a general. The Emperor's brother-in-law, the King (Tore), garrisoned the army on the river, saw it, gave the name Ofpatu, conferred a golden charm, and ordered the commander-in-chief to attach the new army and civilians. ”
"The Biography of Yuan Shi Wang Xila": "Wang Xila, Baoding people." The ancestors of the first world, with their courage, gave the name Xi Lapadu. From attacking Diaoyu Mountain and Ali Bu Brother, he gave a golden charm for meritorious service and awarded Wu Wei a thousand households. ”
"The Biography of Yuan Shi Zhang Hongfan": "To the twelfth year of the Yuan Dynasty (1275), the sub-Guazhou, divided the troops and established a fence, according to its key points.... The Song generals Zhang Shijie and Sun Huchen led the water army to a decisive battle at Jiaoshan Mountain, and (Zhang) Hongfan rushed from the side with an army, and the Song division was defeated. Chased to the east of the mountain, 80 warships were captured, and thousands of prisoners were taken. After his merits, he changed the name of Ten Thousand Households in Bozhou and later gave him the name Batu. ”
Further reading: The Magical Drift of the Han Chinese in the Central Plains: The "Eastern Power" That Sustained the Ilkhanate
Among the artillery of the Mongol Khanate, there were many skilled craftsmen from the Central Plains
Interestingly, some Han warriors also add modifiers such as "also" (大) and "Ha La" (black) to the names given by some Han warriors to show loyalty and courage.
"Yuan Shi Zheng Wen Biography": "Zheng Wen, (Hebei) Zhending Lingshou people.... Emperor Xianzong (Möngke) marched on Xichuan, Wen April did not disarm, Tianze saw with Wen, and said his merits, and the emperor said: "Shuo saw it with his own eyes." 'To be given a name may also be plucked, and to be rewarded with a saddle.' ”
"The Biography of Yuan Shi Youha LapaDu": "Yuha Lapa Du, a Bohai person, first named Xingge." Shi (generation) farmer, good at shooting, to arbitrarily cut off the country well.... Attack Tongzhou from Muhua Li, dedicate a plan, build thirty cannons and dozens of ladders overnight, attach the city, and the state will be afraid, and the treasure goods will be surrendered. Muhua Li ordered Xingge to take it arbitrarily, and Xingge took the good horse three alone to reward the soldiers. Muhua Li was known for his merits and gave him the name Ha La ba du. ”
Mongol army in miniature painting
For these Han Chinese from ordinary origins, the Mongol ruling class's initiative to give the name "Batu" as a sign of praise received extremely positive feedback.
"The Biography of Yuan Shi Youha Labadu": "Ding Hai (1227) In May, the adulterer sacrificed the east gate of Taiyuan at night to Wuxian, and xian led troops in, and Ha Laiba fought in battle. The immortal soldiers were so great that the generals shouted from outside the city: 'Yuha Lapadu, Ru Dang out!' Halabad said, "Zhending Shi Tianni, Pingyang Li Shouzhong, and Tian Xiong of Kuizhou, all lost their defenses, and I abandoned Taiyuan, and I will see the lord and the king!" His family members were captured by the gong and others, and Halaba vowed to survive with the city. So he was killed. ”
The Biography of Brother Yang Jie of Yuan Shi says: "He Hai, Song Bingzhi, has ascended to The City of De, and Jie Zhige led the crowd to resist the battle and was defeated." Led the boat division to pursue, turned to the middle of the battle, drowned, forty years old. Filial piety, filial piety. Xiao Xian, the governor of Huaidong Province, North Huai Province, you Jiangsu Province. Xiao you, the general manager of Zhenjiang Road. ”
In fact, the fate of those who have been given the name of "Batu" such as Guan Rude of Huangzhou, Xili Lingbu of the Tang Wuren, and Zhu Zhiren in the Clouds, etc., have also had the same fate as the above two, which can be described as tragic.
The trade economy of the Yuan Dynasty was very developed at that time
2) Giving the name "Mongol Gangster", etc., intentionally "Mongolized"
After the Mongol forces entered the Central Plains, in order to consolidate their rule, a large number of Han Confucians were appointed and the "Han Law" was implemented. However, they did not "completely Sinicize" like Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty, but to a certain extent adopted the measure of "Han Huhua". Among them, the act of giving the Han people the name "Mongolian gangster" is one of the concrete manifestations.
