The China Discussion part II: The Origin of Things

So....Hehehe, hopefully you're not boring. But it surely can be columned as one article about this topic.

The Qin Reunification:

At the twilite of Zhou Dinasty, China was divided into 6 kingdoms, and each has their own language, writing style, letters, measurement, and cultural identity. The Qin Kingdoms, lead by Yin Zeng, was deliberate a campaign to unified the entire nation by conquering all other 8 kingdoms. After he succeeded, Yin Zeng then crowned as "Emperor" and entitled by Qin She Huang Di. After Qin unified the "geographical" nations, Qin also unifying all the identitical aspect, including measurement, language, and letters. So what does the Qin use as unification standard? Of course the language used in Qin, so the entire nation was forced to unified under Qin Language, Qin Letters, Qin Measurement, and Qin Culture. So this is why the Mandarin Letters we know nowadays, was also known as 'China Letters', simply because this is "The Letters of Qin", alphabetical used in The Kingdom of Qin. This writing language is perhaps the origin why the Westerner address the 'Qin Alphabet User' as 'China'.

The Han Establishment:

The Qin last for 200 years, before then succeeded by Han. The result of the forced and repressive unification of Qin, China trully unified under one identity. Now, Han is also the name of one of the Zhou's vassal, but it's simply different. The Oppression upheld by Qin simply suppress all the rebelion and ease way for the Qin Culture to assimilate in all Chinese living aspects. That's why, Han inherited the Cultural Unity from the Qin, and surely build their empire under this base. The Han Dynasty was the greatest periods of China, that people of China nowadays still called themselves: "The People of Han". It is Han who then developed this Qin unified cultured into one powerful identity for the empire. However, the alphabetical used was still called as "Qin Alphabet", because Han never "developed" particular Hannic alphabet and simply taking it from the previously Unified Alphabet.

The Silk Road:

Han opened the trade line between China and Western Nation. At first, the 13 years expeditions led by Zhang Qian was meant to contact the chieftain of Dayuezhi Tribe to make an alliance with Han Empire to defeat Xiong Nu at the northern border. After the next 10 years of war to get rid of Xiong Nu from the northern border of Han, Han Empire then stretch the Great Wall to the west, and forging alliance with the Western Tribe such as Wusun, Daiyuan, and Dayuezhi. The road, previously taken by Zhang Qian then be upgraded into a trade route from Chang'an into the western city of Kashgar, across the harsh desert of Taklamakan. Kashgar is the outer gate that separate Western World with Eastern World. Through the establishment of Silk Road, the Qin Alphabet then known by Westerner.

The commodities traded are Ceramics and Silks. It is perhaps one of the Western trader, brought a ceramic to the West (there's always stamp on Chinese Ceramics, rite?), then another trader, seeing the unfamiliar mark then asked: "What is this strange symbols?"Then the sellers answered: "Oh, It's a Qin". Perhaps the different languages and dialects used in the Western world at that time transform "Qin" into "China", that's why the Ceramic also addressed as 'China'. And 'Qin', the origin of the Ceramics also called as 'China' as well.

Evolution in Writing Style:

While the Qin Alphabet is the Chinese unified alphabet, This is actually the "Archaic Style" of Mandarin Alphabet. So, nowadays Mandarin letters is so much different with the Qin Alphabet. The Qin Alphabet are much more like a pictograph. The simplification of the pictographic alphabet was established firstly in the late Han Dynasty, though; this doesn't instantly change "Qin Alphabet" into "Han Alphabet". It then be simplified more and more in the following Dynasties, from Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, Qing, and finally by the government of The People's Republic of China. The alphabet then called as "Hanzi" or the "Chinese Characters" (We don't say alphabet here for Chinese letters is actually still a simplified pictographs).

The term "Hanzi", then applied in Japanese as "Kan-ji".Still, Westerners only recognized "Hanzi" as China Letters. So, we then saw the influenced of Han culture, as the writing style is called "Han-zi" or "Han Character" and the language used as "Han-yu" or "Han Language". This only recognized in China though, and since after The Silk Road closed, China was totally disconnected from the Western world till Marco Polo re-visit China, but that's at Yuan Dynasty.

The "Han-zi" and "Han-yu" is what nowadays called as "Mandarin Language and Writing Style". However, Chinese still addressed it as "Han", either 'Mandarin' or 'China' is recognized only outside China.

The Indonesian-Chinese:

The Chinese first enter Indonesia as "Tar-tar Armies", sent by Kubh-lai Khan to punish the insultment of King Kertanegara of Singosari. Tar-tar was actually a Mongolian Tribe, and then defeated by Raden Wijaya after he used them to defeat Jayakatwang. Part of the Mongolian soldiers, fear of Kubh-lai Khan's rage, refuse to return to Yuan, and stayed in Indonesia instead. However, long before, at Sriwijaya, Chinese Expeditioners such as I-Ching and Fa Hien also ever visited Sriwijaya.

