What is the history of the Chinese nation?

First, the Chinese nation is the product of historical integration.

The Chinese nation is the most populous nation in the world and one of the oldest.

As Mr. Fei Xiaotong pointed out: "The Chinese nation, as a conscious national entity, was born in the confrontation between China and western powers in the past century, but as a free national entity, it was formed in the historical process of thousands of years.

(See Selected Works of Fei Xiaotong, Beijing Normal University Press, 1992, p. 602.

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The Chinese nation is the product of historical integration.

As early as the late Neolithic Age, many tribes and tribal alliances have emerged in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River and the Yangtze River, resulting in different and interactive cultures.

In ancient China, the legendary Huangdi defeated Yandi to kill Chiyou, Yanhuang jointly defeated Tai Hao and, Yao, Shun and Yu abdicated, which are all historical traces of the conflict and integration of the ancestors' tribes in their outward development.

Archaeological findings prove that around 3000 BC, the Neolithic culture in the lower reaches of the Yellow River-Longshan culture in Shandong, had a great influence on Longshan culture in Henan and Longshan culture in Shaanxi, the inheritors of Yangshao culture in the middle reaches of the Yellow River, and infiltrated each other.

It is roughly equivalent to Liangzhu culture (the lower reaches of the Yangtze River) in the Longshan culture stage in Henan Province, and has a closer relationship with Longshan culture in Shandong Province.

In the Xia and Shang Dynasties, the development of the Han nationality has been formed.

According to the research of some historians, Xia's ancestors developed from the lower reaches of the Yangtze River to the lower reaches of the Yellow River, Shang's ancestors developed from the lower reaches of Liaohe River to the Central Plains, and Zhou's ancestors developed from the Weishui River basin to the lower reaches of the Yellow River.

Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties formed a unified feudal slavery country.

Ten thousand years ago, there were millions of ancestors of the Chinese nation.

At the beginning of Zhixia (2 1 century BC), there were13.55 million people.

In the heyday of the Western Zhou Dynasty (BC11-8th century), the population reached about 20 million.

During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period (77 BC1-22 BC1), the integration of the Chinese nation entered a new stage.

After more than 500 years of war and annexation, the original Dongyi, Xirong, Nanman and Beidi merged with the Huaxia nationality in the Central Plains, forming a situation of "five parties * * * building the world by the people".

The original Qin, Chu, Wu and Yue have all been sinicized.

Despite the constant war, due to the progress of science and technology, the development of productive forces and the expansion of territory, the population reached 59.59 million in the early years of the Western Han Dynasty (the second year of Emperor Yuan of Han Dynasty, that is, AD 2).

After Qin dynasty, the Han dynasty carried out the county system throughout the country, achieving unprecedented unity.

The Han nationality was basically formed in the Han Dynasty.

The Three Kingdoms, the Jin Dynasty and the Southern and Northern Dynasties (AD 220-589) is another peak of the integration and development of the Chinese nation.

During this period, not only the residents in the Central Plains were more integrated, but also a large number of ethnic minorities in the northwest and north were further integrated with the Central Plains.

During the Sixteen Kingdoms Period in Wuhu, five ethnic minorities, namely Xiongnu, Xianbei, Jiedi, Di and Qiang, successively established 13 regimes, which enabled residents in Northeast China, Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Ningxia and Qinghai to have extensive and profound exchanges and integration with residents in the Central Plains.

By the Tang Dynasty (AD 6 18-907), the territory and population of the Chinese nation had expanded and increased unprecedentedly.

At the peak of the Tang Dynasty, the total population was about 80 million.

During the last thousand years (960- 19 1 1), the development of the Chinese nation became more mature.

In the Song Dynasty (960- 1279), the northern part of China established the regimes of Liao, Xixia, Jin and other ethnic minorities, further unifying and integrating the vast area north of the Great Wall.

Among them, Jurchen established the Jin State (A.D. 1 15- 1234), and pushed its influence to the north of the Huaihe River, and successively established Beijing and Kaifeng.

The Yuan Dynasty (127 1- 1368) was founded by Mongols, and the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) was founded by Manchu.

The entry of ethnic minorities into the Central Plains has expanded and strengthened the relationship with the Han nationality, and also promoted the integration of ethnic groups and the Han nationality in the conquered areas.

The territory of the Yuan Dynasty was extremely vast.

Under the rule of the Yuan Dynasty, not only the residents of the Central Plains and the northern residents were further integrated, but also the relationship between the northwest and southwest nationalities and the Central Plains nationalities was further strengthened.

At the same time, Central Asian residents who believe in the religion of * * * flooded into China, taking them as the main body and forming a huge population on the basis of absorbing indigenous people.

