A Study Of The Dalit Class In Ming And Qing Dynasty

The issue of Dalits in Ming and Qing Dynasty is the significant one to the study of Ming and Qing history, especially the social history of Ming and Qing. But because of the low social status of Dalit Class and fewer records about it in ancient materials, so there haven't many articles to study about it to date. This thesis based on collecting and selecting materials about the Dalits in Ming and Qing dynasty as many as possible, combining with the research findings of predecessors and using the relevant principles of Marxism and history knowledge, wholly studies the types, sources, statuses, characteristics, the evolution of its identities, the causes of its long existence and its influences, and obtains some enlightenments from this.The introduction part briefly describes some cases about Dalits before Ming and Qing Dynasty,such as their sources and statuses, etc. So we have a general understanding about the emergence and evolution of Dalit Class before Ming and Qing Dynasty. This text is divided into five parts together:The first Part is about the Traditional Dalits in Ming and Qing Dynasty. According to the law of Ming and Qing Dynasty, people's traditional idea, the area of Dalit's distribution and etc, this paper divides the Dalit Class in Ming and Qing dynasty into two types, including the Traditonal Dalits and Special Dalits.This part mainly describes some cases about the former.The Traditional Dalit is the one stipulated in the law and generally acknowledged by people at all times, such as slaves, prostitutes and yamen runners, etc.This part mainly describes some basic information about their sources and occupations.The second part is about the Special Dalits in Ming and Qing Dynasty.The Special Dalit is also called the regional dalit, which refered to the one newly emerged in Ming and Qing Dynasty without being restricted in the law but it was generall acknowledged in people's traditional ideas.This type of dalit also included different kinds, and most of them located in a particular area..This part choses several kinds, which are mostly representative of them, and introduces some basic information about their sources and occupations separately.The third part is about the status and characteristics of the Dalit Class in Ming and Qing Dynasty.As to their status, this paper analyzes them from the political, social, and economic aspects.They had no political status at all, and their household register should be tabulated seperately and also be subjected to strict bondage between master and servant.As far as their social status, was also very humble and was strictly subjeced to restrictions in the lawsuit, marriage, clothing, examination, housing and so on.Not even to say anything about their economic status. In addition, combining with the traits about Dalits before Ming and Qing Dynasty,this paper sums up that Dalits in Ming and Qing Dynasty not only consisted of general traits of traditional dalits such as engaging in service industry and different statuses existed in different and the same types of dalits ,etc, but also had their special traits such as clearly regional characteristics, long existence even after their household register had been terminated, and strengthened consciousness of defense.The fourth part is about the evolution of identity of the Dalit Class in Ming and Qing Dynasty.This part systematicly discourses about the whole course of evolution of identity of Dalits, namely the course of their liberation in Ming and Qing Dynasty.Centering on the reform of getting rid of humble nationality carried out by Yong Zheng Emperor, this chapter is divided into three parts to seperately analyze the Ming and Qing government's policy adjustments to Dalits, the reform of getting rid of humble nationality carried out by Yong Zheng Emperor and the ultimate liberation of Dalit's identity in modern times.Of these, the reform of getting rid of humble nationality carried out by Yong Zheng Emperor is emphasis ,because it played a role in connecting link in liberating the dalit class.This part thoroughly analyses the reasons, process ,results, senses and limitations, etc of the reform in order to draw some inspirations.The fifth part is about the causes and influences of long existence of the Dalit Class in Ming and Qing Danasty.Combining with the course of the Dalit Class'identity evolution especially what happened before and after the reform of getting rid of humble nationality carried out by Yong Zheng Emperor, this part mades a comprehensive and detailed analysis of deep-rooted reasons why the Dalit Class could exist for a long time. I think why the Dalit Class could long existed in Ming and Qing Dynasty was that the interacted results of the political, economic, social and Dalit themselves and so on factors.Among them, the social system is its rooted causes, including political and economic systems.The rooted causes namely the social system bred the reasons of the society and the Dalits themselves and others,which turned on inhibiting the liberation of the Dalit Class. In addition, this part also expoundes the influences of long existence of the Dalit Class in Ming and Qing Dynasty,inchuding both positive effects and negative effects.The last part is the enlightenments obtained from this paper.Learing history is to serve for reality.Having based on the detailed analysis of the Dalit Class's status evolution and causes of their long existence in Ming and Qing Dynasty, this paper combining with reality points out the origin of some problems existed long in actual life, for instance high and low identity, jobs and disadvantaged groups and so on, and suggests the the fundamental way to eliminate these problems, so it offers some important references for socialist modernization of our country.