华夷观念与中国古代统一多民族国家的发展

The Concept of Huayi and the Development of the Unified Multi-ethnic State in Ancient China

传统儒家倡导的华夷观念,代表了古代中国人对于民族问题的基本认识。在中国古代社会,华夷观念与国家统一的格局密切相关,伴随着中国古代统一多民族国家的发展,在不同历史时期,华夷观念也有着不同的内涵,人们在社会生活中感受到的夷狄大多是生活在作为古代中国主体王朝边境之外的少数民族,近代以后,人们观念上的夷狄有了国际的含义。在中国古代特定的历史条件下,华夷观念对于中国古代统一多民族国家的形成与发展起到了积极的作用。华夷观念在本质上带有民族歧视的特征,与现代民族平等观念是相违背的。当代中国人应该抛却传统的华夷观念,在社会政治生活中坚持民族平等原则,从而实现中国统一多民族国家的当代发展。

The concept of Huayi(Chinese and barbarians)advocated by traditional Confucianism as the essential understanding of ethnic issues in ancient China.In the society of ancient China,the concept of Huayi was closely related to the situation of national unity.With the development of the unified multi-ethnic state in ancient China,the concept of Huayi had different connotations in different historical periods.The barbarians which Chinese people at that time recognized as in their social lives were mainly directed to the ethnic minorities living outside the border of the dynasties and not belonging to the main ethnic body of ancient China.The barbarians in the mind of Chinese people had its international meaning since modern times.Under the specific historical conditions of ancient China,the concept of Huayi played a positive role in the formation and development of the unified multi-ethnic state in ancient China.However,in essence,the concept of Huayi was characterized by its ethnic discrimination,which was contrary to the modern idea of national equality.Chinese people nowdays should abandon the traditional concept of Huayi and adhere to the principle of national equality in social and political lives so that the unified multi-ethnic state could be achieved in contemporary China.