The era of braids without hair

 

The era of braids without hair

 

Chinese emperors always wanted to show off their achievements and called the period when they were in power a "prosperous age", or a "new era." The "prosperous new era" naturally has "characteristics", and the biggest "characteristic" is "starting from scratch." After Huang Taiji succeeded to the throne, he issued an order to shave his hair and change his clothes, forcing all Han people to follow the "order to shave their hair and change their clothes." This is the new era with the most Chinese characteristics. Men must braid their hair into a long braid hanging behind their heads. This is China's "fifth great invention" after the "four great inventions", making the world stare and giggle.

Agudengba said to Fang Shidi and Azhuo:

If you read the brief history of Manchu braids over three hundred years, you will understand that whether or not to keep braids is a matter of life and death.

Shaving hair, changing clothes, enclosing land, occupying houses, surrendering money, and fleeing people were known as the "six major malpractices in the early Qing Dynasty." From the time Nurhachi established the Later Jin Dynasty, a total of 296 years; from the time Huang Taiji changed the country's name to Qing, 276 years from Guo Zuo; and from the time Qing troops entered the customs and established a national political power, it was 268 years. It can be said that in the past three hundred years, compared with changing clothes, enclosing land, occupying houses, surrendering people, and escaping, hair shaving has always been throughout the history of the Qing Dynasty.

The Han people in ancient China attached great importance to hairstyle and clothing. "The Classic of Filial Piety" says: "The hair and skin of the body are received from parents and do not dare to be damaged. This is the beginning of filial piety." Confucianists like Kong Laoer claimed that when Han people reach adulthood, they are not allowed to shave their hair at will except for necessary trimming. Both men and women tie their hair into a bun on the top of their head.

The customs of the Manchus who emerged in the Northeast are very different from those of the Han people. The traditional hairstyle of Manchu men is to shave their hair and leave it in braids, braiding their hair into a long braid and hanging down. It is detailed in the book "Illustrated Records of the Founding of the State" written by the Korean envoy Shen Zhong: "The Jurchens have a custom of shaving their hair, leaving only a little on the back of the head, and two braids hanging down. Except for the upper lip beard, only about ten are left on the left and right sides. Except for the roots, the rest are removed with tweezers." Japanese businessman Takeuchi Fuji's "Tatar Drifting" records: "Their people all shave their heads, leave the hair on the top of their heads, divide it into three locks and braid it. Their men leave the beard on their lips and shave off the hair below. It is the same regardless of whether they are high-ranking officials, low-ranking officials or ordinary people." "Rongcheng Jiwen" written by overseas scattered people: "Shaving your hair, leaving only one head as big as money, and braiding it, is called the 'money rat tail'."

In 1644 (the seventeenth year of Chongzhen), King Chuang Li Zicheng led the Dashun troops to capture Beijing, and Emperor Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty hanged himself. The Qing Dynasty entered the Pass with the help of the Ming Dynasty general Wu Sangui, and immediately implemented a shaving order in the occupied areas, forcing the Han people to change their hairstyles to Manchu hairstyles. Because hair style held great significance in ancient Chinese culture, it caused fierce resistance among many Han people.

Agudenba said:

Before the Qing troops entered the customs, in order to easily identify obedience and rebellion, they forced the conquered or surrendered Han people to shave their heads. For example, in 1631 (the fourth year of Chongzhen in the Ming Dynasty and the fifth year of Tiancong of the Jin Dynasty), Huang Taiji ordered "the surrendered soldiers" when they won the Battle of Dalinghe. Waiting for the hair.” Han officials who had earlier surrendered to the Qing Dynasty, such as Li Yongfang, Kong Youde, Zu Dashou, Hong Chengchou, etc., also had their heads shaved.

On April 22, 1644 (the first year of Shunzhi), the Qing army defeated Li Zicheng's Dashun army at Yishi, entered Shanhaiguan, and ordered the soldiers and civilians in the city to disperse. On the first day after entering the customs, he was ordered to have his head shaved.

On May 1st, the regent Dorgon led his troops through Tongzhou, and Zhizhou surrendered. Dorgon "ordered to send troops." On the second day of May, Dorgon entered Beijing and demanded that "the surrendered officials, soldiers and civilians all wear long hair" and officially issued a decree to shave off their hair. In the following days, orders were issued many times requiring the Han people to send their hair as a sign of allegiance.

