An Overview of Hakka People History

An Overview of Hakka People History

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Student Name        :        Ganesh Lal Gurung

Student No.        :        1531048003

Major                :        China Studies

Supervisor        :        Prof. Juliet Johnson

Date                        :        28/12/2015

Statement of Originality

I hereby declare that the essay presented is the result of research performed by me personally, under guidance from my supervisor. This essay does not contain any content (other than those cited with references) that has been previously published or written by others, nor does it contain any material previously presented to other educational institutions for degree or certificate purpose to the best of my knowledge. I promise that all facts presented in this essay are true and creditable.

Signed: _________________                          Date：28/12/2015        （dd/mm/yyyy)

Introduction

The Hakka people nurtured in the womb of Han society and matured during their arduous southward migrations, inhabiting mountainous regions east of the South Mountain Ranges. Their culture flourished throughout China and all around the world. In the history of world civilizations, no other people except the Jews can claim such a long cultural continuity and expansive geography. Hakka culture shares the same 5,000-year-old origins as China's first civilizations, and they evolved continuously. The word Hakka translates as Guest in Chinese. After the Hakka people settled down in the border of Fujian, Guangdong, and Jiangxi province, they multiplied gradually and spread throughout China and, later, abroad writing a wonderful epic about how a small brook flows to the sea. Hakka is a community resulted from the merging of the northern immigrants with the southern aboriginal inhabitant, forming the triangle district in Guangdong, Fujian and Jiangxi. It keeps the basic attributes of Han nationality, while possesses its regional characteristics. Its members distribute in all areas both home and abroad. Hakka dialect is the commonly used language. The early people of Hakka were mainly the Hans moving to the south from the north. They merged into the aboriginal inhabitants in the triangle district, and then expanded internally and externally from these districts. This formed the unique distribution pattern of today. The Hakka people have written an epic migration with their own footprint.

        An immortal people, the Hakka originated in China's Central Plain, and it has experienced five major migration waves (the great migration) during the period from the East Jin (317 AD) to the end of Qing Dynasties. These migrations are seminal in the definition of Hakka cultural identity. Never during these thousand years of migrations did Hakka culture fall into decline. On the contrary, Hakka culture maintained continuity in name such as none other. The Hakka even carved roads through mountains passes holding their ancestors' ashes in their hands. They sang eulogies to their homeland, mountains, and rivers when traveling remote and barren lands, still inspiring their offspring's worldwide to sing proudly: "We are Hakka!" A common language, a common ethnic consciousness, and the lineage traced back to Hakka culture diathesis are the three essential factors for defining the Hakka people today.

Hakka's family hierarchy chart and dialect

Hakka's family hierarchy chart, however small, are contrived by clans. They record; the first ancestor of the same surname, pedigree, former residence, migration residence, and how the ancestors started an undertaking, and how they developed and so on for keeping the family's history. The Hakka believe in Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. Their strong ancestor worship consciousness reflects on the Family Hierarchy Chart. When the Hakka migrate, they respect the Family Hierarchy Chart as God. The family hierarchy chart to them is the treasure of all extending spirit of the clan. The chart not only is a record of the blood lineage of the Hakka people, but also is a written record of the frustration experience and painstaking efforts of their pioneers. It is, therefore, very precious cultural quintessence of the Hakka people. Thus, it becomes the sacred thing for them to collect and protect by every possible means. In the 5,000 year-history of China, the surname is a symbol that represents individuals or the family. It becomes a sign to indicate that the Chinese have got rid of ignorance, a sign to show that the Chinese have progressed to the civilized society. Every surname has its own historical origin or allusion, and "hall name" is the mark, which bears the weight of these surname cultures. You can find the spirit and civilization, which ancestors pass on in it, the descendant's respect and worshipping without cease. What is more is that there are commemoration to the ancestor and developing to its here. "Hall name" has become a source of ethnicity cohesiveness.