In fact, the "歹" in "Mongolian gangster" has multiple connotations such as "tribe" and "name" in Mongolian. For example, "Tatar gangster" means "Tatar tribe".
As early as the time of Genghis Khan, he gave the name Shange, the son of the Khitan Yelü Liuge. "Gengchen, Brother Liu, fifty-six years old." .... Yao Lishi (Liu Ge's wife) said: "Brother Liu has no lord, the officials and the people lack the lord, and his eldest son Xue Jianhu has been in his old age, and he is willing to replace him with his second son, Brother Shan, so that he can return to the lord." The emperor said: "Xue Jian is now a Mongol,.... Do not send, let the good brother attack his father. .... Xue Jian's younger brother Shan, given the name Mongol gangster, ordered to live from the prince's mouth. ”
In the eyes of the Mongol ruling class at the time, the highly acclaimed Xue Jian "has become a Mongol", and Shange followed closely behind "regarded as a Mongol".
Ancient Khitan image
There are also records of people such as Wokoutai and Meng Ge giving this name to the Han People.
"Yuan Shi Tianlin Biography": "Tianlin is tireless in learning, and he is not accustomed to the language of various countries. The Emperor's Book of Destiny ordered Yelü Chucai to correct the affairs of shu, to select Xianneng as Samsa, and Tianlin to choose, and to give the name Mongol Tai. ”
"Yuan Shi Xinbao Biography": "In 1256, Xinxing Zhi, a descendant of the Dali royal family, presented a map and submitted to Submission. Emperor Xianzong gave him the name Mahabharata (Mongol). ”
The "Biography of Yuan Shi Taiping" says: Huizong (Emperor Yuanshun) gave He the only "surname Mongol, the name Taiping".
In a word, the Mongolian name represented by "Mongolian gangster" is to a certain extent no different from the "national surname". In the eyes of the Mongol ruling class, although they were not "blood" Mongols, they had been "classified" into the "Mongol circle".
For the Han generals who have obtained the "national surname", it is natural to be grateful to receive this honor, and the glory is incomparable. In today's view, this kind of naming has played a role in dividing other ethnic groups and implementing assimilation to a certain extent.
3) Give "technicians" and scholars Mongolian names as a sign of praise
For the Mongol ruling class, which seized the world by force, the manufacture of weapons and equipment was particularly important. Therefore, every time the Mongols conquered a land, they would vigorously collect "technicians" such as craftsmen and entrust them with heavy responsibilities. In order to show the importance they attached, the ruling class would give the best of them Mongolian names.
Yuan Shi Liechuan Volume Ninety (Fang Ji): "Sun Wei, Hun Yuanren. Young (young) dove, ingenious. .... Good for the armor, taste the intention to make hoof tendons and feather root armor to offer, Taizu personally shoot it, can not penetrate, great joy. The name can also be given Woodland, wearing a gold charm, and granting Shun Tian'an PinghuaiZhou Henan Pingyang Road Craftsmen are in charge. "Here", "also Woodland", means "great craftsman".
"Yuan Shi Zhang Rong Biography": ".... In August, to the western moran river, can not wade. Taizu (Genghis Khan) summoned jihe for advice, and (Zhang) Rong asked to build a boat. Taizu Fu asked, "It is difficult for a boat to succeed, when will the Jishi be there?" "(Zhang) Rong please take a period of one month. Naidu craftsmen, shipbuilding hundreds, Suiji River. Taizu rewarded him for his ability and gave him the name Wu Su Chi. The "WuSu chi" here has the connotation of "good water man".
Dragons of the Ilkhanate, with a distinctly Central Plains dragon style
In addition to craftsmen, "technicians" such as cooks and doctors who served in the Mongol Khanate were also valued by the ruling class and were also the focus of giving Mongolian names.
