What do the Chinese call themselves? Exclusive right to heaven

The most ancient civilization gave the world “Four Great Inventions” and preserved many mysteries. Upon closer acquaintance, the name familiar to Russians fundamentally does not correspond to how the Chinese themselves call China. The great power has gone through a history of five thousand years and has a record number of names.

What do the Chinese call their country?

The residents themselves traditionally use two self-names for the country - Zhongguo and Han. The term "Zhongguo" has its roots in important milestones in history. “Han” is consonant with the name of the main nationality of the state. The Han ethnic group ranks first among the peoples of the planet.

“To win the respect of the people of China, familiarize yourself with the history of the state”

The two original variants of the country's name have significant meaning for the power of the nation. Historically, the names that have taken root have laid a solid foundation that unites the huge state.

Zhongguo

Unusual to Russians, Zhongguo is translated as “zhong” - center and “guo” - state, nation. What constitutes the term "central empire". A common translation option is “Middle State”. One way or another, the term Zhongguo has been at the core of the cultural concept for many years. It stands for one great nation.

Han

The second common self-name of the People's Republic of China is Han. The etymology leads to the imperial dynasty of the same name, which thundered through the Great Age of Heyday. It lasted longer than any other empire of the ancient state.

This power is still reflected in the name.

The Han are the largest ethnic group in the world. They make up 1/5 of the world's population, that is, every fifth person on the planet is Han Chinese.

China

The currently popular inscription “made in China” is another option for using the name China. The term "China" first appears in the 16th century in the works of the Portuguese traveler Richard Eden. The etymology of the word China is lost through the centuries and traces its way back to our era, to the times of Sanskrit and the most ancient Hindu scriptures.

“In many foreign languages, China is called by the name of the ruling dynasties of ancient civilization”

According to a number of historians, the meaning of china is closely related to the name of the ruling Qin dynasty, which united the ancient state and began. It is this variant of naming that has become widespread in English, German and Central Europe.

Derived names for China in different languages:

Kiina;
Kiva;
Tsin;
Gina;
Chin and others.

China and Cathay

The ethnonym “Khitan” is the source of another variant of the designation of the PRC. The ancient nomadic Khitan tribes plagued the peoples of East Asia and were described by travelers as "catai" or "cathay" in English. In Russian transcription it is pronounced as katay. In the essays of the traveler Marco Polo, the term Khitai and Cathay is used to describe Northern China, which is dominated by nomadic tribes.

Why "sinology"?

The science that opens the way to the secrets of China is not called Sinology at all, but Sinology. The reason for the appearance of the mysterious name is the term “sina”, which is also the name of the country. Sina is the Greek and Roman designation for the ancient lands of eastern Asia.

“The science of studying China originated in the Russian Empire during the time of Peter the Great.”

The variants Sina, Tina, Shin originated from the Qin Dynasty. The Qin rulers made dramatic changes during the Warring States Period and immortalized the name in the name of the state.

Country of Silk or Serik

In ancient Greece and Rome, the name Serica or Sirica, from the Latin serico - “silk”, became widespread. For many centuries, the exclusive craft of producing amazing fabric was subject only to China. The people of this state received the nickname seres - silk people. Some scientists attribute the origin of the term “sina” not to the Qin dynasty, but to silk.

What is the correct name for China?

The official name of the state in Russian is “People's Republic of China”. In Chinese, the correct name is Zhongguo or Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo. This is the real name of the People's Republic of China, used by the people and associated with statehood.

An analogue of the concepts “Russian”, “German”, “Italian” in the PRC is the term “Han” or “Han” after the name of the main people of the country.

Origin of the word China

The designation “China” familiar to Russians actually has Tatar-Turkic roots. The Chinese, Khitai, Katai and Khitans in different dialects called a powerful tribe of nomads from Manchuria. From where for many years they dictated order in parts of East Asia.

To this day, in the Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and Tatar languages, this country is referred to as “Kytai”.

Why was China called China?

The name of the country China in Slavic languages comes from the word form “Katay”, known in Europe. It was this name of the ancient country that appeared in the “Book of the Diversity of the World” by the Italian merchant and traveler Marco Polo. The lands of Northern China controlled by the warlike nomads, the Chinese or Khitans, acquired their name over time.

The great land began to be called in a foreign language as a tribe of warring nomads, and not as was customary in the country itself. This accident has been ingrained through the centuries to the present day.

