| Volume 6, Number 2, April 2009 |
Manchus, Hans and
Westerners in Early Qing
by Thierry Meynard 梅谦立 |
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ANTI-MANCHUISM (反满主義 fan man zhuyi) is a topic which has been often neglected in modern Chinese historiography. It can be described as the feeling held by the Han Chinese against the Manchus as being considered culturally inferior or “barbarian”. This cultural feeling was very much linked to a nationalistic feeling, since many Hans saw it as a disgrace to be under the political control of the Qing dynasty. The little research done on this subject is easily explained by the official policy according to which different ethnicities are supposed to live harmoniously and to form one “Chinese nationality” (中华民族 zhonghua minzu). Consequently, historical studies on the interactions between the Hans and other minorities tend to present a very polished account of the political tensions and conflicts.
Studies on early Qing Christianity have therefore largely occulted the power dynamics between the Hans and the Manchus. It is largely presupposed that |
Christianity was able to gain converts indifferently both from the Manchus at the court and from the Han literati and common people. Opponents to Christianity can also be found both among the Hans and the Manchus. However, this grid of analysis is not adequate for understanding more subtle strategies between the Hans and the Manchus, and to answer the following questions: when a foreign religion like Christianity came to China, how was it inserted into the complex political relationship between the Manchus and the Hans? How may have the Manchu power used Christianity to affirm its own rule over China? How may have some Han literati used Christianity as a political marker for limiting the Manchu rule? I would like here to briefly tackle these issues by looking at the events surrounding the difficult proclamation of the Edict of Tolerance by the Kangxi emperor in 1692.
Persecution against Christianity in Zhejiang in 1691
During the early years of the Kangxi’s reign, Christianity was without firm legal support...
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| Issue 6.2 |
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Economy, Employment, Education, Ethics
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