Should the Chinese forgive the Mongolians?

[Ken Cheng]

How could we not forgive people who are so awesome at roasting meats?

[odbayarb2000]

I have very different view in this.

Conflict between Mongol (nomadic tribes of north ) and Chinese (sedentary civilization of south) was not just about the Yuan dynasty. It's a history long conflict and two thousand years of warfare. Last armed conflict took place in 1921 and last major conflict (unarmed) took place in 1980s.

Based in Confucius philosophy world must be ruled by sole emperor. He is the son of heaven and destined to rule everyone under heaven. But Han Chinese was never able to dominate northern nomads. It was the divine right of the emperor to rule everyone, yet he wasn't able exercise it among Northern regions. So they built up massive walls to mark their dominion and refused to trade with nomads as equals. So Chinese Emperors never accepted any Mongol rulers as their equal. One of the main reasons of the nomadic conquests into Chinese land was to be accepted as equal and in some cases to prove they were superior.

Han Chinese arrogance towards Nomadic tribes can be traced in how Chinese named the nomads. Xiongnu (匈奴), Xianbei (鲜卑) and Mengu (蒙古) are all degrading and belittling names. And Taiwan still drawing their maps as Mongolia being part of China. Chinese still believing that Mongols are the minority of Han Chinese nation which can be restated that Mongols are not a nation in their own right. And China always sought to dominate and integrate northern steppes into herself.

So in contrast, Mongols hate Chinese for above mentioned reasons. And I believe if both nations don't change how they treat each other, people will always remain hating each other.

Sorry for highly sensitive post. I have nothing against Chinese. But these are the facts.

[Guo Xiang]

For the degrading names, I suppose I can see it in Xiongnu and Xianbei. But how so for the Mongols?

[Ren Wo Xing]

I have very different view in this.

Conflict between Mongol (nomadic tribes of north ) and Chinese (sedentary civilization of south) was not just about the Yuan dynasty. It's a history long conflict and two thousand years of warfare. Last armed conflict took place in 1921 and last major conflict (unarmed) took place in 1980s.

Based in Confucius philosophy world must be ruled by sole emperor. He is the son of heaven and destined to rule everyone under heaven. But Han Chinese was never able to dominate northern nomads. It was the divine right of the emperor to rule everyone, yet he wasn't able exercise it among Northern regions. So they built up massive walls to mark their dominion and refused to trade with nomads as equals. So Chinese Emperors never accepted any Mongol rulers as their equal. One of the main reasons of the nomadic conquests into Chinese land was to be accepted as equal and in some cases to prove they were superior.

Han Chinese arrogance towards Nomadic tribes can be traced in how Chinese named the nomads. Xiongnu (匈奴), Xianbei (鲜卑) and Mengu (蒙古) are all degrading and belittling names. And Taiwan still drawing their maps as Mongolia being part of China. Chinese still believing that Mongols are the minority of Han Chinese nation which can be restated that Mongols are not a nation in their own right. And China always sought to dominate and integrate northern steppes into herself.

So in contrast, Mongols hate Chinese for above mentioned reasons. And I believe if both nations don't change how they treat each other, people will always remain hating each other.

Sorry for highly sensitive post. I have nothing against Chinese. But these are the facts.

Conflict between the Chinese and the nomadic steppe tribes began well before Confucius was even born, much less Confucian ideology took sway during the Han dynasty. That's a simplistic view of things.

Review the history of nomadic raids anywhere in the world, and you will see that there has always been a tension between 'city-dwellers' and 'nomads'; the former view the latter as uncivilized thieves/murderers/barbarians. This is made only worse when the latter actually do launch raids against the 'civilized' city-dwellers, which they often did. Look at the history/tension from the Roman empire w/the 'barbarians' to the Americans and the Indians/Native Americans or even to the nomadic cultures of the Arab countries and their relations with the city-dwellers of that time.

In other words, the relationship between China and Mongolia is nothing unique.

As to the original post, I was pretty sure this was a joke thread. Which Chinese person in the past hundred years or so holds a grudge against the Mongolians? LOL!