古代“中国”国家观念的演进

Evolution of Ancient National Concept“China”

文字记载的具有指称国家内涵的“中国”一词虽然出现在西周初年,但据相关文献记载分析,“中国”国家观念早在夏王朝建立时就已经出现了。秦王朝将春秋战国时期的华夏和蛮夷戎狄统一纳入一国统治之下,明确以“中国”和“中国正统”自居,“中国”国家观念正式确立。两汉、魏晋南北朝以后,不仅以汉人为统治者建立的王朝国家自我认同为“中国”,以少数民族为统治者建立的王朝国家也自我认同为“中国”,“中国”国家观念进一步升华。辽宋夏金元时期的“中国”国家观念呈现出多元一体化的发展趋势。清朝建立以后,明确对“中国”与“汉”的概念进行了区分,不允许人们称清朝国家为“汉”,而允许人们称清朝国家为“中国”,又在继承明朝和北元等历史中国的基础上,不允许自己所继承的各个政权的领土分离出去,也不强行将原来不属于自己所继承的各个政权的领土纳入进来,“中国”发展成为一个包括境内多个民族在内的国家,“中国”国家观念走向定型。

Although the word“China”with the connotation referring to the country in written records appeared in the early western Zhou dynasty,according to the analysis of relevant documents recorded by later generations,the concept of“China”had appeared as early as the establishment of the Xia dynasty.The Qin dynasty unified the Huaxia and the barbarian Rongdi in the Spring and Autumn period into one state,and clearly regarded itself as“China”and“Chinese orthodoxy”.The China national concept was formally established.After the Han dynasty and the Wei,Jin and Southern and Northern dynasties,not only the dynastic states established by the Han people as rulers self-identified as“China”,but also the dynastic states established by the ethnic minorities as rulers self-identified as“China”.China national concept was further sublimated.In Liao,Song,Xia,Jin and Yuan dynasties,the concept of Chinese state showed a trend of pluralistic integration.After the establishment of the Qing dynasty,it made a clear distinction between the concepts of“China”and“Han”.It did not allow people to call the Qing state“Han”,but allowed people to call the Qing state“China”.Also,on the basis of inheriting historical China such as the Ming dynasty and the northern Yuan dynasty,Qing government did not allow people to separate the territories of the various regimes they inherited.At the same time,it did not forcibly include territories that did not belong to the various regimes it had inherited.The Chinese state developed into a state included ethnic groups within its borders,and the China national concept became stereotypical.