Where did the Chinese come from?

In reality, such a people as the “Chinese” do not exist. The correct name for the people of China is Han or Hanren. The Han people are larger than any other ethnic group in the world and number more than 1.3 billion people.

“When communicating with residents of the PRC, calling them “Chinese” is categorically unacceptable.”

The first chronicles about the origins of the Han Chinese are associated with their legendary ancestor, the Yellow Emperor. Ruler Huang Di is the progenitor of the Chinese, the creator of Taoism and a number of important intellectual traditions.

According to modern scientific evidence, the Han ancestors migrated from a variety of lands, including Ancient Egypt and Mongolia.

How China is translated into different languages

A distinctive feature of the development of Chinese civilization is that it was formed in isolation from other ancient civilizations. This is where the key feature of isolation from the world comes from, which is reflected in the names of China.

Ancient name options:

Tianxia;
Huaxia;
Xihai;
Shenzhou;
Tabgach;
Manga;
Morokoshi and others.

The oldest name “Tianxia” is translated as Celestial Empire, where “tian” means the sky” and “xia” means below. This name comes from the traditional concept of government. Emperor, son of heaven, ruler of the entire world “under heaven,” and not just a separate state.

The historical name of China "Huaxia" has the meaning of "grand splendor". The compound particle "Xia" comes from the ancient legendary Xia Dynasty.

Another name for China, Xihai, means “four seas.” The ancient country outlined its borders with four seas. Two of which, in modern times, are not seas at all, but lakes - Baikal and Qinghai.

What does China mean in Slavic language?

Groups of Slavic languages translate China in different variants: Kina, Kiina, Tseyna, Haitai. All this is the same name, which has extended to designate an entire country.

Another interesting theory claims that "China" is an ancient Russian term. Its correct initial spelling is "Kiy-Tai". Where “ky” is a wall of clubs,” and “tai” is the end or top. Thus, “kyi-tai” is a complete wall or fortress. As an argument, they cite “China Town” in Moscow, which, according to historians, was named so not because of the Chinese, but because of the powerful fortress wall.

How many dialects are there in Chinese?

The Chinese language is attested and designated by the Guinness Book of Records as one of the most difficult languages in the world. There are a great many varieties of its linguistic variations.

Dialect groups of Chinese:

traditional typology:
northern dialects
Hakka
unqualified, generally recognized:
Anhui
jing
pinhua

During major wars, indigenous people who spoke rare dialects were used like “living cipher machines.” Their speech was absolutely incomprehensible from the point of view of traditional Chinese and was beyond the comprehension of foreign translators.

Conclusion

The etymology of the name of an ancient civilization that developed into a powerful state opens the curtains of a mass of historical secrets. The origin of the term “China” is a striking example of how an “alien” concept takes root over the centuries. A populous, noisy, unique country, each name paints a new portrait, shimmering with a special national flavor.

Why China was called "China" and "The Celestial Empire".

When we have time to think, we begin to look for answers to seemingly simple questions. For example, why was China called “China” and not something else? A fifth of our entire planet lives in this densely populated state. As to why this country is named this way, there are several very interesting theories, each of which may well turn out to be true.

Historical theory

Previously, modern China was divided into two parts: northern and southern. In its northern part there was a state founded by the Kitami tribes, and it was called “Liao”. The southern part at that time belonged to the Mongols. Where the indigenous Liao tribes came from is not known for certain to this day. If you believe some sources, then they also owe their origin to the Mongols. But there is other information that they originated from the Tungus-Manchu tribes. Subsequently, residents of nearby states began to call the northern territories “China.” In principle, this theory could be the answer to the question of why China was called "China". But how did this name come to us in Slavic speech? After all, the name of this country sounded completely differently in different dialects: Catai, Hetai, Khitan and China.

Etymological theory

In English, the name "China" appeared in the twelfth century and was written like this: "Cathay" (now it is written differently - "China"). There is an interesting argument that China began to be called “China” after the Qin dynasty arose. And this word entered the Russian dictionary in the fifteenth century in the form it has now.

But it is worth recalling that only a small part of its territory was called “China,” and the name came to us after the Qin dynasty collapsed. In fact, not even all Chinese know why China was called "China". This means that we can confidently say that there is no specific meaning in this word; this sometimes occurs in the history of titles and names.