The territory of today's China was formed in the Qing Dynasty (because many territories were occupied by foreign powers in the late Qing Dynasty, the territory at that time was larger than it is now).

In this beautiful and rich land, the Chinese nation composed of dozens of ethnic groups has matured.

The population of Qianlong in Qing Dynasty reached 208.09 million in 365.438+0 (A.D. 1766) and increased to nearly 400 million (398.94 million) in Daoguang 13 (A.D. 1833).

Since modern times (A.D. 1840), in the struggle against imperialist powers, all ethnic groups in China have been more awakened and their national consciousness has been continuously enhanced.

"Forty million compatriots * * * went to the national disaster * * to resist foreign aggression" has become a unanimous voice.

The establishment of People's Republic of China (PRC) marks the complete maturity of the Chinese nation.

Since the founding of New China for half a century, the Chinese nation, composed of 56 ethnic groups, has achieved complete national reunification and true equality among ethnic groups, and the integration of all ethnic groups has also developed to a new stage.

This is a nation * * * isomorphic, with distinctive personality and profound * * *, which is a great force formed by nearly ten thousand years' savings.

Second, the characteristics of the historical integration of the Chinese nation

All ethnic groups with a long history and a large population in the world are the products of long-term and extensive integration, and they also have the law of * * *.

The integration of the Chinese nation is more typical.

The historical integration of the Chinese nation has at least the following four characteristics:

1. Centrality of integration Throughout the development history of the Chinese nation for nearly ten thousand years, the hinterland of integration is the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River and the Yangtze River, and the core of integration is the Huaxia nationality, followed by the Han nationality.

Before the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Yi, Rong, Man and Di competed to go deep into the Central Plains, and were finally annexed by Huaxia nationality. "The people of the five parties, * * * create the world", and the Han nationality is gradually formed on this basis.

After the Qin and Han Dynasties, it was a more distant place, mainly due to the invasion of ethnic minorities in Saibei and the western regions, and even entered the Central Plains.

In the end, most or even all of them were sinicized, which made the Han nationality expand in quantity and improve in quality, and the Chinese nation was formed on this basis.

The population of the Han nationality accounts for more than 90% of the total population of the Chinese nation, which is because the Han nationality has integrated a large number of other components in its long-term development.

As a result of this integration, the range of activities of the Han nationality has gradually expanded.

2. Profound content. Huaxia nationality was first formed by the integration of tribes and tribal alliances mainly planting dry crops such as millet in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River and tribes and tribal alliances mainly planting rice in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River.

The main mode of production of the Chinese nation is agriculture.

The northwest and north of Huaxia nationality are opposed to nomadic tribes and tribal alliances such as Rong and Di.

Agricultural production mode is more stable and advanced than nomadic production mode.

Therefore, it is not surprising that the Chinese defeated the merged Rong and De.

Although the southwest and south of Huaxia nationality are also tribes mainly engaged in agricultural production (called barbarians), due to the limitation of natural conditions, the productivity level there is also low, so it was finally defeated by Huaxia nationality with relatively developed productivity level and merged into a part of Huaxia nationality.

Since the Qin and Han Dynasties, the main rivals of the Han nationality are nomadic people in the north, including the northeast and northwest.

These nomads and Han people conflict with each other, rise and fall, and merge.

Some nomadic peoples used to be very powerful militarily, such as Xiongnu, Mongolia and Qidan.

But once nomadic people entered the Central Plains, they were sinicized.

This is not only because of the large population of Han nationality, but also because the agricultural production mode of Han nationality is more advanced.

Due to the establishment of Liao, Jin, Yuan and Qing dynasties, the Han people were integrated into more other ethnic groups, and agricultural areas expanded outward.

Historically, the Chinese nation grew into the Han nationality, and the development of the Han nationality was accompanied by the expansion of farming scope and the development of agricultural technology.

Therefore, the centripetal nature of Chinese national integration is to pursue advanced modes of production.

The other ethnic groups that the Han people integrated into not only accepted the advanced production mode of the Han people, but also accepted the advanced culture of the Han people, including their way of life.

Confucian culture, in particular, as the dominant ideology of the Han nationality, has become the guiding ideology of the Chinese nation.

This point was most fully and completely demonstrated in the Qing Dynasty after the Qing Dynasty entered the customs.

It should also be pointed out that all dynasties, including those in which ethnic minorities became rulers, listed the spoken and written languages of the Han nationality as official languages, which is also an extremely important condition for contacting a multi-ethnic.

In today's China, * * *, Dongxiang, Baoan and other ethnic groups believe in * * * religion, so they have a strong affinity with other non-* * * ethnic groups such as Han nationality, and the use of Chinese language is obviously an important reason.