"The Biography of Yuan Shi Jia Xi La": "Jia Xi La, Yan Zhi Daxing Ren also." His original surname was Jia, and his father Shi Jin was a Cook (chef)... So from Ruizong (Tuolei) to Helin (the capital of the Mongol Khanate), the imperial diet of the Imperial Priest, with its yellow beard, given the name Xi La, the Bi clan and the Mongols, very close to the lucky.... Emperor (Wokoutai) pondered: "Xi La is around me, and the diet is very comfortable." ’.... Old age, thanksgiving, sick dulty.... Posthumously awarded the title of Marquis of Wenxi County, Yu Jingyi. ”
"Yuan Shi Liu Ha La Badu Lu Biography": "Liu Ha La Badulu, a Native of Hedong, whose original surname was Liu Shi, was a family physician (doctor). To the eighth year of the Yuan Dynasty.... Shizu said that his eyes had a fire, and he left his eyes to serve left and right, and he was first given the name Ha La. (To the 25th year of the Yuan Dynasty) changed his name to Chahan Shu Dechi, and gave him five thousand yuan of money.... (To the 29th year of the A.D.) Emperor said: 'However, Ha la Badu Lu Ke Ye.' 'Give back embroidered garments, jade belts, and five thousand pieces of money...."
Kublai Khan inspecting the Grand Canal project
In addition, for some highly regarded intellectuals, the Mongol ruling class will also give them Mongolian names.
"The Biography of Yuan Shi Andi Razaki": "Taizu moved the Khitan people to move Razak Er, and gave the name SaiYin Bi Jian Chi (Good Literati)." ”
"The Biography of Yuan Shi Li Zhen": "Li Zhen, the character Ganchen." First, the Sons of the Western Xia Dynasty also .... Entering as a proton, with literature to get close to the waiter, Taizong (Wokoutai) Jiazhi, giving the name jade out of the dry (young and weak) will be Jaki. ”
"Yuan Shi Yan Gong Nan Biography": "Shi Zu gave the name Sai Yin Nan Jia Belt (good southerner) to the southern Confucian Yan Gong Nan. ”
In fact, as with the name "Batu", the essence of giving these "technical talents" and intellectual Mongolian names was to make them sincerely serve the establishment and consolidation of the rule of the Yuan Dynasty.
4) Give a nickname as a sign of closeness
Interestingly, Mongol rulers also gave nicknames based on the facial features of some Han Chinese.
Yuan Shi · Liu Min's biography: "Liu Min, the word has merit, Xuande Qingluli people.... When the soldiers arrived, their parents abandoned Min and left, and the general took pity on him and adopted him. One day, the emperor (Genghis Khan) feasted on the camp, and Min followed, and the emperor saw his appearance and was different, summoned himself, and stayed in the guard. Xi Chinese, reading two years old, able to understand the various languages, Di Jiazhi, given the name jade out of the stem, in and out of the forbidden min, the beginning of the imperial service. ”
Yuan Shi · The Biography of Yelü Chucai: "Yelü Chucai, the character Jinqing, the eighth grandson of king Dan of Liaodong. .... Taizu Dingyan, smelling his name, summoned him. Chu Cai is eight feet long and has beautiful hair. Emperor Weizhi said: "Liao and Jin Shiqiu, degenerated into Ru Xuezhi." "Father and grandfather of the subject have tried to commit to the matter, and since they are subjects, they dare to hate the king!" 'The emperor took his words seriously, and dealt with it left and right, so he called Chu Cai Wu tu saheli without a name, wu tu saheli, cover Chinese long haired people also. ”
Yelü Chucai (1190-1244), courtesy name Jinqing, old man of Yuquan, and Zhanran, was a politician during the Mongol Empire
Frankly speaking, this kind of nickname with a certain element of ridicule is not meant to be ridiculed or ridiculed, but has the meaning of "bringing each other closer" so that they can better serve the ruling class.
With the passage of time, more and more Han people changed to Mongolian names and took steps forward on the road of Mongolianization, which accelerated the process of "Mongolianization" of The Han people in the Yuan Dynasty to a certain extent.
<h1 class="pgc-h-decimal" data-index="02" data-track="154" > Han Mongolian name and path to entry</h1>
Frankly speaking, han Chinese who can get the mongolian name are rare. In fact, most Han Chinese Mongolian names are "self-inflicted". The reason is simple, it is for the sake of their own career.
Yuan Dynasty official attire
In the Yuan Dynasty, the appointment of central and local officials was "made by the Mongols, while the Han and Southerners were appointed"; the highest officials of the Yuan Zhongshu Province, the Privy Council, and the Yushitai were "not granted by non-Mongols". Throughout the Yuan Dynasty, the only two people who held the posts of right and left chancellors in Zhongshu Province were Shi Tianze and He. As for the "Daru Huachi" who held real power in the local ruling organs such as roads, prefectures, prefectures, and counties, only the Mongols and Semu people could serve.