Why is China called "The Celestial Empire"

The country with the largest population in the world actually goes by several names. The Chinese themselves call their country “The Celestial Empire,” while citizens of other countries call it “China” or “China.” If we consider the word “Celestial Empire” itself, then in Chinese it consists of two hieroglyphs - “Tian” and “Xia”. The first in translation means “day”, “sky”, and the second is translated as “foot”, “bottom”. So something similar to “Celestial Empire” comes out. The Chinese have long worshiped the sky and firmly believe that only their country is protected by it. And other people do not have heaven.

China also has another name - “Zhong Guo” - “the path of the earth.” This philosophy is quite understandable, because no one really invaded China or sought to conquer it. Therefore, it is understandable why the Chinese consider their country to be the middle of the world. And so, while we are wondering why China was called “China,” the inhabitants of this country are rapidly developing and occupying niches in international trade markets. So maybe they are actually the main inhabitants of the Earth, despite the fact that civilization has reached them, infecting them with opium and the communist system?

The Celestial Empire - this is what poets call China, the Middle Kingdom - this is what China was called in ancient times, the country of socialism under construction - this country was called in the 70s of the last century, the country of great prospects and hardworking people - this is what China is called now!

First of all, this is due to the ancient religion, in which Heaven was considered the highest deity. In Beijing there is an ancient temple of heaven, where the emperor consulted Heaven only in extremely difficult state situations. It was a gorgeous ceremony - it lasted two weeks, with the participation of many priests, officials and troops, more than 100 thousand people, not counting horses and war elephants.
Well, the entire huge country, led by Heaven, was naturally called the Celestial Empire.
The greatest power in Asia has changed many names over its long history. The Chinese usually called their cultural universe Tianxia - the Celestial Empire, sometimes Syhai - “(countries between) the four seas.” The state was named after the reigning dynasty, the name of which was chosen after some ancient kingdom chosen as a model (Tang - in honor of the inheritance of the mythical wise ruler Yao, Song - in honor of one of the most cultural kingdoms), or with a special meaning: Yuan - Main, Min - Light, Qing - Pure. If we were talking about China as a country, in contrast to all other countries and regardless of who reigns, then they said: Zhongguo - Middle Country, Zhonghua - Middle Blooming, Huaxia - Blooming Xia (one of the oldest dynasties). The Chinese call themselves Zhongguoren - people of the Middle State, or Hanren - Han people, after the most famous dynasty of antiquity.

The Celestial Empire (Chinese 天下, Pal. tianxia) is a Chinese term that was used to designate the territory over which the power of the Chinese emperor extended.

Since the time of Dong Zhongshu, the emperor was considered in Confucian ideology as the representative of heaven on Earth. According to the Confucian worldview, the entire celestial world was considered the territory under his control. The main sanctuary of the imperial capital was called the Temple of Heaven.

Similar ideas about the local monarch as the ruler of "all that is under heaven" existed in Japan, as well as during some periods of history in Korea and Vietnam, since the proximity of strong Chinese states made it possible to control these countries sporadically, asserting at least the symbolic supremacy of the Chinese emperors .

Historical theory

Previously, modern China was divided into two parts: northern and southern. In its northern part there was a state founded by the Kitami tribes, and it was called “Liao”. The southern part at that time belonged to the Mongols. Where the indigenous Liao tribes came from is not known for certain to this day. If you believe some sources, then they also owe their origin to the Mongols. But there is other information that they originated from the Tungus-Manchu tribes. Subsequently, residents of nearby states began to call the northern territories “China”. In principle, this theory could be the answer to the question of why China was called "China". But how did this name come to us in Slavic speech? After all, the name of this country sounded completely differently in different dialects: Catai, Hetai, Khitan and China.

Etymological theory
In English, the name "China" appeared in the twelfth century and it was written like this: "Cathay" (now it is written differently - "China"). There is an interesting argument that China began to be called “China” after the Qin dynasty arose. And this word entered the Russian dictionary in the fifteenth century in the form it has now.

Why is China called "The Celestial Empire"
The country with the largest population in the world actually goes by several names. The Chinese themselves call their country “The Celestial Empire,” while citizens of other countries call it “China” or “China.” If we consider the word “Celestial Empire” itself, then in Chinese it consists of two hieroglyphs - “Tian” and “Xia”. The first in translation means “day”, “sky”, and the second is translated as “foot”, “bottom”. So something similar to “Celestial Empire” comes out. The Chinese have long worshiped the sky and firmly believe that only their country is protected by it. And other people do not have heaven.