Nai Fa's order aroused great resentment among the Han people, and even changed their attitude towards the Qing army as a result. For this reason, Dorgon had to suspend the order on May 24. The main reason was that the world was uncertain at that time, there were many resisters, and the Nanming regime was still there, so they compromised temporarily.

In order to keep their hair ornaments, many people resisted the Manchus or preferred to die. Not only did those who had originally planned to surrender to the Qing immediately change their tune, but even the people in the prefectures and counties who had surrendered to the Qing also rose up in rebellion against the Qing. The resulting resistance led to large-scale armed struggles almost all over the country. The suppression of Qing soldiers in the south was mostly caused by hair shaving.

In May of 1645 (the second year of Shunzhi), Qing troops marched into the south of the Yangtze River and occupied Jinling, the capital of the Hongguang regime. Their rule was initially consolidated. Dorgon reissued the Naifa Order on May 29th and vigorously promoted the hair-cutting order in the Jiangnan area.

The hair shaving order requires all localities to complete hair shaving within ten days, and anyone who violates the order will die. At that time, the slogan "Leave your head but not your hair, leave your hair but not your head" was circulated. In Fujian, there was also a saying that "leave your hair but not the people, leave your coffin but not the house". There are records that the Manchu generals ordered barbers to patrol the streets with burdens on their backs. If they saw people with buns, they would grab them and force them to have their hair shaved. If there was any resistance, they would kill them on the spot and hang their heads on poles for public display. So later on, There is a pole standing behind the shaver.

Because of the promulgation of the Nai Fa Order, the people of Jiangyin used the slogan "The head can be cut off, but the hair must not be shaved" to resist the Qing Dynasty's slogan "Keep your head but not your hair, keep your hair but not your head". On August 20, the second year of Shunzhi, the city of Jiangyin was destroyed and the Qing soldiers massacred it for three days. The people of Jiading resisted the Qing soldiers for more than 20 days with the slogan "Save this hair and skin for me". After the city was broken, the Qing army massacred the city, killing more than 20,000 people and then abandoned the city.

Some people pointed out that the clothes of Confucius' family have been in use for three thousand years, and they hope that his descendants, Kong Wenzheng, can remain unchanged and avoid shaving their heads. Dorgon replied: "Confucius is the one who can adapt to the times best among the saints. If he breaks the law like Kong Wenxi, he has tarnished the moderation of his ancestors. For the time being, considering that Kong Wenxi is a descendant of Confucius, he will not be executed. But the official position of Confucius Wenqi will be removed and will never be used again."

Agudengba said again:

There is a popular slogan in modern China called "Changing Customs and Changing Customs". To put it bluntly, the so-called "Changing Customs and Changing Customs" originated from the enlightened policies launched by the Qing Dynasty.

Because, in the early cases of hair cutting, shaving was the key, but braiding has not become a mandatory goal for the Manchus, and it has become an issue that attracts little attention to the Manchus. After years of struggle, the Qing Dynasty still made compromises and concessions, switching from the initial violent methods to adopting natural and subtle methods, advocating a relatively enlightened policy of "changing customs". Although there was no concession in the "hair shaving" during the Kangxi period and no intention to revoke the order, they did not follow the bloody methods common in the Shunzhi period. For example, if a man shaves his head and braids it, a woman can still wear her hair in the original bun according to old customs.

Agudengba sang a "Braid Song":

 

Men wear long braids,

Shave your hair and become a slave of the Qing Dynasty,

If the Han people disobey the order, they will die.

Choose between life and death.

 

If you want to keep your head but not your hair,

Otherwise, I would leave my hair intact,

If you want to keep your hair long and leave no one behind,

Even if the coffin is left but not the house.

 

Chinese culture has existed for thousands of years,

Self-proclaimed man is the most glorious,

It's a pity that the Han people became traitors.

All the people cut off their hair and knelt down to the Qing Dynasty.

 

Wearing a suit and tie,

Take off your waistcoat and put on your jacket,

Black hair dyed golden,

Hanfu has become an antique.

 

New changes in the Han people today,

Cut off your braids and sing foreign songs,

I am obsessed with using foreign goods at home,

Boasting about Kang, Yong and Qian dynasties to the outside world.

 

The rich and powerful hold dual passports;

Get promoted and become rich overseas,

Even that Kong Laoer,

He also holds lectures overseas.