Study Of Family System Of The Hu Migrating Southward In 4-6 Centuries

The period of Han (汉) , Three kingdoms (三国) , Jin (晋), Northern and Southern Dynasties (南北朝) in Chinese history witnesses one of the most active ethnical migrations with two trends: the movement of the Han in Central Plain to all directions and ethnic minorities in peripheral areas to Central Plain. For the ethnic groups in Northern China (the Hu,胡族) moving southward, they have to adjust themselves from a relatively cold, nomadic cultural region to a wetter, warmer field agricultural region. Along with the huge changes of ecological and social surroundings, the original tribal clan system of the Hu evolves gradually to the characteristic patriarchal family system of the Han. In the agonizing process full of complex contradictions and bitter conflicts, the emergence and establishment of the new patriarchal society displays vividly the interactions and merging of the ethnic groups, substantiates the penetration of superior culture to inferior culture, declares again the eternal contradiction between armed conquest and cultural infiltration since the Hu makes successful force subjugation to the Han yet ends with being assimilated by the Han culture.This paper, combining the approaches of history, ethnology, anthropology and sociology, makes a comprehensive analysis to the evolution of the family institution in the Hu from the perspective of culture in six chapters, aiming to explicate the national reaction and fusion between Hu and Han in the 4-6 centuries. Chapter 1 states the Hu's southward movement, the main tribes with different surnames and changes on survival environments after the move. Chapter 2 focuses on the family system's changing of the Hu, first the remains of former tribal clan institution turns to family system, then the family culture takes the place of the tribal clan culture, that is, Han's Confucian culture penetrates to the Hu families. These two sides adhere to and spur each other on to further development. The newly-constructed family culture in Hu people, an expression of organizational structure's adjustment to culture, especially to institutional culture, not only conforms to the aspirations of Hu's regimes to accept Confucianism or to be feudalized, but also coincides with the Han intellectuals' tastes in Confucian ideals. It is at last established firmly by means of formulating etiquette, carrying out custom reforms, cultivating feudal ethical code and so on. Chapter 3,4 and 5 further expounds theprocess of change on Hu's family system and the outcome in three aspects respectively: rights and duties of family members and clansmen, relationships between clansmen and affinity or matrimony relationship, family stratification and social stratum. The first aspect is identical to the Han on the common family structure, lineage, inheritance, mourning apparel, funeral rites, cemetery, clan temple and sacrifice. The second and the third aspects show us the formation of Hu's Scholar-official families (士族), the ever-increasing intermarriages between the Hu and the Han, indicating more sense of we-group identification of the two, especially among the upper class. Chapter 6 concentrates on "Xiaowen Reform"(孝文改制) to prove the distinctions in the former and latter processes of the Hu's evolution on family system.Conclusively, the establishment of Hu's family system in 4-6 centuries distinguishes itself from that of Europe. First, unlike the Germanic people's successful armed aggression to Roman Empire in the same era, Hu's force subjugation accelerates the feudal procession of himself while the former accelerates the found of feudalism for the loser. As to cultural acculturation, in Europe, the early stage Christianity exerts great impact on ancient European clan system, yet in China, Confucianism and patriarchal spirits of the Han Chinese shaped the Hu's family system. Second, there are great differences on the family system before and after "Xiaowen Reform", the dual and marginal characteristic of the former is complete transformed in the latter period. Third, the changes on c...