Why are there 56 nationalities in China?

China has been a unified multi-ethnic country since ancient times. However, how many ethnic groups are there in China, and what are their national names? Before the founding of New China, the dynasties had never heard of it. After the founding of China, the Party and the government organized forces to distinguish the names of ethnic groups, so as to formulate and implement national achievements and realize the equality of rights of all ethnic groups. This work is a national appraisal. Through hard work, we have scientifically clarified the basic composition of China's ethnic family and identified 56 ethnic groups. The smooth progress of ethnic identification has laid a foundation for ethnic work.

First, the basic situation before ethnic identification

From 65438 to 0953, the first national census was conducted in New China, and more than 400 ethnic names were registered. Among them, Yunnan has the most, with more than 260 species; Followed by Guizhou, there are more than 80 species.

There were three main reasons for the complicated situation of so many races at that time. First, in the long historical development process, it has experienced numerous ethnic migration and integration, and all ethnic groups are relatively concentrated and live together, so that many ethnic names and ethnic components have emerged. Second, due to the imbalance of economic and social development between ethnic groups and within the same ethnic group, this different development situation is often intertwined with different self-claims and nicknames of ethnic groups, which makes the situation of national demands more complicated. Third, due to the long-standing system of ethnic discrimination and oppression in history, many ethnic minorities dare not openly admit their ethnic composition. The Kuomintang government regards ethnic minorities as a branch of "national race" and does not recognize their contribution to the history of China and their due status. After the founding of New China, the system of ethnic oppression was abolished and the policy of ethnic equality was implemented. Many ethnic minorities who dare not disclose their ethnic composition have declared their ethnic names to the local government and demanded to be recognized as a member of the multi-ethnic family in New China.

Among these more than 400 names, some are different self-names or other names of the same nation, some are names of different branches within a nation, some are surnames based on residential place names, some are different transliteration in Chinese, and so on. These need to be screened one by one. Therefore, in the early days of the founding of New China, ethnic identification was first put on the agenda of ethnic work. There are three main tasks: first, through identification, determine whether a certain ethnic group is Han or minority; The second is to identify whether the ethnic group is a single minority or a part of a minority; The third is to determine the national composition and national name of this nation.

Second, the main principles of national identity

National identity is a major practical issue involving national equality. China's ethnic identification is guided by Marxist ethnic theory, combined with the actual situation of the nation, adhered to historical materialism, and respected the wishes of the people of the nation.

Stalin put forward a relatively complete national definition in 19 13. He pointed out: "The nation is a stable unity formed by people in history, with the same language, the same region, the same economic life and the same cultural and psychological quality." (The Complete Works of Stalin, Volume II, page 294, People's Publishing House, 1953. Stalin also put forward two additional conditions: first, the nation is "the historical category of the rising period of capitalism", and there can be no nation before capitalism; Second, the four elements of the nation "As long as one is missing, the nation cannot be a nation". According to Stalin's definition of nation, the Soviet Union called the weak ethnic groups in the former capitalist society "tribes" and the ethnic groups that entered the capitalist society "nations".

China's national identity is guided by Stalin's national definition and based on the reality of our nation. Historically, the development of all ethnic groups in China is very uneven. Before the founding of New China, ethnic minorities were basically in the form of pre-capitalist society, most of them were in the stage of semi-colonial and semi-feudal society, some of them still retained relatively complete slavery or serfdom, and some even retained strong remnants of primitive communes. After the founding of New China, all ethnic groups gradually entered the socialist society. If we copy Stalin's definition and refer to some ethnic groups as nations and others as tribes, it is not only inconsistent with the objective reality of our nation, but also politically runs counter to the principle of equality among ethnic groups, which is not conducive to national unity.

1953 when the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China discussed and summarized the main experience of the party in the work of ethnic minorities for many years, Comrade Mao Zedong clearly put forward the general principle of ethnic identification. He pointed out: "Scientific analysis is possible, but don't distinguish a nation from a tribe politically." (Ethnic Work in Contemporary China (I), 276 pages, Contemporary China Press, 1993. According to this instruction, ethnic identification in China does not distinguish people in different historical periods. All ethnic groups, regardless of population, history, living area, stage of social development and level of economic and cultural development, are called ethnic groups and are equal. This scientific decision fully embodies the spirit of seeking truth from facts and the courage of theoretical innovation.

