Ethnic groups in Chinese history
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The following are the ethnic groups in Chinese history. Any non clear-cut connection is denoted by a question mark beside the equivalences. As so many ethnic groups have appeared in history, this table is certainly not complete. The purpose of this page is to stimulate conversation and constructive arguments on connecting Eastern and Western knowledge of those ethnic groups.
Pinyin Romanization | Names in Chinese characters and Pronunciation | Approximate residence according to Chinese texts | Time of appearance in the history of China | Equivalence(s) of non-Chinese names | Time of appearance outside China | Possible Descendant(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Miao | 苗 (miao2) | Various areas stretching from provinces (Hebei, Shanxi) north of the Huang He to Yunnan province | As early as 25th century B.C. to present | Hmong | see Miao | Laotians, ethnic groups in China, America and Europe |
Yuezhi | 月氏 (Yue4 Zhi1) | Gansu, Xinjiang | 6th century B.C. ? to 162 B.C., then driven out by Xiongnu. | Kushans, Tocharians? | mid 2nd century B.C. in Central Asia | No known descendants, but possibly absorbed into Uygurs |
Wuhuan | 烏桓 (wu1 huan2) | Western portions of Manchuria (Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning provinces) and Inner Mongolia | 4th century B.C. to late 3rd century, assimilated into Hans |No known equivalence | N/A | N/A | No known descendants |
Xianbei | 鮮卑 (xian1 bei1) | Manchuria (Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning provinces), Mongolia and Inner Mongolia. Moved into areas north of the Huang He as they founded a dynasty there. | 4th century B.C. ? to mid 6th century, assimilated into Hans | N/A | N/A | No known descendants |
Qiang | 羌 (qiang1) | Gansu, Qinghai, western portion of Sichuan, eastern portion of Xinjiang and northeastern portion of Tibet | Mentioned in oracle bone inscriptions of the Shang Dynasty circa 14th century B.C. to circa 1050 B.C.
4th century B.C. ? to late 5th century, assimilated into Hans |
No known equivalence | N/A | as minorities in Sichuan |
Di | 氐 (di1) | Areas of neighboring borders of Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan and Shaanxi | 8th century B.C. ? to mid 6th century, assimilated into Hans | No known equivalence | N/A | as minorities in Sichuan |
Jie | 羯 (jie2) | Shanxi province | late 2nd century to mid 4th century, assimilated into Hans | No known equivalence | N/A | No known descendants |
Dingling, Gaoche, Shule | 丁零 (ding1 ling2), 高車 (gao1 che1), 疏勒 (shu1 le4) | Banks of Lake Baikal and on the borders of present-day Mongolia and Russia then migrated to Shanxi province and Xinjiang region | 1st century BC to late 5th century, assimilated into Hans | ? | ? | some descendants still living by the lake ? |
Rouran, Ruru, | 柔然 (rou2 ran2), 蠕蠕 (ruan2 ruan2), 茹茹 (ru2 ru2) | Present-day Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, northern portions of Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia and eastern portion of Xinjiang | early 3rd century to early 6th century | Avars? | late 6th century to early 9th century | Turks |
Tujue | 突厥 (tu2 jue2) | Present-day Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, northern portions of Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, Xinjiang, eastern portion of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan | late 5th century to mid 10th century | Göktürks | mid 6th century to early 9th century | The western Turks partly migrated to Transoxiana, Persia, and Anatolia, while the eastern Turks assimilated mainly to the Uyghurs in Xinjiang; mostly nowadays Turkmen and Uyghur in Central Asia along with other Turkic peoples, and to a lesser degree the Turkish-speaking population of modern-day Turkey share that ancestry. |
Huihu | 回紇 (hui2 he2) | Present-day Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, northern portions of Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia | early 7th century to mid 10th century | Uyghurs | early 9th century to present | Uyghurs - largest ethnic group in Xinjiang region, and Yugurs |
Tubo | 吐蕃(tu3 fan1) sometimes pronounced as 吐播 (tu3 bo1) | Present-day Tibet, Qinghai, western border of Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi and Southern border of Xinjiang | mid 6th century to present | Tibetans | early 6th century to present | Tibetans |
Qidan | 契丹 (qi4 dan1) | Present-day Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, Manchuria, Liaoning, northern border of Shanxi and Hebei and later in Xinjiang and eastern border of Kazakhstan | 388-1125 | Khitan | 388-1211 | Daur and Khamnigan people |
Xi or Kumo Xi | 庫莫奚 (Ku*mo*xi1) | More or less the same residence of the Khitans since regarded as two ethnic groups with one unique ancestry | before IVth century to mid 12th century | No known equivalence | N/A | No known descendants |
Shiwei | 室韋 (shi4 wei2) | Present-day Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, western Manchuria and southern Siberia | late 6th century - late 10th century | No known equivalence | N/A | conquered by Khitans, splinter groups and remnants re-emerged as Mongols |
Menggu | 蒙古 (meng2 gu3) | Present-day Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, western Manchuria, southern Siberia, eastern and central Xinjiang before Genghis Khan | since late 8th century (?) | Mongol | late 12th century to present | Mongol |
Dangxiang | 党項 (dang3 xiang4) | Ningxia, Gansu, northern portions of Shanxi, southwestern portion of Mongolia, Southeastern portion of Xinjiang | mid 8th century to early 13th century | Tanguts | ' | Part of Hui nationality (Dungan), Ersu, part of Amdo Tibetans |
Mohe | 靺鞨 (mo4 he2) | Manchuria and northern portion of Inner Mongolia, helped to establish Balhae | early 7th century to early 10th century. | Malgal | N/A | Jurchen (see entry below) |
Nüzhen or Manzuren | 女真 (nü3 zhen1), 滿族人 (man3 zu2 ren2), 滿人 (man3 ren2) | Manchuria and northern portion of Inner Mongolia | early 10th century to present, established Jin Dynasty and Qing Dynasty | Jurchen, Mancho, Manchus or Manchurian | Since mid 17th century, first encountered by Russians | Largest minority ethnic group in Dongbei region or Manchuria. Their culture has very much assimilated with the Han but some distinctive aspects still remain. |