Probably, the name CHINA is closely related to the word SCYTHIA or SKITIA (F-T transition due to the double reading of fita). It is not for nothing that Moscow still retains the ancient name CHINA-TOWN. This is what our ancestors called the second belt of military fortifications around the Moscow Kremlin. Kitai-Gorod existed in Moscow until the 20th century. Its powerful walls were dismantled only at the beginning of our century, after 1917.
ON THE. Morozov rightly noted that the SELF-name CHINA was preserved ONLY IN RUSSIA, in Moscow. Of course, today we also call modern "China"

China, but NOBODY CALLS it that except us. And the Chinese themselves DO NOT call themselves that. And in Russian, East Asian China began to be called “China” only after the 17th century _ In the “Dictionary of the Russian Language XI-

centuries” the word CHINA as the name of the state is ABSOLUTELY ABSENT. Until the 18th century, the state of China in Rus' was called not “China”, but “THE KINGDOM OF BOGDOY”. The Chinese emperor was called BOGDIKHAN. and the Chinese - “MANZA”.

The Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron - a source of the 19th century - reports:
“The great empire of eastern and central Asia is known among its inhabitants under names that HAVE NOTHING IN COMMON WITH THE EUUPEAN (CHINA, China, Chine). In official acts, it is usually named according to the nickname of the reigning dynasty (with the addition of the word dai - great; for example, under the current dynasty - Dai-ching-go...); then a number of literary and poetic names are used: Tian-xia (Celestial Empire), Si-hai (“4 seas” is an echo of the ANCIENT CONCEPT that China is surrounded on ALL SIDES (! - Author) by seas), Zhong-hua-guo (Middle flourishing state), Zhong-yuan (Middle Plain), etc. In conversation they usually use the name Zhong-guo (Middle State) ... The inhabitants of China call themselves ZHUN-GUO-ZHENB (people of the Middle State) or HANB-ZHENB (Han people...), and the inhabitants of southern China, unlike the northern ones, are also called MAN-ZI... The Russian name of China COMES FROM THE NAME OF THE KITAN DYNASTY,” article “China”.
It is extremely interesting that according to the ideas of the ancient Chinese, China was surrounded by seas FROM ALL SIDES. And, as we now understand, this is correct. Since “ancient China” is actually the Great Russian Medieval Empire, the chronicles of which were brought to China by the Manchus and subsequently formed the basis of the supposed
purely local ancient Chinese history. And the Great Empire was truly SURROUNDED BY SEAS OF CD ON ALL SIDES. Because it occupied ALL EURASIA. But it cannot be said about modern China that it is surrounded by seas FROM ALL SIDES. This is simply not true.
As for another Chinese name for China - “MIDDLE EMPIRE” - it also suits modern China very poorly. Take a look at the map. What is modern China in the middle of? It is located not in the middle, but AT THE VERY EDGE of the Eurasian continent, in its southeastern corner. On the other hand, from medieval EUROPEAN geography we know that the CITY OF JERUSALEM used to be placed IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WORLD. The first maps were drawn like this - a circle with Jerusalem in the center. See our study of ancient geographical maps in the previous book of this series, “Caliph Ivan,” chapter 5. But Jerusalem, also known as Troy, as we know, was located on the Bosphorus and was the capital of the ancient Roman kingdom, which collapsed in 1204, see our books “Forgotten Jerusalem” and “The Beginning of Horde Rus'”. Therefore, most likely, the “original Chinese” name “Middle Empire” is indeed a VERY OLD name. But not local Chinese, but brought to China on the pages of European chronicles. The Chinese removed it from there, took it for themselves and carefully preserved it.
In old European and Chinese documents, the KARA-CHINESE state, also known as the state of Prester John, comes up from time to time. According to our reconstruction, this is Ancient Rus', which in the 14th century AD. expanded sharply due to victorious wars of conquest and turned into the Great = “Mongol” Empire. Moreover, it was called “Mongolia” by a foreigner, from the Greek “megalion”, great. The Russians themselves called their state the Russian kingdom or simply GREAT RUSSIA. A trace of this name remains to this day in the words Velikorossiya and Great Russians.