Under the guidance of this general principle, ethnic identification is mainly carried out in practical work according to two specific principles:

One is based on national characteristics. Ethnic characteristics are the basic basis for identifying ethnic groups. Everything with the same body has formed its own characteristics in the long-term historical development. China's ethnic identification work starts from its own reality, and flexibly uses Stalin's four characteristics about ethnic groups. In China, some ethnic groups often divide or merge in the process of formation and development, which is manifested in the imbalance of the formation of national characteristics. Among the characteristics of a nation, sometimes this characteristic, sometimes that characteristic, and sometimes another characteristic stands out. Therefore, in the process of ethnic identification, we should not treat every specific feature of a nation in isolation, but should analyze and examine all the features of a nation as a whole, including its geographical distribution, ethnic name, historical origin, language, economic life, material culture, spiritual culture, psychological quality, etc., and analyze specific problems in detail, so as to carefully determine that a person is the same surname and ethnic name.

Take Tujia identification as an example. Historically, Tujia people living in the border area of Hunan, Hubei, Sichuan and Guizhou are no different from Miao and Han people outside, except that Tujia people call themselves Bizka, Miao people call themselves Boka and Han people call themselves Kappa. From 65438 to 0949, Tian, from Yongshun District, Hunan Province, participated in the National Day ceremony of ethnic minorities as a Miao representative, but she considered herself a Tujia and provided a large number of detailed and primitive Tujia cultural objects. She raised the issue of Tujia identity, which attracted the attention of central leading comrades. Later, the central government organized experts and scholars to investigate this issue. 1In September, 953, Professor Pan Guangdan wrote Tujia and Cubans in Northwest Hunan, arguing that "Tujia is not Yao, Miao and Han, but a single nation with a long history". 1956 in may and June, the central government sent an investigation team to conduct field investigations. 1957 65438+1October 3, the United Front Work Department of the Central Committee issued a document, officially confirming that Tujia people are a single ethnic group.

The second is to respect the national will. National will, in essence, is a kind of national consciousness, a reflection of people's subjective wishes about whether their ethnic group is Han or minority, a single minority or some minorities, and also a concrete reflection of people's consciousness of * * *. Of course, this kind of will is not invented out of thin air, but is based on science with certain national characteristics and is a universal reflection of national characteristics. Therefore, in ethnic identification, we should respect the national will and adhere to the principle of "following the Lord by name".

Based on this principle, the new China changed the insulting name "naturalized nationality" imposed on Russians in the past to Russian nationality; Change "Kawa" to tile, "Bo" to Zhuang, "Benglong" to De 'ang and "Maonan" to Maonan. In addition, Miao people in Hainan Island are similar to Yao people in language, cultural life and customs. Tracing back to the source, they are Yao people who moved from Wandashan in Guangxi 400 years ago. However, at the time of identification, most of the mass leaders did not ask to change the country name, nor did they want to change Yao. According to this situation, they insisted on naming their owners and officially recognized them as Miao people.

Ethnic identification is of great significance in the history of ethnic work in New China. It is through national identity that some ethnic minorities understand and sincerely support the national policies of the party and the country. A Yao cadre once vividly said: In old China, we Yao were called "Lin" and "beasts"; After liberation, we were called "Mo" and became "people". After national appraisal, we were called "Yao" and became "jade". From "beast" to "man" and then to "treasure", it truly reflects the status differences of ethnic minorities in the old and new societies.

Third, the main process of national identity

The scale, the duration, the number of ethnic groups identified, the scope of investigation and the scientific basis of ethnic identification in China are unprecedented and unique in the world. This work began at the beginning of the founding of New China and lasted for more than 30 years. It was not until the late 1980s that it was officially confirmed that there were 56 ethnic groups in China. It can be roughly divided into three stages.

