Form Split And Continuation:A Study Of The Ethnic Groups And Economic Society In The Border Areas Of Southwestern Yunnan(1729-1911)

The northern and eastern border regions of southwestern Yunnan are bounded by the Ailao Mountains,while the western and northwestern parts are bordered by the southern range of the Nushan mountains of Hengduan Mountains,it roughly includes existing cities of Pu' er City?Lincang City and Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture.Due to natural reasons,the region has a natural connection with the southern Shan state of Myanmar,the northern Thai Plateau and the middle and upper valleys of the Mekong River.The two regions have the same climate and similar products.Moreover,because of the long-term flow of people in history,there is a unique unity among ethnic groups and cultures.On the contrary,because of the obstruction between the northern Ailao and Nushan Mountains,the forces of the Central Plains,represented by Han culture,entered the area relatively late.Various ethnic groups in the border areas of southwest Yunnan play their respective roles in the business system of the border areas of southwestern Yunnan.This system is based on ethnic division of labor and is entwined through the long-distance trade of horses.After the reform and reunification of the Qing dynasty,foreigners,mainly Han Chinese,entered a large-scale border area in southwestern Yunnan,triggering subversive interest exchanges.In the meantime,foreigners have actually accumulated Contradictions with other ethnic groups are not small while developing the border areas of southwest Yunnan.The social turmoil that occurred in the mid-fifties of the 19th century caused a great impact on the border areas of southwestern Yunnan.Even though the order in the country began to recover in the 1970s,many ethnically sophisticated violent groups were still active In the central and southern regions of the borders of southwest Yunnan.The diseases and depressions that accompany warfare severely hit the border areas of southwest Yunnan.Since then,with the restoration of local order,the border areas of southwestern Yunnan have gradually restored their past appearances.Szemao's opening of trade is a symbol of the continuation of the trade route along the border of southwest Yunnan,which is one of the basic points of Szemao.The reasons for the resumption and continuation of the commercial route of the Muslim southward migration,the dependence of Yunnan's core area on commodities in the border areas of southwest Yunnan,and the"fragmentation" of the border areas of southwestern Yunnan as a result of being constructed by the nation-state.