The persistence of the Chinese nation after the disaster is related to its profound economic and cultural foundation in integration.

3. Historical Continuity The integration of the Chinese nation has experienced tens of thousands of years of history.

The recorded history is over 4000 years.

In such a long historical period, although the development of the Chinese nation has suffered many setbacks, the general trend is to become stronger and stronger.

The Chinese nation is advancing step by step in its development.

First, push the Yellow River and the Yangtze River from the middle and lower reaches to the upper reaches and main tributaries of the Yellow River and the Yangtze River, and then from the Yellow River and the Yangtze River to the Pearl River Basin and the southeast coast, southwest to the foothills of Hengduan Mountain and Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, west to the north and south of Tianshan Mountain, northeast to Heilongjiang River Basin, and north to Hang 'ai Mountain.

Although the places where the Chinese nation once lived are not equal to today's Chinese territory, the scope and history of its activities are also rare among all ethnic groups in the world.

The four cradles of world civilization, the ancient Egyptians in the Nile Valley, the Babylonians in the Two Rivers Valley, and the ancient Indians in the Indus Valley and Ganges Valley, were all assimilated by foreign nations, and their original culture was interrupted. Only the ancient China culture can be completely preserved and developed.

The outstanding stage of ethnic integration within the Chinese nation is war.

The 500-year melee in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the conflict between Hu and Han in the Northern and Southern Dynasties, and the entry of non-Han people in the Song, Liao, Xia, Jin and Qing Dynasties into the Central Plains are all qualitative stages of integration.

After every war and conquest, all ethnic groups are digesting and absorbing each other's strengths and overcoming their own shortcomings, which is to accumulate quantity for the next greater integration.

It is this wave-like advancement that has formed a continuous chain for thousands of years.

4. Interactive mode The integration of the Chinese nation is mainly based on sinicization, but it is by no means pure sinicization, but interactive integration.

It is this that has become one of the important sources of cohesion of the Chinese nation.

The integration of Han people into ethnic minorities took place on a large scale as early as the Han Dynasty.

Some scholars estimate that there were 300,000-500,000 slaves at the peak of Xiongnu in Han Dynasty, accounting for 1/7 and 1/3 of Xiongnu population respectively. Most of these slaves are * * *.

The Southern Xiongnu returned to the Han Dynasty with more than 10,000 people in 109, which shows its large scale.

Most of these slaves, as well as * * * who fled to Xiongnu automatically, were integrated into Xiongnu.

In later history, most Huns returned to the Central Plains and became a new part of the Han nationality.

At the end of the Han Dynasty, Yuan Shao's son was defeated, and more than 100,000 households and 100,000 people went to Wuhuan. After Zhengquan Yang was overthrown at the end of Sui Dynasty, a large number of royal families fled to Turkey.

Gao Changguo, built in Turpan Basin from 399 to 440 AD, is mainly inhabited by * * *.

It can be seen that the Han nationality began to integrate into all ethnic groups in Xinjiang as early as 1500 years ago.

Today, there are Song and Cai among Miao people, claiming that their ancestors were from the pre-Qin period and Cai people, and there are some ancient rituals in their customs, which should be true.

Many Koreans claim that their ancestors are * * *.

Ethnographers' research proves that the vast majority of the Chinese nation belongs to Mongolian race, but it is gradually changing from south to north and from east to west.

The physical characteristics of epicanthus, its frequency of occurrence, increases from south to north; The occurrence rate of wavy hair decreases from south to north.

From north to south, it is the transition from Mongolian East Asian type to South Asian subtype-Dai belongs to South Asian type, Hani and Yao belong to transitional type, and Tibetan, Yi, Bai and Han belong to East Asian type.

In the northwest, especially in Xinjiang, there are signs that Mongols and Europa are mixed.

All these show that the historical integration of the Chinese nation has a long history and is deeply rooted.

After the founding of People's Republic of China (PRC), especially since the reform and opening up of 1978, the integration of the Chinese nation has entered a new stage.

With the development of modernization, various regions and ethnic groups in China are increasingly closely integrated into a whole economic interest.

Since the 1990s, the industrial transfer from the coastal areas to the central and western regions has made the relationship between the distant western and eastern coastal areas closer than ever before.

This trend will increase in depth and breadth.

Only when a nation forms an internal interest relationship and a unified whole in its economic structure and mode of production can it maintain a solid connection and lasting unity.

With the development of opening to the outside world and culture and education, the lifestyle with scientific content and characteristics of the times is gradually infiltrating into the original lifestyle of all ethnic groups, and new elements of the lifestyle of all ethnic groups are increasing.

At present, the exchange of materials and the flow of people across China have reached an unprecedented scale.