The first stage was the establishment of China from 65438 to 0954. The main work of ethnic identification in this period is to investigate and determine some ethnic components. From 1952 to 1953, Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Hunan and other provinces conducted extensive field surveys on self-reported ethnic groups. From 65438 to 0953, the Central Ethnic Affairs Commission sent an investigation team to Zhejiang, Fujian and other provinces to investigate and study the identification of the She nationality. In the same year, under the leadership of the Central Ethnic Affairs Commission, the Central Institute for Nationalities sent a Daur investigation team to conduct ethnic identification surveys in Daur areas of Heilongjiang and Inner Mongolia. At the beginning of 1953, experts and scholars from South-Central University for Nationalities were appointed by the Central South Bureau and the Central South Management Committee to conduct ethnic identity surveys in Longshan, Yongshun, Guzhang and Luxi counties in Xiangxi where Tujia people live in concentrated communities. In September of the same year, the Central Ethnic Affairs Commission organized an investigation team of Tujia identification, including experts and scholars from the Central Institute for Nationalities, and conducted an in-depth investigation on the language, politics, economy, culture, customs and habits of Tujia people in Yongshun, Longshan and Baojing counties. At the same time, the ethnic composition of "Chuanqing people" in Guizhou was investigated.

After this stage of ethnic investigation and identification, on the eve of the first National People's Congress in 1954, the names of more than 400 ethnic groups reported in the first census in 1953 were identified and merged, except Mongolian, Hui, Tibetan, Uygur, Miao, Yao, Yi, Chao, Man, Li and Gaoshan. Zhuang, Buyi, Dong, Bai, Kazak, Hani, Dai, Lisu, Wa, Dongxiang, Naxi, Lahu, Shui, Jingpo, Kirgiz, Tu, Tajik, Uzbek, tatar people, Ewenki and Baoan.

The second stage is 1954 to 1964. On the basis of mastering the origin, history, present situation and language of all ethnic groups, a large-scale ethnic identification has been carried out, mainly in some provinces in southwest and central south, especially Yunnan Province.

1954, the central ethnic affairs commission sent a Yunnan ethnic identification investigation team. Yunnan is a multi-ethnic province, and there are more than 260 different ethnic names that need to be recognized urgently. Among them, a few belong to identifying whether they are Han or ethnic minorities, and a large number belong to determining whether they are a single ethnic group or other ethnic minorities (branches). For example, in Wenshan Prefecture, Yunnan Province, some ethnic groups call themselves "sugarcane fields" and demand to be recognized as a single ethnic minority. After identification and investigation, it is determined that these people are not ethnic minorities, but Han people who have moved in from other regions. In the ethnic identification in Yunnan, it is mainly to identify and merge the Yi and Zhuang branches. Yi people have the largest number of branches among the ethnic minorities in China, and there are dozens of branches in Yunnan alone. After investigation and identification, more than 20 ethnic groups calling themselves "Mongolian", "Tujia", "Shui Yi" and "Archer" were identified as branches of the Yi people. In Wenshan, Yunnan, there are ethnic names such as "Farmer", "Tianbao" and "Black" in summer. After confirming and soliciting the opinions of the nation, it was incorporated into the Zhuang nationality. In this way, more than 260 different ethnic groups in Yunnan were identified and merged into 22 ethnic groups. In addition, the central government has sent other ethnic identification investigation teams. 1955, the central government sent a Guizhou ethnic identification investigation team to identify more than 80 self-reported ethnic names. 1956, the central government sent a Tujia identification investigation team.

After this stage of investigation, it was found that 16 ethnic minorities were newly identified from 183 ethnic names reported by ourselves before the second national census in 1964, namely Tujia, She, Daur, Mulao, Bulang and Yi. In addition, 74 different ethnic names were merged into 54 ethnic minorities. There are also dozens of ethnic names that automatically cancel the original registration during recognition. So far, the identification of the reported nationalities has been basically solved, and few people remain to be identified.

