「滿族漢化」研究上的幾個問題

Several Questions on the Study of Manchu Sinicization

建立清朝而且統治中國長達兩百六十八年的「滿族」，他們如何「漢化」或是否「漢化」的問題，一直都是清史研究者所關注的焦點，也分別提出各種不同的解釋模式。然而，誰是「滿族」？哪些人「漢化」了？他們「漢化」的情形如何？似有釐清的必要。所謂的「滿族」，自二十世紀初期以來的中國社會中，已被視為是「旗人」的同義詞；在近年的清史研究中，也逐漸形成等同於「旗人」的共識。基於此，有關「滿族漢化」的研究，必須考慮八旗成員的族群屬性，滿洲、蒙古、漢軍三大族群對漢文化的態度，應加以區分；此外，駐防地區社會、經濟、文化條件的不同，區域差異也會影響其「漢化」的速度。又過去的研究常將旗人視為一個群體，但這個群體至少可以分為上層的皇族、中層的文武官員，以及下層的兵丁，不同階層的成員受漢文化影響或衝擊的程度也有所不同，未必可以一概而論。是以對於不同族群、不同階層的「滿族漢化」現象，究竟是普遍情形還是個別差異，似乎可以重新思考。研究者或許可以透過苦干不同族群、不同階層的個案討論，逐一進行檢視，當累積到相當成果之後，才能將「滿族漢化」的概念具體化，或是得到比較準確的認知。

How the Manchus, who established a new empire and dominated China for two hundred and sixty-eight years, ”sinicized”-and even if they were ”sinicized” at all-have long been a major concern to scholars of Qing studies. It is first necessary to clarify who were the real ”Manchus,” who were ”sinicized,” and how they were ”sinicized.” The so-called ”Manchus” have been equated with ”bannermen” in Chinese society since the mid-twentieth century and in recent scholarship. However, it is important to consider the ethnicity of the members of the Eight Banners as well as the attitudes toward Chinese culture of its three groups: the Manchu, the Mongol and the Chinese Martial Banners. Moreover, owing to different social, economic, and cultural conditions in different garrison areas, the process of sinicization varied. Bannermen must also be classified according to at least three layers: royal members at the top, officials in the middle level, and ordinarly soldiers at the bottom. Members of different levels were affected by Chinese culture to different degrees; hence we should not generalize on the basis of single cases. Further research must determine whether individual cases of sinicization represent entire ethnic groups and social classes. The results of individual case studies must be collated, with due attention to their specific ethnic and social background, as the basis for more concrete conceptualizations of ”Manchu sinicization.”