The Early Qing Dynasty Ethnic Studies

The Nationalities Study of the Hei Long River in the Early Qing Dynasty is a research focuses on the history of various nationalities and their social development in the area of the Hei Long River during the early days of Qing Dynasty. It is not only written from the perspectives of social improvement, military garrison, cultural religion, customs and etc., but also explores the courses of the unification as well as the administration to the nationalities and well as their relations in the Hei Long River. In a word, it reflects more completely the history of the nationalities in Hei Long River in the early Qing Dynasty. The area of the Hei Long River was vast in territory and had a long history and many nationalities since ancient time. At the end of Ming Dynasty, there were tribes of Monggol,Sibo,Suolun,Yeren Nuzhen and so on , in the are of Hei Long River. They majorly lived nomadic and fishing and hunting lives. In addition, the agricultural production there relatively lagged behind. At that time, the nationalities in the Hei Long River still belonged to ancient ones with a great many tribes, their confusing names and indistinction of boundary line. Therefore, they had a great difference with modern nationalities. After the rising of Jianzhou Nuzhen,Nurhachi and Abahai took the tactics of pacification, connections through marriages in the Hei Long River while they went on to unite the northeast. Without question, the periods when the Qing troops had not entered the pass were important for the formation of Manchu..During the course of it, each nationality of the Hei Long River had a hand in the formation of Manchu either directly or indirectly and supported Manchu from political, economic and military aspects. And they made immense contribution to Manchu obviously. Qing troops'conquest during the middle of seventeenth century and Russian incursion were important events in Chinese history. They are not only considerable influence on Chinese history, but also on the nationalities of the Hei Long River. Qing troops'conquest reduced the political influence of Qing government on the nationalities of the Hei Long River, postponed the administrative structure's construction of the Qing government in the Hei Long River, and cut down the economic connection between the Qing central government and the nationalities of the Hei Long River. Moreover, it weakened of the military of Qing government for the nationalities of the Hei Long River. At the same time, it produced great negative effect on the nationalities of the Hei Long River and created conditions for Russian incursion. Just around the Qing troops'conquest such Russian invaders as Boyarkorf,Habarorf,Sjiepannorf and etc. intruded in succession into the Hei Long River valley and brought tremendous disaster to local nationalities. These barbarous acts not only made the people of the nationalities suffering enormous losses, but also made them leaving their homelands. They gave rise to sparse population and a scene of desolation of the Hei Long River valley. Because of Qing troops'conquest and Russian incursion, a wave that native nationalities of the Hei Long River in the early Qing Dynasty migrated to the south took place. At that time, most native nationalities took part in this migration activity and the Qing government also supported it very much. This big national migration produced significant influence on the nationalities'development of the Hei Long River, the frontier defense and the history of northeast area. By establishing administrative institution and performing a series of national policies, the Qing government realized the domination on the nationalities of the Hei Long River. According to different nationalities of the Hei Long River, the Qing government took different administrative methods by setting up Baqi,Buteha Baqi,Mengqizhi,Bianminxingzhangzhi and so on. The Qing government appointed the Hei Long River General and Ji Lin General who were responsible for the administration to the nationalities of the Hei Long River. At the same time, the rules of the Qing Dynasty adopted these national policies like stowing favors, awarding, drawing over, driving and ruling, governing according to customs in order to administer the nationalities of the Hei Long River. All the facts proved that the Qing government's administration measures and national policies were very successful, which enabled the area and the nationalities of the Hei Long River to become the most faithful subjects. The Early Qing Dynasty was the significant periods when the nationalities of the Hei Long River developed and most native nationalities completed the transition from ancient nationalities to modern ones. The nationalities of the Hei Long River in the Early Qing Dynasty were majorly divided into two parts, namely native nationalities and immigration ones. The so-called native nationalities were those that lived in the area of the Hei Long River after the middle period of the Ming Dynasty. They were mainly Daur,Ewenki,Oroqen,Monggol,Sibo,Hezhen,Feiyaka,Kuye and so on. Immigration nationalities were those that immigrated in the area of the Hei Long River, mainly from such nationalities as Hanzu,Manchu,Huizu,Kerkezi in other areas all over the world. After a wide scope of migration and garrison by organizing people into different banners, the distribution pattern of the Hei Long River nationalities came to formation by and large and lasted till today. During the periods, the connections among various nationalities strengthen gradually and social economy, to some extent, developed. However, their development degrees were not identical. Among them, generally speaking, native nationalities fell behind and were mainly affected by Manchu and Hanzu. The nationalities of the Hei Long River were industrious, brave and good in expedition and fighting. During the war of Qing Dynasty's resisting Russian invaders, the nationalities fought in the forefront all the time and made enormous contribution for banishing Russian invaders, like Boyarkorf,Habarorf,Sjiepannorf and so on, made incursions into the Hei Long River Valley in China, local people, in the first place, safe guarded their homelands and cooperated with the Qing troops to resist invaders. In the periods of KangXi, during the Yakesa war bravely, took concerted action with the Qing troops to attack Russian invaders with a heavy blow and at last they won in the Yakesa war. Even after the periods of KangXi, these nationalities were also back bone strength. Regardless of founding city walls, garrisoning, defending KaLun or patrolling border regularly, they all devoted to their duty, defying hardship and danger. In the meantime of exploiting frontiers, they defended themwithout attracting public attention. Without the valiant fight and ordwous strive of the nationalities of the Hei Long River, these were not the peaceful and steady situation during nearly two hundred years from KangXi to XianFeng in northeast area. In the early Qing Dynasty, various nationalities in the Hei Long River owned their own nationalities culture. With the immigration of Manchu and Hanzu, culture of Manchu and Hanzu produced much more influence on the area of the Hei Long River. At that time, national cultural education in the Hei Long River was very backward, which took Manchu and Hanzu education and Baqi official learning as the principal thing. Han people roaming about played a certain role in the national cultural education of the Hei Long River. Such nationalities as Manchu ,Daur,Ewenki,Oroqen,Hezhen,Feiyaka and Kuye, mainly believed in primitive religion of Saman. Monggol,Sibo,and so on believed in Buddhism from Tibet, namely, Lamaism. After the immigration of Hanzu and Huizu, Buddhism, Daoism and Islamism also passed into the area of the Hei Long River. These culture and religious beliefs became the spiritual cultures and nationalities in the Hei Long River of the early Qing Dynasty. The nationalities of the Hei Long River in the early Qing Dynasty had their unique national customs. Due to the different social economy situation of various nationalities, their customs in food, clothing, sheltering and transportation, wedding, funeral, marriage and festival rite, also had their distinguishing features. As a whole, material and spiritual culture of the nationalities in the Hei Long River were affected by Manchu and Hanzu differently and lay a foundation for the formation of the regional culture in the Hei Long River. In a word, as an important part of the Chinese nation, the nationalities in the Hei Long River developed their social economic culture while exploiting, constructing and defending their frontier. They had an important status in Qing history and played a significant role.