U569  Modern Inner Mongolia
Lecture, Tuesday, Week 4

 

  1. Sinicization and Chinese Culture Contact
    1. Dominant theme in Inner Mongolian, rarely defined
    2. "Sinicization" as magic:  all change result of charisma of Chinese culture
    3. Sinicization as an empirical process
      1. Species in the genus of "culture change" due to "culture contact"
      2. Acculturation does not necessarily lead to assimilation
      3. Sinicization:  radical acculturation and significant assimilation
        1. Loss of Mongolian cultural markers:  language, dress, customs
        2. Breakdown of Mongolian communal institutions
        3. Mongolian identify becomes situational, voluntary
        4. By 1900, full sinicization still rare and of little influence
    4. Chinese culture contact
      1. Chinese influence, but retention of major markers, institutions
      2. What needs explaining:  why the changes, and why is it incomplete?
  2. Early influences of Chinese culture
    1. Chinese Social Influence:  Place and context
      1. Time in Beijing:  all nobility, but especially in eastern Inner Mongolia
      2. Inji or servants of Manchu princesses:  Khorchin banners especially
      3. Chinese farmers:  Josotu (Kharachin, Tümeds), Höhhot Tümeds
        1. Later in Juu Uda, Jirim, Chakhar, Yekhe Juu
      4. Displaced Mongols moving north from wave of Chinese settlement
        1. "Northward movement of culture"
  3. Chinese Intellectual Influence:  history writing
    1. Chinese sources had major histories of the Mongols
    2. Language barrier:  few Mongols before 1900 red Chinese
    3. Lomi's History of the Mongol Borjigid clan (1735), Chinese and Mongol
      1. Author:  Borjigid Mongol, from Mongol Eight Banners
      2. Sources:  virtually all Mongol chronicles
      3. Intensely loyal to Manchus, Mongols owe the Manchus everything
    4. Dharma Güüshi's Golden Wheel With a 1,000 Spokes (1739)
      1. Author:  lama from noble family of Jarud
      2. Sources:  used 1644 translation of selections from Yuan Shi
      3. Point of view:  china is "middle kingdom,"  Yuan after 1368 lesser dynasty
    5. Rashipungsug's Crystal Mirror (1774-75)
      1. Author:  Tusalagchi from Baarin banner
      2. Sources:  used Manchu translation of Zizhi tongjian gangmu
      3. Point of view:  Moral critique of chronicle tradition
      4. Filiopietism:  defends Mongol customs, Buddhism, attacks Chinese prejudice
  4. Chinese Intellectual Influence:  novels
    1. Journey to the West
      1. Themes:  3 religions into 1, inner alchemy, lay-oriented
      2. Arana's Mongolian translation (1721) amplified these points
        1. Arana:  Eight Garrisons Mongol bannerman
    2. Three Kingdoms
      1. Themes:  loyalty, heroism are admirable, but futile in the big picture
      2. Manchu versions circulated by imperial order in early 18th century
      3. Mongol manuscript translations in 19th century
    3. Dream of the Red Chamber
      1. Themes:  Romantic love thwarted by crass adults, karmic retribution
      2. Mongolian MS translation, commentary, by Khasbuu, c. 1840
      3. Retold by Injannashi in several version (c. 1860s)