Why couldn't the Qing Dynasty cut hair easily? When should you cut your hair?

Nowadays, many people are calling for the revitalization of Hanfu culture and encourage everyone to wear beautiful Hanfu during holidays to welcome traditional Chinese festivals. However, everyone knows that "Hanfu" does not have a simplistic meaning. In the thousands of years of history of our country, the clothing of the Han nationality, which is the main body, has actually changed a lot. Each dynasty has different styles and styles of dressing, but there are always some characteristics that have been passed down, such as hair binding. For example, right lapel. However, after the Manchus entered the country, they were forced to shave their heads and change clothes. The clothing styles and hairstyles prescribed by the Ming Dynasty were all abolished. A braid on the top of the head became the standard for men in the Qing Dynasty, and it also became an important symbol to distinguish whether they were loyal to the Qing government.

Hanfu made in the Ming Dynasty

1. Life changes under the change of dynasties

1644 is undoubtedly a very important year for China. This year happened The change of dynasties not only means a change of rulers, but also means that this nomadic people from the Northeast will enact completely different customary requirements that are contrary to Han customs after gaining dominance. In fact, changes in clothing styles can be quickly accepted by people, because what they wear has little impact on the lower class people, but the weird requirement of shaving their hair has caused them a lot of trouble. As we all know, wearing gold rattails is caused by the nomadic characteristics of the Manchus. However, in the process of the Manchus' conquests in all directions, requiring the conquered to shave their heads and grow braids became an important criterion for distinguishing whether they were loyal to the Manchus or not.

Rat tail braids for money in the early Qing Dynasty

In 1622, Nurhachi was still fighting in the Northeast. At this time, he had not yet made strict requirements for hair shaving, allowing the elderly in conquered areas to There is no need to shave the head, but young adults who can serve in the army must shave their heads. As the scope of the Manchu and Qing attacks expanded, the influence of the hair-shaving order gradually spread to the surrounding areas. After the Qing army entered the customs in 1644, Dorgon made the hair-shaving order a compulsory requirement in various places, but it was strongly opposed by the Han people. , the Qing army encountered very serious resistance as it marched south. After Dorgon announced that he would suspend hair shaving, even Shi Kefa, an important minister of the Southern Ming Dynasty who adhered to this fashion in Nanjing, showed some favorable impressions of the Qing Dynasty. This shows that the issue of hair shaving was very important to the Chinese at that time.

Dorgon stills

As the Qing army's victory continued to expand, Dorgon no longer needed to take into account the resistance of the Han people, and the hair-shaving order was once again enforced nationwide. This time The order to shave heads caused the fiercest resistance among the Han people, which also led to tragedies such as the "Three Jiading Massacres". The Qing army forced people to shave their heads in various places, and immediately killed anyone who resisted. The policy was implemented with violence, and the implementation of the hair-cutting order also left a very painful and bloody historical memory for the Han and Manchu peoples. The issue of shaving hair is not only a matter of different perceptions of clothing and grooming between the two parties, but also an important way to distinguish between "friend and foe". When braids became the representative and symbol of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, the hairstyle and clothing of the Ming Dynasty became the opposite. If you want to conquer the Ming Dynasty, you must make the people identify with the Qing Dynasty from the heart, and there is only one way to identify, and that is to shave your hair and leave braids.

2. Growing hair is a sign of resistance to the Qing court

There were countless large and small anti-Qing movements that broke out in the Qing Dynasty, and most of them were anti-Qing movements. To appeal to the people under the banner of "restoring Ming", a very important point was that all those who opposed the Qing Dynasty cut off their braids to strengthen their ambitions. In other words, growing hair is not only a physical behavior, but also a sign and symbol of anti-Qing Dynasty. Here, growing hair is equivalent to the Ming Dynasty, while growing braids is equivalent to the Qing Dynasty. The two sides are completely different and opposed to each other.

The hair of the people in the Taiping Rebellion has returned to long hair

The Taiping Rebellion that broke out in 1851 can be said to be the largest anti-Qing movement in the Qing Dynasty. Although this resistance did not Under the banner of restoring Ming Dynasty, Hong Xiuquan and the officials, generals and soldiers of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom all cut off their braids and kept their hair. Mr. Lu Xun also wrote in his article "Blessings" that the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's army was a "long-haired army." In the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, cutting braids and growing hair did not mean restoring the Ming Dynasty. Growing hair had transcended the boundaries of a certain dynasty and became a symbol of the Han nation and Chinese civilization. Yang Xiuqing once wrote in a memorandum: "My husband, China, has the image of China. Nowadays, all Manchuria are ordered to cut off their hair and drag a long tail behind it, which turns the Chinese into beasts." In other words, growing hair is "Chinese". "The inherent image is that the Manchu Qing Dynasty used force to forcefully change the inherent customs of the Chinese people after entering the customs. But what is interesting is that when Dorgon forcibly issued an order to shave hair, it triggered fierce resistance from the people. But more than two hundred years later, when the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom forcibly issued an order to grow hair, it once again encountered resistance from the local people. Regarding hair growth and hair cutting, the Qing Dynasty people It is no longer regarded as a sign of distinction between Han and Manchus, and it is even considered that shaving hair and leaving braids is the right way. Han people in different eras have made completely different decisions when facing the same problem.

Not only the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, but also many members of secret societies under the Qing Dynasty also began to grow their hair long

3. Hair growth and shaving before and after the coming of the Republic of China

< p>The Wuchang Uprising broke out in 1911, and the Qing government was overthrown the following year. The history of the Republic of China began, and the braid issue once again became the focus of attention. In fact, since modern times, the issue of the survival of braids has been discussed many times within the Qing court. Westerners have always regarded braids as a sign that Chinese people are "barbarians". Many Chinese students studying abroad have been ridiculed and ridiculed by Westerners because of this. Many international students simply cut off their braids after going abroad.

In the late Qing Dynasty, the issue of braid cutting was not only a political issue between domestic ethnic groups, but also an issue of China's national dignity. Even so, the Qing government still did not allow people to cut their braids privately. Many students who had their braids cut off abroad had to buy a fake braid and bring it with them when they returned home.

Many students who went abroad in the late Qing Dynasty had already cut off their braids

As many advanced Western hygiene concepts spread to China, braids also brought many inconveniences in hygiene and cleaning. The development of modern industry and military also showed that it was very inconvenient for workers to operate machines or soldiers to march and fight. The reformers and revolutionaries all asked the Qing government to abolish the order of shaving hair and allow people to grow their hair. It was not until the outbreak of the Revolution of 1911 that, under pressure from the Revolutionary Party, the Qing government announced that it would allow people the freedom to grow their hair, but it was too late. After the founding of the Republic of China, braid-cutting crazes also emerged in various places. The military and police were responsible for cutting people's hair on the road. However, this hair-cutting order was not mandatory. In the Republic of China, there were still some "old and young people" from the Qing Dynasty who wore long braids to express their feelings. Loyalty to the Qing Dynasty.