Social Sciences in China (Chinese Edition)

No. 5, 2023

Evolution of China-Ethnic Minority Integration under the Order of “Grand Unification” after Qin and Han Dynasties

(Abstract)

Li Zhi’an

The Qin and Han dynasties brought China “Grand Unification.” For the first time, China was ruled on the basis of a uniform script, standardized axle width, and uniform ethical code, together with a bureaucratic system of prefectures and counties and the integration of the farming areas in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River and the Yangtze River. This provided the essential political order and evolutionary basis for the glory of the Han and Tang civilizations and their radiation to surrounding areas. Under the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, the “unity of Chinese and non-Chinese (hua-yi)” covered the Central Plains and the area beyond the Great Wall, shaping a diverse composite community. From the start of the Yuan dynasty, there was a policy of “no distinction between hua and yi” in relation to systems, cultures and clans. Subsequently, during the unsuccessful struggle for dominance by Ming Emperor Chengzu, there was endless discussion of hua and yi within and outside the court. Finally, the Qing rulers never uttered the words “hua and yi” but in practice there was a mature de facto “hua-yi unity.” The unprecedented “no distinction between hua and yi” reform inspired Wu Cheng and other insightful observers to recognize the composite cultural identity of hua-yi unity. Due to the evolution of hua-yi unity throughout the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, China as a composite community grew from “small” to “large.” The multi-ethnic unified state, the structure of Chinese civilization, and the traditional dynastic sequence were all correspondingly improved and sublimated within the new spatial and temporal context.