Extended reading: Is there really a "four-class person" in the Yuan Dynasty?
In short, it is even more difficult for han Chinese to hold important positions in the central and local ruling organs. In other words, the Han Chinese could only enter the supreme authority of the Yuan Dynasty if they "obtained" the qualifications of the Mongols and changed their Mongolian names.
Take the only one at the end of the Yuan Dynasty as an example, "Six years, worship the imperial master." According to the story, the non-national surname of Taiduan is not given, and Taiping changed his name because he resigned (his post) and gave him the surname of Zhao Special (Mongolia). In other words, he only had the Mongolian name of "Chin-given" before he had the "authority" to serve as the imperial master.
Kublai Khan
In this social context, the majority of Han intellectuals, in order to seek official positions or other benefits, have changed their Mongolian names, mixed with the Mongols, promoted to higher positions, and stepped onto the political stage. Some people even paid the price of their lives for this, "Fengyuan Road Chen Wangshu pretended to be the Prince of Yan Tigusi, Fu Jie."
Of course, we cannot say that the Han People's "change of Mongolian name" is all for the purpose of promoting officials and getting rich. However, many records of Han Chinese people using Mongolian names in historical records are mostly inextricably linked to career promotions.
For example, the "Yuan Shi Chengzong Ji" records, "Each Daoist qianshi must choose the Mongols as envoys, or if there is a shortage, then the descendants of the Semu shichen will do it, followed by the Semu and Han people." "But the reality is that in many areas, Han Chinese who switch to Mongolian names can easily assume this position."
For example, according to the Records of the Yuan Secretary, Shi Kegong, a Mongolian Yiyang man named Duo Lie bald, was appointed as an envoy to Jiangxi Lian in the second year of Taiding (1325), and Lü Yuanchen, a Han Chinese named Busy Brother Buhua in Mongolia, was appointed as a visiting envoy to Guangxi in the first year of zhizheng (1341).
Further reading: Reading Notes: "Pluralistic Characteristics" and "Favoring One Over The Other" in Yuan Dynasty Law
Kublai Khan the Hunt
The ruling class of the Yuan Dynasty repeatedly promulgated laws and regulations prohibiting Han Chinese from using Mongolian names "without authorization" and "impersonating Mongols" to hold positions such as Daru Huachi.
In March of the eighth year of Dade (1304), Emperor Chengzong Tiemu issued an edict: "The kings and the counties of the vassals, daru huachi only use the Mongols, and in the third year, according to the custom, the Han, female Zhi, and Khitan names are all dismissed."
In the second year of the reign (1309), "each cast mostly Han'er, Khitan and Jurchen Mongol names Chongdaru Huachi." In the future, those who entrust the Mongols, if they do not have oh, will be selected among the people with roots and feet, and they will be admired. ”
In the third year of Yanyou (1316), "there is a surname han'er Daru Huachi who chases after the edict and never uses it." ”
In a word, for many Han Chinese, "Mongolian name" can play a positive role in entering the government.
<h1 class="pgc-h-decimal" data-index="03" data-track="160" > the process of "Mongolization" of the Han Chinese in the Yuan Dynasty</h1>
With the frequent exchanges and close contacts between ethnic groups in different regions, the ethnic integration of the Yuan Dynasty also followed. In fact, "Mongolization of the Han Chinese" and "Sinicization of the Mongols" exist at the same time and are parallel. The process of "Mongolization of the Han Chinese", which is the focus of this article, is inevitably related to the "popularization" of Mongolian in the Yuan Dynasty.
Extended Reading: Reading Notes: The "Chinese Identity" of Intellectuals of Different Nationalities in the Yuan Dynasty
The cursive book "Inscription Xuanjie Diagram", in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Since Genghis Khan established the Mongol Khanate, the status of the Mongolian language has gradually increased. By the time of Kublai Khan, Mongolian was a mother tongue used by the ruling class.
First of all, the emperors of the Yuan Dynasty all spoke Mongolian and used Mongolian. Some emperors who wanted to listen to the work reports of senior Han officials had to rely on translation to achieve this; "edicts were all in Mongolian characters", which were translated into Chinese and then promulgated throughout the country; the emperors of the Yuan Dynasty also relied on professional translators to translate them into Mongolian texts if they wanted to appreciate the classical masterpieces of The Han Dynasty.