Tens of millions of people migrate between provinces every year.

The "Sichuan Army" and "Xiang Army" went to Guangdong, which became an important event that Sichuan, Hunan and Guangdong provinces attached equal importance to.

The floating population in big cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou is more than 2 million every day.

Due to the large population movement, the scope of intermarriage is getting wider and wider.

Therefore, not only in lifestyle, but also in language and blood relationship, the gap between the east, the west, the north and the south of China is also narrowing.

There is no doubt that in a few decades or hundreds of years, the unity of the Chinese nation will reach a height unimaginable today.

Since the end of World War II, the world has entered a new stage of development.

At present, global economic integration is an obvious and irreversible trend.

The formation of several regional economic and political alliances is the prelude and necessary stage of the integration of global economic and social development.

In the world, goods, capital, technology and talents flow greatly.

Due to the progress of science and technology, transportation has become more and more convenient.

In the past, from the west coast of the Pacific Ocean to the east coast, the ship had to walk for several months.

Now it only takes more than ten hours by plane.

The appearance of supersonic passenger aircraft will further shorten this time.

A series of new means, such as satellite communication, global television network and information superhighway, make what happens in every corner of the earth spread to five continents in a short time.

Due to the global expansion of trade, it is required to establish a new international economic order and even a political order.

The era when one country or a few countries controlled the world and sought personal gain will eventually become history.

The increasingly prominent role of the United Nations is a vivid proof.

There are more and more global interests and demands.

Peace and security, drug control and environmental protection, and even the economic growth rate and currency stability of some important countries have become the focus of attention of all countries in the world.

With the flow of goods and capital, there has been a great migration of population.

During the 30 years from 189 1 to 1920, the number of European immigrants to North America and Australia reached more than 27 million.

In the 1960s, due to the end of colonial rule, the restrictions on population movement were relaxed. The acceleration of economic globalization has created the need for population mobility; There are also a large number of refugees caused by local armed conflicts, and the speed of population flow to developed areas has greatly accelerated.

According to the estimation of relevant UN departments, the lowest number of "international refugees" is 1970, which is 2.5 million; 1993 reached18.9 million, showing an increasing trend year by year.

The number of people going abroad to engage in labor services was more than 50 million in 199 1 year, and it increased to 70 million in 1994, which also showed an increasing trend year by year.

Throughout the 1990s, the number of foreigners in EU countries alone increased by 500,000 every year, and the number of foreigners in 1.999 reached 7 1.7 million.

This trend shows that a world-wide era of national integration has arrived.

It can be predicted that in hundreds or thousands of years, human beings on the earth will merge into a "nation", forming a new race, a set of economic activities and lifestyles, including a new language and communication mode.

By then, the earth will become a real global village and mankind will become real brothers.

The origin of the Chinese nation:

(1) The origin of the Chinese nation: the transition from primitive society to slave society, the integration of Yan and Huang tribes, and the emergence of the Chinese nation.

(2) The beginning of multi-ethnic integration: During the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, Huaxia people had frequent contacts with other ethnic groups, which promoted ethnic integration and prepared conditions for the establishment of a unified multi-ethnic country.

(3) Establishment of a unified multi-ethnic country: The unification of Qin Dynasty marked the initial establishment of a multi-ethnic country in China.

(4) The initial development of a unified multi-ethnic country: During the Han Dynasty, the rule over the western regions, southwest China and south China was realized, which not only greatly expanded the territory, but also effectively developed the frontier.

(5) Multi-ethnic integration: During the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, ethnic integration was strengthened due to ethnic migration, joint struggle of ethnic groups and the reform of minority rulers.

(6) The period of great development of multi-ethnic countries: The Sui and Tang Dynasties was an important period in the ancient history of China. During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, the highly prosperous economy and culture attracted the surrounding ethnic minorities, and the rulers implemented an enlightened ethnic policy, so the contacts with ethnic minorities were more extensive, more numerous, diverse and harmonious, especially in the northwest and northeast regions.

(7) Further development of a unified multi-ethnic country: During the Five Dynasties, Liao, Song, Xia, Jin and Yuan Dynasties, the surrounding ethnic minorities strengthened their ties with the Han nationality and learned from each other, thus gradually narrowing the gap with the Han nationality, thus preparing for a larger-scale ethnic integration in the Yuan Dynasty and the reunification of a multi-ethnic country.

(8) The consolidation period of a unified multi-ethnic country: During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the central government took effective measures to solve the problems of neighboring ethnic minorities, especially in the Qing Dynasty, which crushed the attempts of ethnic nobles and western forces to invade China and split the country; At the same time, effective measures were taken to strengthen local administration and centralization, which consolidated the form of a unified multi-ethnic country in China.