From ethnic segregation to equal political status: the Making of the concept of citizenship in early modern China

Abstract

ABSTRACT ‘Political equality’ is regarded as inherent to the nature of citizenship, but the traditional Chinese concept of ‘ethnic segregation’ runs counter to this idea. A shift away from this concept has been a prerequisite for the development of modern Chinese citizenship. In the mid-18th century, the Qing Dynasty was at the point of transition from tradition to modernity. Hua – Yi segregation put the Qing rulers under great pressure due to their origins as an ethnic minority. Confucian intellectuals such as Zeng Jing used this concept to challenge the political legitimacy of the Qing Dynasty, and rulers such as Yongzheng took advantage of this opportunity to replace the conception of ethnic segregation with that of equal political status through political debate and mass education. The concept of Hua – Yi segregation, which had lasted for nearly 3,000 years in China, then gradually faded away. The development of the new approach thus laid the foundation for the acceptance of the Western concept of citizenship. Chinese citizenship therefore has both internal and external cultural roots. The development of citizenship in China shows the importance of ‘after Orientalism’ in citizenship studies.