Origins and Descent

Origins and Descent

            I am from Kunming City in the Province of Yunnan in the People’s Republic of China. Kunming city has a registered total of six million people. Of the six million, four million come from the majority Han ethnicity, while the other population spreads between nineteen different ethnicities (Joniak-Luthi 15). The Hans and the Manchu form the largest population. As a Han, it is simple to trace my origins, which then allows me the natural authority to track and understand my descent. Understanding of origin and descent is essential in national transparency and cohesion. Countries such as Israel and Palestine and Armenia and Turkey are in political discontent and conflict due to a lack of understanding and conceptualization of their origin and descent.

Origins in Time and Space

Due to lack of contemporary data on their origin, the Han Chinese trace it through archeological discoveries of cultural sites along the yellow river dating as 7000-6500 BCE under the Jiahu culture, then to the Yanshao Culture dating 5500-3500 and finally the Longshan Culture dating 3500 to 2500 BCE (Minahan 16). However, other pieces of evidence link them to the Along the lower reaches of the river were the Qingliangang, the Dawenkou, and the Yueshi cultures dating between 7000 to 1500 BCE.

Ancestry and descent,

The Han Chinese track their origin as having a common ancestor to the Huaxia. The Huaxia were a common union of agricultural tribes that lived and intermarried while cultivating the Yellow River. Huaxia is a collective term (meaning civilized Xia) of the union of the Hua and Xia agricultural tries that who lived across the Central Plains and along the Yellow River in China’s Northern-most section ((Joniak-Luthi 18). Thus, the two tribes are recognized as the ancestors of the current Han population in China.  They are credited with giving rise to Chinese civilization. The use of Huaxia represents the civilized Chinese population and distinguishes them from those termed ‘barbaric.’

Migrations and Liberations

The Han pride themselves in the consistency in settlements. There have been no significant migrations of the Hans over the last ten centuries. However, the Hans have expanded their territories through conquering in various empirical ages some of the most recognized dynasties in ascending order from youngest to oldest are Song dynasty, Yuan dynasty, Ming dynasty, and Qing dynasty (Minahan 18). As such, the Han’s history is based on major liberations and Changes in Authority.

Golden Ages

China does not have a record of any age of heroes, where individual members of society conquered whole empires. However, the most successful period of the Han Chinese and which remains its Golden age is the period between 1644 and 1911 during the Qing dynasty ages (Minahan 55). The Manchu Aisin Gioro defeated the Ming Dynasty, which was under Mongolian control and took over China. During this period, the Hans conquered various regions, starting from three kingdoms to eighteen territories (Minahan 45). It is during the Qing dynasty leadership that the great temple and the great wall of China were built.

Current Sad Decline

Sadly, while the Han authority population continues to grow, international migration is putting a stop to the Hans control over china. New equality laws have seen minority groups replace Han Chinese in leadership seats across China. Currently, the Han only occupies thirty percent of the ruling parties’ positions. A twenty percent decrease in authority from fifty years ago.

Future Rebirth

The Han are seeing a rebirth in other regions across the globe. Their success in business prowess around the world is attributed to immigration and hard work. The Hans Chinese are getting more power and authority in other countries such as the US and the UK, where we have seen an exponentially larger number of people.