The third stage is from 1964 to the end of 1980s. At this stage, the focus of ethnic identification is to restore and change the ethnic composition of a group of people in some areas, and to identify and integrate some people who call themselves ethnic minorities. From 65438 to 0979, the State Ethnic Affairs Commission issued the Notice on Grasping the Work of Ethnic Identification to Sichuan, Tibet, Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangdong and other provinces and regions, pointing out that there were only a few ethnic minorities to be identified, and asked the ethnic affairs departments of the relevant provinces and regions to take active and effective measures to solve the remaining problems in ethnic identification as soon as possible.

At this stage, in addition to confirming that the Jinuo people are a single minority in 1979, it is mainly to identify and merge some people who claim to be ethnic minorities in Guizhou and Hunan. Since 1982, Guizhou Province has carried out a comprehensive national identity survey. Of the 23 ethnic groups that need to be identified as ethnic minorities, 2 were initially identified as Han nationality, and 13 were merged into 9 ethnic minorities respectively. After repeated investigations and studies, the remaining 8 people were merged into Bai and Maonan ethnic groups, which need to be further identified. Among them, more than 600,000 "Chuanqing people" are still identified as the Han nationality, maintaining the original ethnic identification opinions. In southwest Hunan, some people call themselves "Woxiang people", "local people" and "Wuzhou Yao people". Because they have lived with ethnic minorities for a long time, some of their characteristics have changed and they demand to be recognized as ethnic minorities. After identification and investigation, it is confirmed that they are not ethnic minorities, but part of the Han nationality. During this period, Guangxi identified Zhuang, Yao, Miao and Yi ethnic minorities 10, involving 20 counties and cities, more than 50 towns and villages, with a population of * * * 65438+ 10,000. 1985, Tuwa people in Altay, Xinjiang were recognized as a part of Mongolian. Kucong people and Mosuo people in Yunnan re-emerged as a single nation. After re-appraisal and investigation, the original opinion is still maintained. Kucong people are classified as Lahu people, while Mosuo people are still classified as Naxi people.

At this stage, a lot of work of ethnic identification is about restoring and changing ethnic composition. 1982 In the third national census, as many as 5 million people demanded to restore or change the ethnic composition. Among them, there are mainly Manchu living in Chengde area of Liaoning Province and Hebei Province, Tujia living in the border area of Hunan, Hubei, Guizhou and Sichuan, Miao and Dong living in Hunan and Guizhou provinces, and other ethnic minorities living in Guizhou and Yunnan provinces. In order to do a good job in filling in the ethnic composition, ensure that ethnic minorities enjoy equal rights and respect the freedom of ethnic minority members to correctly express ethnic composition, the the State Council census leading group, the Ministry of Public Security and the State Ethnic Affairs Commission jointly issued the Notice on the Handling Principles of Restoring or Correcting Ethnic Composition on June 5438+098 1 1, stating: "All ethnic minorities, regardless of whether they are ethnic minorities, accordingly. For example, in Hunan Province, from 1982 to 1985, there were 724,000 people who restored and changed their ethnic groups.

By the middle and late 1980s, the work of ethnic identification and change in China was basically completed. 1In June, 1986, the State Ethnic Affairs Commission submitted the Report on Ethnic Identification and Ethnic Composition Change in China to the State Council on the basis of comprehensively summarizing the achievements and experiences of ethnic identification in China. 1989165438+10, the State Ethnic Affairs Commission and the Ministry of Public Security issued the Notice on Suspending the Work of Changing Ethnic Composition. 1990 in may, the state ethnic affairs commission, the leading group for the fourth population census in the State Council and the Ministry of public security issued the regulations on determining the ethnic composition of citizens in China. 1990 At the time of the fourth national census, China had officially identified 56 ethnic groups, including 55 ethnic minorities except Han nationality, with a total population of 91200,000, accounting for 8.04% of the total population. So far, as far as the whole country is concerned, a large number of arduous ethnic identification tasks have been basically completed, and the problem of ethnic composition changes has been basically solved. Of course, there are still some problems left over from ethnic identification. Although these remaining problems involve a small number of people, the situation is complex, so we should proceed from reality and do a good job in related work seriously and steadily on the basis of summing up experience.

