Manchu Script, Manchu Language, and the Manchu-Han Relationship: The Characteristics and Value of the China Mission Record

Title

Manchu Script, Manchu Language, and the Manchu-Han Relationship: The Characteristics and Value of the China Mission Record

Author

Cheng-wei WU

Page

55-105

DOI

DOI:10.6163/TJEAS.202006_17(1).0002

Abstract

　　In recent years, academics have become increasingly interested in the China Mission Record (Yānxíng Wénxiàn 燕行文獻) that leads to an outpouring of new research. Some scholars have already pointed out that the lack of research on these documents and called for a classification of them to reveal some possible issues. This article aims to concretize the characteristics and raise issues of the China Mission Record by exploring and reflecting on its structure through specific cases. I will discuss the Manchu alphabet, the Manchu language, and the Manchu-Han relations from the perspective of the Chosŏn diplomatic envoys.
　　This paper examines the Manchuness of the Qing Dynasty during the 17th and 18th century. My analysis is divided into two parts and followed by a brief summary and reflection. The first part attempts to investigate the Chosŏn intellectuals’ depictions of the Manchu language, the Manchu customs, and the differences between the Manchu and Han cultures. The second part aims at suggesting some possible ways of understanding and interpreting the Chosŏn diplomatic envoys’ observations of the Manchuness.
　　This paper stresses that the Chosŏn diplomatic envoys were aware of the use of the Manchu language in the Qing court that differed from the language used in the Ming court. As an iconic feature of the Qing dynasty, the Chosŏn diplomatic envoys realized that the Manchu language not only served as an official language but also an important tool for concealing information from hostile spies of some tributary states.
　　When analyzing the Chosŏn diplomatic envoys’ observations on the Manchu culture, it is necessary to take historical and cultural factors into account. For instance, the Chosŏn intellectuals sometimes perceived the relationship between the Manchus and the Han as unidirectional oppression. Additionally, considering that some Manchus were descendants of the Chosŏn, Qing emperors and officials were more than willing to use the Manchu language when dealing with the Chosŏn diplomatic envoys. In a word, in order to resolve the differences between historical facts and secondary literature, it is necessary for researchers to further investigate and critically analyze the descriptions and observations in the China Mission Record.

Keyword

The China Mission Record, Yŏnhaengnok, The Qing History, Manchuness, Yeonhaeng Bilam

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