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Why did ancient China practice racial segregation against foreigners?
In ancient China, the policy of racial segregation against foreigners was manifested in many aspects, including legal restrictions, social customs, and cultural identity. Although this practice of racial segregation is criticized and denied today, it was quite common in the past. So why did ancient China adopt such strict isolation measures against foreigners? What social and political factors are hidden in this?
Segregation is the separation of people in their daily lives based on their racial or ethnic group.
Looking back at history, we can see that in the ever-changing dynasties, this isolation policy had different implementation backgrounds and meanings. Take the Tang Dynasty as an example. During the Tang Dynasty, the isolation of foreigners was mainly reflected in the strict legal system. In 779, the Tang Dynasty issued a decree requiring the Uyghur people to wear national costumes and prohibiting them from marrying Chinese women, which directly reflected the exclusion and isolation of foreigners.
In 836, Lu Chun, an official in Guangzhou, further strengthened the isolation policy because he was dissatisfied with the situation of foreigners living together with Chinese in the local area. He banned foreigners from owning property and tightened legal restrictions on interracial marriage. In addition, the laws of this period also specifically prohibited the so-called "black people", including a series of ethnic minorities such as Persians, Sagars, and Arabs.
Lu Chun's legal policies reflected the Tang dynasty's emphasis on protecting Han culture and maintaining social order.
In the Qing Dynasty, this phenomenon underwent a new change. The Manchus, the founders of the Qing Dynasty, were well aware of their minority status and had different considerations towards other ethnic groups, especially the Han people. In the early Qing Dynasty, marriage between Manchus and Han Chinese was promoted to some extent, especially Manchu women marrying Han generals to promote ethnic cooperation. However, over time, this open policy was eventually abolished and replaced by strict segregation of internal ethnic groups.
For example, the Qing government made explicit socioeconomic distinctions between Manchu soldiers and Han civilians. This separation is not only reflected in marriage, but also extends to many aspects such as residential areas and administrative management. The Qing government stipulated that Manchu soldiers and Han people were not allowed to enter each other's residential areas at will, in order to protect the Manchu cultural heritage and social order.
The implementation of this policy was not only based on political needs, but also reflected the Manchus' strong demand for national identity.
In addition, ancient China's foreign policy was also influenced by issues reflected in racial segregation. The existence of foreign ethnic groups is often accompanied by challenges and threats to the dominance of the Han ethnic group. This tension has prompted China to choose to protect itself rather than integrate with foreign ethnic groups in its foreign policy. In this context, apartheid became a means of protecting internal stability and cultural purity.
This sense of cultural superiority and national xenophobia reached its peak at certain periods in history and influenced the lifestyles and social structures of generations. Furthermore, this isolation is not limited to legal forms, it also involves people's social thoughts and cultural values. In contemporary society, does this past concept of segregation still have an impact on certain ethnic groups? What is worth our deep consideration is whether this period of history still has some form of influence and manifestation in current social phenomena?
