Who Is The Hanjian:A Study Of The Evolution Of The Reference To "Hanjian"(1840-1945)

The modern history of China is not only the history of the Chinese nation’s resistance to aggression and oppression,but also the history of its struggle for independence,prosperity,and strength.For over a hundred years after 1840,the Chinese nation was facing a serious national crisis,with internal and external troubles constantly troubling the Chinese nation.In such a serious national crisis,the group of Hanjian played an important role and was a dominant presence in modern history.This article takes the group of Hanjian and their referential evolution as a thematic study to explore the referential changes of " Hanjian " in Chinese history,especially in modern times.It objectively explores the initial meaning of the word " Hanjian " from the pre Qin period to modern times,the evolution of its referential meaning over thousands of years,and even the gradual convergence with modern referential and lexical meanings.It systematically analyzes the development process of the uncertain referential object of the word from scratch to existence,from the inside out.Since its emergence,the discourse of Hanjian has been basically under the leadership of the government.According to historical records compiled by official organizations,it has evolved from the initial "Jiangui Jianren and Jianmin " to the term " Hanjian." In the process of this evolution,there have been occasional voices from the people,mostly reflected in the books and articles written by the Chinese gentry in the "Discrimination between Chinese and Yi" caused by the invasion of the minority regime into the Central Plains.In the course of several evolutions of the reference to Hanjian,the ethnic policies of the rulers of the Qing Dynasty in various periods had a great impact on the evolution of the reference to traitors.From the initial "Manchu Han distinction" to the later "Manchu Han family",from the relative independence of the Han people group to the unity of the interests of the Manchu Han people as a community of interests,the term " Hanjian " is used to refer to a person or group that endangers the common interests of the Manchu Han people;During the Opium War,the country’s gates were opened,and some Chinese who served or had contact with the barbarians were called traitors by the official government;Even the modern revolutionary party artificially overthrew the Manchu Qing government,thereby reconstructing and using the term " Hanjian ";Faced with the aggression of Japanese imperialism,some Chinese have become accomplices to the aggressors.The ugly faces of these traitors and Hanjian and their actions of betraying the Chinese nation have been reviled and spurned by all Chinese.These influencing factors have a significant impact on the emergence and change of the term " Hanjian ".This topic analyzes the influence of official dominance and folk discourse through both official and folk voices,and uses a research method that combines official archives with contemporary manuscripts and diaries to systematically and perfectly demonstrate the reference evolution process of the group of " Hanjian " as much as possible.The multiple changes in the reference to traitors are closely related to the changes in the situation and social background at that time.At the same time,the evolution of the reference to Hanjian reflects the awakening of national consciousness and the changes in Sino foreign relations.Who is the Hanjian? How did traitors become the proper term for the Han people to refer specifically to Hanjian among the Han people,how did they break through the scope of the Han people and become synonymous with traitors among all ethnic groups in China,including the Han people? What actions did these people do to betray the interests of the country and the nation,thereby becoming the sinners of the entire Chinese nation.Therefore,studying the development of " Hanjian" from scratch,the development process of its referential changes,and the influencing factors that affect the referential changes not only helps us to ponder the connotation of the term " Hanjian " and the significance of its referential changes,but also enables us to see the process of the formation of the Chinese nation from the perspective of the evolution of the reference to "Hanjian",observe the process of promoting the awakening of national consciousness in China,and reflect the development of Sino foreign relations,It can also provide us with a deeper understanding of the crisis of the Chinese nation in modern times,and provide insight into the development process and impact of nationalism in modern China.Embodying the deepening of cultural identity and national identity is also of practical significance for building a sense of community of the Chinese nation in modern times.