The next migration of Chinese settler was due to the opening of "Gold Route". This is because of the expedition made by Admiral Zheng He of Ming Dynasty. Zheng He or Cheng Ho or Sam Po Kong brought Ming Culture to Indonesia, at the what remain of Sriwijaya and Majapahit. Zheng He also encourage the spread of Islam in Indonesia (so contrary to Historical Believe, the Gujarati and Arabian are not the only ones who bring Islam; first Islam was actually carried by Chinese Trader since Indonesian refused to deal with Arabian and Gujarati trader due to their dissatisfactory trade ware). At this time, Indonesian address them as "Ming", 'China' term was perhaps carried by previously Arabian or Turkish trader in Indonesian. Indonesia is the place where once again East meet West after Silk Road.

The European Colonization:

Portuguese is the first Christian Nation to visit China and Japan. The word 'Mandarin' come from "Mandarin Magistrate", a local Magistrate known in China, Vietnam, and Indochina, served as Ming Representative in Their Foreign Colony (Basically, Ming occupied Indochina, Malaya, Indonesia, Burma, Siam, and Ceylon; you must haven't known that, right?). While the name 'Japan' came from Chinese term 'Ri-ben-guo' or "The Nation of Rising Sun" or in other dialect is "Ci-Ban-Guo", then became "Ji-pan-gu" and The Portugese absorb it as "Japan".By European trader, later also visited Indonesia, the term 'China' was used once more. Chinese immigrants in Indonesia was previously dominated by Hokkien tribe, which move away to avoid Governmental oppression, that's why Hokkien language is quite dominant in Indonesia. Most of the Zheng He crew was also Hokkienese, but the large migration of Hokkienese perhaps during Qing Dynasty.

Dutch colonize the vast Indonesian by only small number of armies, that's why it's important for them for not letting any major rebellion breaks out at once. One of the way to ensure that is by policy of "Devide et Impera" or "Divide and Conquer". Using the diverse race of Indonesian, Dutch started to divide the races in groups so that they will be easier to maintain. Chinese Communities is the one that catch the eye of the Dutch most, why? Because it's the Chinese who actually speak louder about getting rid of the Dutch, long before National Movement.

The Chinese, contrary of people believe, has already taking part in battle against European since the very beginning. Chinese held the office in Demak Bintoro and Padjang Kingdom, even Sultan Fatah, Adipati Yunus, and Sultan Trenggana was actually Chinese. Demak also employed Chinese Admiral, Gan Ci An, to lead the Mighty Demak's Armada to attack Portuguese in Malaka. Few of Wali Songo was also Chinese too (but most people refuse to believe this fact). The relationship between Chinese and Native Indonesia is extremely well before The Dutch came and screwed up everything.

Even hundred years later, Dutch still consider Chinese as the most dangerous potential thread to their Administration in East Indies. That's why a lot of limitation was applied to tie the feet of Chinese Communities. Why? Because Chinese first oppose the Dutch Government long before Indonesian did. A Semarang people like me always knew what Chinese has done related to the effort of offending the Dutch. Oei Tiong Hiam is the first Chinese to oppose the act of Tauwchang (Tax for Chinese who not have the hair tail), and also reports of Chinese Rebellion here at Semarang. So, Chinese wasn't that bad.

The China Syndrome:

New Order simply succeeding the limitation policy applied by the Dutch, and doesn't let Chinese to assimilate with native. This perhaps what cause the 1998 China Riot. During the New Order, Chinese was simply didn't being let to show their cultural identity. This actually feed the seed of disharmonies among Chinese and Native: after 350 years of Dutch plus 32 Years of New Order. During that, the name 'Cina' was being despise by any Native. What a shame. This perhaps why 'Cina' is considered as Racist Terms, simply because native often use 'Cina' to taunt the Indonesian-Chinese (wew, we started this...)

Linguistically Review:

Anyway, enough with the historical review. So, the China come from Qin. But the Arabian call them the 'Shin', and this terms was brought to Indonesia, from Shin, then become Cin, but firstly Indonesian knew Chinese by "Ming" or "The Tionghoa People" (I don't need to explained where this terms came from, rite?). Dutch perhaps first introduce China, and in Indonesian absorb, become Cina. This perhaps come from the European terms "Sino". Only English use 'China' (Caina), while other European nation called China (Cina). But since English is an international language, that's why we followed this pronounciation (Perhaps it would be different if Germany won the WW II or French won the Napoleonic War).

The Chinese nowadays asked to be called by Tionghoa because the first Indonesian address them so. The main problem is, most of them now born in Indonesia, so they're not "Tionghoa" anymore. Cina is more appropriate term for it actually doesn't sided, plus it is based on Indonesian tongue. However, like what I have explained before, native used this as taunt: "Cina, balik aja ke Cina sono". So by call them 'Cina', it's the same like we don't acknowledge them as Indonesian (but Cina can also be used to refer the race, this is what most person don't know). But like I told you, all my Chinese friends address themselves as 'Cina'. So, anyway you please. If we want to be 'safe', use the terms 'Yinhua' instead, but this term is rarely known (very rarely).