The Great Russian Medieval Empire had many names. Both internal and external. It was called differently in different languages. Among them was apparently the name SCYTHIA or “CHINA”. These are just two different pronunciations of the same word. Perhaps this was the name of only one part of the Great Empire.
That is why Moscow still retains the old name CHINA-City,
In general, CHINA IS AN OLD RUSSIAN WORD. Today it is not used in English, but until the 17th century it was common in our language.
According to the Dictionary of the Russian Language of the 11th-17th centuries, the word KITA means something braided, tied into a bun, into a braid, p. 141. In particular, KITA meant a braid, a tourniquet, a SULTAN OF FEATHERS. A 17th-century author writes: “The caps [the Janissaries] had WHALES,” p. 141. Thus, KITA MEANED PART OF WARRIOR EQUIPMENT. The word KITA - with the same meaning - exists in other Slavic languages, for example, in Polish as KITA, p. 141.
Let us note that the word KITA subsequently meant part of military uniforms, for example, Russian. HUSSARS wore WHALES - high plumes on their caps. The common name today is “sultan” - a later name for the whale, which back in the 17th century was called in the old way - WHALES. What can be seen, for example, from the following words of a source of the second half of the 17th century: “The horse is riding, the saddle on it is HUSAR... the chaprak is sewn with gold, WHILE, the same feather”, p. 141. Here, when describing military equipment, “a whale from the same feather” is mentioned, in particular.
Even on the modern monument to Bohdan Khmelnitsky in Kyiv you can see KITU - a plume of feathers on a TURBAN. The tall sultan-KITU on a turban was worn by Turkish warriors, for example, the famous Janissaries.

In Russia this country is called China, in the west China, the Chinese call it Zhongguo and Tianxia, the name Cathay is also known

What do the Chinese call their country?

中国

The Chinese have called their country Zhongguo - 中国 - Zhōngguó - Middle State - since ancient times. This name first appeared in Western Zhou (1045 BC - 770 BC) in the Central Plain of China, where a settlement began to form 4000 years ago. More precisely, this means the center of the territory over which the emperor’s power extended - the Central Country.

At first, this was the name for the territory around the capital, then this was the name for the principalities of Western Zhou as opposed to other Chinese principalities, that is, 中国 meant a certain people, a nation. Then 中国 acquired a more political meaning - the nomadic tribes that had already captured the northern lands of China called themselves Zhongguo, although they were not actually Chinese.

Now this name is widely used both in the name of the state and in the nationality “Chinese”.

天下

Initially, this name - Tianxia - 天下 - tiānxià - Celestial Empire - referred to the Chinese people - the Han - as opposed to the rest of the world. This was during the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD). Subsequently it spread to the East Asian region.

Literally means "普天之下" - pǔtiānzhīxià - under the sky, the whole world, without implying geographical restrictions.

The diagram shows the Chinese order of things, which does not change with a change of power. In the center are the Chinese people themselves, led by the emperor, living in accordance with etiquette and law. The blue circle is foreign subjects - vassals or foreign monarchs who bring tribute to the emperor.

China

The word "China" comes from the Sanskrit word Cīna (चीन), which was translated into Persian as Chīn (چین), and most likely comes from the name of the Chinese Qin dynasty (221-206 BC), but in an earlier period - when Qin was one of the westernmost principalities during the Zhou Dynasty. Apparently this name was brought by Chinese merchants traveling along the Silk Road. The word Cīna is found in ancient Hindu scriptures, incl. in Mahabharata (5 BC).

The Romans wrote this word as Cina, which then became China.

China and Cathay

Our version of the name China actually comes from the name of a non-Chinese people. So that)

The Khitans or Chinese are a group of nomadic Manchu tribes who conquered Northern China in 907, forming their Liao dynasty there. The following conquerors also began to call these lands that way. This is where the name Cathay came from - the Flowering Country - this is how China was called by the peoples and tribes who lived between China and the Caspian Sea. It was from these peoples that Europeans adopted the name Cathay, from which the name China apparently came. So our “China” is not quite “Chinese”)). Until now, in the West you can find “Catay” as a poetic name for China.

Why "sinology"?

Why is the science of China and everything Chinese called sinology? Where did this word come from?

"Sinae" is a name for Southern China used by the Greeks and Romans along with "Cina" ("China"). Then the prefix sin- began to be used in relation to everything Chinese.