Secondly, the emperors of the Yuan Dynasty attached great importance to the use and development of the Mongolian script. Before the founding of the state, Genghis Khan ordered the Wu'er scholar Tata Tong'a to "write the national dialect according to the Wu characters"; in the Kublai Khan period, he ordered the Baba to make new Mongolian characters and stipulated that "all scripts are translated and written,.... From now on, whoever has a seal (cloth) and a lowering (will) and uses the new Mongolian character will still be subordinate to his national character."
The Basipa alphabet
Third, the Ruling Class of the Yuan Dynasty established Mongolian language schools to encourage Han Chinese to learn Mongolian. According to historical records, at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, folk bookstores around Fujian also engraved and sold the Mongolian-Chinese translation pamphlet "Zhiyuan Translation" several times. Its preamble cloud:
"To the Yuan translation, the things of the South of the Yu River are also talked about. What is still there today is nothing more precious. Divide and analyze the categories, attached to the qi talk, to help the time to speak the clouds. Remember: The people of the five directions do not understand speech, and their desires are not comprehensible. Daqizhi, Tongqi desire, Eastern Yue, Southern Yuexiang, Western Di Yan, Northern Yi translation, translator, means to discern the difference in his speech. If the husband's words are not the same, there will be a translator to justify it, and then he can attain his aspirations and desires. Now A volume of translated languages will be published in detail, published on the left, and those who are familiar with it will answer the questions and answer the questions, and there will be no trouble with the tongue and throat. ”
The "talk" here is beautiful words. To put it simply, in the Jiangnan region, where the Han and Han cultures converged and inherited at that time, Mongolian was quite admired and popular in the world, and even regarded it as beautiful and proud, to the point of "what is still there today, no one is so expensive". The enthusiasm of Han intellectuals in learning Mongolian is evident.
In this environment of attaching importance to Mongolian, many Han Chinese are proficient in Mongolian and Chinese bilingualism, and take the initiative to use Mongolian names. For example, Xiao Junbi, a Khitan descendant of Xuanfu Si's translator Shi Jinshi, whose father Aina Batur was proficient in Mongolian, was "a master of the national scriptures and idly translated", or taught by father and son.
Further reading:
Reading Notes: What about the cultural cultivation of the "Emperor of Literature and Art" Emperor Yuan Shun?
Reading Notes: The "Mongolian Style" in Daily Life in the Ming Dynasty
"Yuan Dynasty Lantern Drama Map" depicts the scene of the Lantern Temple Festival in Hangzhou
Near the end of the article, we briefly summarize the subjective reasons why the Han Chinese used Mongolian names in the Yuan Dynasty:
The first is to pretend to be Mongols, with the intention of blending in with Xue Xue or to facilitate the pursuit of non-Han official positions such as Daru Huachi. This group of people often conceals Han surnames and uses a single Mongolian name. For example, the Dadu Road craftsman Chang Shan Er changed his name to Timur, and "honored the order of the King of Ji" to act as Binzhou Daru Huachi.
The second is to chase the fashion of ruling the nation. Because they had no motive to impersonate mongols, they used Mongolian names on their own. That is, it simply imitates the common names of mongolians and spells them with the original Han surnames. For example, Liu Erbadu of Pingzhang, Zhongshu, The Governor of Zhongshu, Lü Hela, Zhongshu Pingzhang, Xiao Baizhu, secretary of the Young Supervisor, and so on.
<h1 class="pgc-h-decimal" data-index="04" data-track="206" > summary</h1>
Xu Youren summarized in the "Preface to the Great Unification Chronicle" that the "prosperous era of the Yuan Dynasty" was "six contract winds, and the Kyushu commonality". This shows that although the Yuan Dynasty "had a north and a south in the land, and people divided into Huayi", it had a convergent cultural spirit, which is a chinese culture that is diverse and integrated.
Yuan Dynasty astronomer Guo Shoujing presided over the production of a simple instrument
Objectively speaking, the characteristics of "pluralism and unity" in Chinese culture are not only the link that unites compatriots of all ethnic groups in China in deep exchanges, but also the "glue" to eliminate cultural barriers. On the basis of identifying with the culture of the chinese nation, tolerating, understanding, respecting and cherishing the culture of "other nationalities" is the major premise for building a "community of common destiny for the Chinese nation".