Fourth, the social history and language of ethnic minorities.

Ethnic identification in China is based on a lot of in-depth investigation and study. In 1950s and 1960s, in addition to many ethnic identity surveys, China also conducted the first organized and planned social and historical survey of ethnic minorities and ethnic language survey.

Before the social reform, China's ethnic minorities were in different stages of social development, and the original ecological characteristics of social and cultural life of all ethnic groups were very distinct. With the gradual development of social reform and socialist construction in ethnic minority areas, the face of ethnic minorities has changed rapidly. In order to save these living social and historical materials that are about to disappear, Comrade Mao Zedong instructed to quickly carry out a large-scale social history survey of ethnic minorities. From 65438 to 0956, Peng Zhen, Vice Chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC), made special arrangements for this work according to the instructions of the CPC Central Committee and President Mao Zedong. Under the leadership of the Ethnic Affairs Committee of the National People's Congress and with the assistance of the State Ethnic Affairs Committee, more than 200 professionals and some ethnic workers were transferred from the central government and relevant provinces and regions to form eight investigation teams in Inner Mongolia, Tibet and Xinjiang to conduct a general survey of more than 20 ethnic minorities such as Mongolia, Tibet and Uygur. 1958, the Institute of Ethnic Studies of China Academy of Sciences was specifically responsible for this work. In order to speed up the investigation and expand the scope of investigation, eight new investigation teams have been established in Gansu, Qinghai and Ningxia. In August of the same year, researchers and cadres from relevant units were transferred to 16 provinces for investigation. The investigation team is more than 1000 people at most. The provinces and autonomous regions that have not sent an investigation team shall entrust the electric ethnic work department to organize the investigation and provide the required information. By 1964, the eight-year social and historical investigation of ethnic minorities had basically ended. During this period, in order to help ethnic minorities create and reform scripts, it took more than two years from 1956 to organize more than 700 people from the China Academy of Sciences and the State Ethnic Affairs Commission to form seven investigation teams, and went to 16 provinces to carry out a general survey of ethnic minority languages and scripts, and obtained relevant materials of more than 40 ethnic minority languages and scripts.

Through this survey of the social history and language of ethnic minorities, we have basically found out the social and historical conditions of ethnic minorities, including ethnic origin, the development of productive forces and relations of production, social and political structure, language, traditional culture, customs, religious beliefs and other social phenomena. According to incomplete statistics, more than 340 kinds of survey data, about 29 million words, have been written. Organize all kinds of archives and literature excerpts1100,000 words; He shot 16 scientific documentaries about the social development and life of ethnic minorities, and also shot a lot of pictures and materials, and collected a large number of historical relics. On the basis of this large-scale investigation, at that time, 57 first drafts of brief history, brief annals and compilation of brief history and annals of ethnic minorities were also organized. 1978 With the approval of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council, the State Ethnic Affairs Commission decided to edit and publish five series, namely, Ethnic Minorities in China, A Brief History of Ethnic Minorities in China, A Brief History of Ethnic Minorities in China, A General Survey of Ethnic Minority Autonomous Areas in China and A Series of Social and Historical Survey Materials of Ethnic Minorities in China. More than 3,000 ethnic researchers and ethnic workers from the central and local governments participated in this work, which lasted for 10 years and was basically completed by 1987. * * * Compiled and published 398 books with more than 90 million words. These achievements have accumulated a lot of valuable first-hand information for ethnic work such as ethnic identification and ethnic studies. In 2005, the State Ethnic Affairs Commission initiated the revision and reprinting of five series on ethnic issues, which is expected to be completed in 2008.

The ethnic identification in New China has sorted out the complicated ethnic origins and present situation, scientifically identified the ethnic elements in China's reality, basically determined the clear targets for the party and the state to implement ethnic equality and ethnic work, and provided a scientific basis and solid foundation for the party and the state to formulate and implement ethnic policies. China's ethnic identification not only enriched and developed Marxist ethnic theory, but also accumulated valuable wealth for the development of ethnic work and ethnic disciplines in China, which made a great contribution in the history of ethnic work in China.