Language
Country/Area
No result found
Apartheid in Ancient China: Why did Tang Dynasty officials prohibit Chinese from marrying people of other races?
In ancient China, with the cultural exchange and integration of different ethnic groups, the phenomenon of racial segregation was still very obvious, and was implemented differently in different dynasties. Especially during the Tang Dynasty, the official policy of prohibiting Chinese people from marrying people of other races revealed the deep fear and distrust of race and culture in society at that time. There are often tense relations between different ethnic groups, whether in terms of economy, culture or politics, and this situation was particularly prominent in the diverse Tang Dynasty.
A Tang dynasty decree explicitly prohibited Chinese from marrying foreigners, which was not only a legal observation but also reflected society's fear of cultural assimilation.
As we all know, the Tang Dynasty was one of the most prosperous periods in Chinese history, with international trade and cultural exchanges reaching unprecedented levels. However, it was precisely because of the influence of foreign cultures and the increase in contacts with other ethnic groups that officials at the time gradually realized the need to protect the culture and social structure of the Han nationality. In 779, the Tang dynasty imposed a series of racial segregation decrees on the Uighurs, forcing them to wear ethnic clothing and prohibiting them from marrying Chinese women, a decision that sparked heated debate.
Lu Chun, a Tang dynasty official, became the governor of Guangdong Province in 836. He discovered that the Huaxia people lived together with foreign residents and frequently intermarried, so he decided to strictly enforce the law and ban interracial marriages. His remarks were directed at racial groups he called "black people" or "colored people", terms that evoke the racial discrimination and prejudice that still exist in society today. Lu Chun's policies not only affected personal emotional life, but also changed the social structure. People began to be restricted by the law and had to bring their emotions and marital life under official management.
The Tang dynasty prohibited Chinese people from forming families with outsiders, a restriction that reflected a strong desire for cultural purity.
Such a policy may have protected the cultural heritage of the Han nationality to some extent, but it actually created racial barriers and made it difficult for different ethnic groups to further integrate. In addition, doing so also makes the status of foreigners in China more vulnerable and faces greater social pressure. The rulers at the time may have hoped to strengthen the stability of the central government through such racial policies, but they also further solidified the conflicts between ethnic groups.
During the Qing Dynasty, due to the establishment and rule of the Manchus, new policy changes occurred. The Manchus were tolerant of marriages between the Han Chinese and themselves at the beginning, but as time went on, this tolerant policy was gradually abolished and a stricter segregation policy was implemented, prohibiting intermarriage between the Manchus and the Han Chinese in order to maintain the national characteristics of the Manchus. At this time, racial segregation between the Han and Manchu ethnic groups reached new heights.
As Manchu rule deepened, the policy of prohibiting intermarriage between Manchus and Han Chinese was undoubtedly a major blow to cultural diversity.
The Qing dynasty initially attempted cultural integration, but in its later years it strengthened its policy of protecting Manchu culture, which was due to both anxiety about its own status and its impact on the overall social structure. Although such policies may achieve a certain degree of social stability in the short term, in the long run they will deepen ethnic conflicts and confrontations.
Many historians believe that this policy of racial segregation had a profound impact on China's development. Due to the lack of sufficient communication and cooperation, the common development of people of all ethnic groups has been hindered, and the overall economic, cultural and social integration is a shortcoming. The policy changes between the Tang and Qing dynasties actually reflected the changes in power structure, social order and ethnic ideology, and will have a lasting impact on further ethnic relations in later generations.
So, when we look back at this period in Chinese history, what cultural and political considerations were behind these laws and policies?
