The Han nationality is an important part of the Chinese nation, but there have been divergent opinions on who exactly the "Han nationality" is composed of. I have read many opinions in this regard, some say that they are descendants of the Mongolian people, and some even say that they are descendants of the Caucasians. It is more said that it started from the Han Dynasty. - {Lu Simian said: "The name of the Han people started after Liu Bang became emperor." ("History of Pre-Qin", Shanghai Ancient Books Publishing House, 1983 edition, page 22.) Lu Zhenyu It says: "The Chinese people have been called the Han people since Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty proclaimed them as Emperor Xuan." ("Chinese Ethnic Briefs", Sanlian Bookstore, 1950 edition, page 19.) In short, the name of the Han people started from the Han Dynasty. }
But I don’t think these statements are accurate. From the beginning of the Han Dynasty's foreign exchanges, people were always referred to as "Han people" rather than "Han nationality".
The formation of the true Han nationality should go through the following stages:
1. The Huaxia ethnic group, which is dominated by the two ethnic groups of the Yan and Huang emperors. They were named "Xia Clan" because they lived in Xia River, and they were named "Hua Clan" because they were centered on Huashan Mountain. Later, the three major tribes of Huangdi, Yandi and Chiyou had fierce conflicts and wars, and finally merged into the "Chinese nation".
2. After the wars and migrations of Xia, Shang and Zhou (including the Spring and Autumn and Warring States), the ethnic groups have been integrated on a large scale, and the scope of the Huaxia ethnic group has further expanded.
3. It was not until the Han Dynasty that the term "Han people" came into being. Occasionally they are also called "Han", but they are definitely not the "Han" today. The main areas include the Central Plains region and the Yangtze River Basin. At this time, the southern Guangdong (Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, and Hainan) regions were still just "Southern Yi" and were not yet called "Han people".
During the Four and Three Kingdoms, Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties, China’s national integration entered a heyday. The Xianbei, Tuoba, Jie, Di, Qiang people in the north have all fully integrated with the ethnic groups in the Central Plains. Coupled with the great integration of Song, Xia, Jin and Liao, the prototype of the Han nationality is basically established. But during these periods, there was no such thing as "Han", and everyone was called "Da × subjects" according to whatever dynasty they were in. After the fall of the Han Dynasty, many people often called themselves "Han people" out of nostalgia for the powerful "Han".
5. The real "Han" began in the Yuan Dynasty. In the areas under the direct jurisdiction of the Yuan Dynasty, the Mongolian population accounted for a very small number. In order to maintain their rule and weaken the resistance consciousness of the Han and other ethnic groups, the Mongolian aristocrats divided the people of all ethnic groups in the country into Mongols, Semu people, Han people, and Nan people. There are four levels of people. ——"Mongolians" refers to the various Mongolian tribes that originally lived in the north and south of the desert, including the Uluru, Mangwu, Kelei, Zhalayier, Tataer, Woyila and other tribes; "Semu people" mainly refers to the Huihui , Uighur, Kangli, Asu, Tuba, Tangwu, Hacilu, Tubo and other ethnic groups; "Han people" refers to the Han, Khitan, Jurchen, Bohai, Goryeo and other ethnic groups originally under the rule of the Jin Dynasty People from Sichuan and Yunnan provinces who were conquered earlier; "Southerners" refer to the people of various ethnic groups who originally lived in the Southern Song Dynasty; "Southerners" are the lowest class because these areas were finally unified. Later, in order to be symmetrical with the Mongols, "Han people" were generally called "Han". The Yuan Dynasty was also accustomed to this term and began to use "Han" in some official documents. The title "Han" began to spread widely and was accepted by everyone.
6. By the Ming Dynasty, the hierarchy and corresponding titles of "Southerners" were cancelled, and they were collectively called "Han" together with "Han people", forming the main body of today's "Han". The vast majority of “southerners” are Han Chinese.