Manchu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Manchu (Manju, Man)
满族

Total population
approx. 10.68 million (2000) [1]
Regions with significant populations
China (Heilongjiang · Jilin · Liaoning) There may also be members in Taiwan, United States, Canada and Japan.
Languages
Manchu · Mandarin Chinese
Religion
Buddhism, Christianity and other religions
Related ethnic groups
Xibe, other Tungusic peoples

The Manchu people are a group of people from a region called Manchuria, which is now Northeastern China. They are part of a larger family of groups known as Tungusic peoples. In the 17th century, the Manchu people became very powerful. They took over the Ming Dynasty and started their own rule, creating the Qing Dynasty. This dynasty governed China for a long time, until 1911, when a new government was formed.

During the Qing Dynasty, there was a rule that all men had to wear a special hairstyle called the Manchu queue. This meant they had to shave the front part of their heads and wear a long braid at the back. Over time, many Manchu people have become very similar to the Han Chinese, adopting their ways of life.

What does the name "Manchu" mean?

The first time the name "Manchu" was used was in an old book called the Jiu Manzhou Dang. But exactly where the name "Manju" comes from is still a bit of a mystery!

Some people believe the name came from a wise figure named Mañjuśrī. Even the Qianlong Emperor, a famous ruler from the Qing Dynasty, thought this was true and wrote poems about it.

Another idea comes from a scholar named Meng Sen. He thought the name Manchu might have come from Li Manzhu, who was a leader of a group called the Jianzhou Jurchens.

A different scholar, Chang Shan, believes "Manju" is a mix of two words. He thinks Man came from mangga, which means "strong," and ju means "arrow." So, Manju could mean "strong arrow" or "brave arrow." There are many other ideas about where the name came from too!

Where do Manchu people live?

Manchu people in China

Most Manchu people live in Mainland China. There are over 10 million Manchu people there, making up a small but important part of China's total population.

Two provinces, Liaoning and Hebei, have the largest number of Manchu residents. Liaoning has over 5 million Manchu people, which is more than half of all Manchu people in China! Hebei has over 2 million.

Manchu people are the largest ethnic minority in places like Liaoning, Hebei, Heilongjiang, and Beijing. They are also the second or third largest minority in many other areas across China.

Manchu areas in China

Special Manchu areas

Some areas in China are set aside as "Manchu Autonomous Counties" or "Manchu Ethnic Towns/Townships." This means that Manchu people have a special role in governing these places. These areas help to preserve Manchu culture and traditions.

Manchu Culture

Manchu language and writing

The Manchu language

Students in Changchun learning Manchu in 2011.

The Manchu language is a special language that belongs to the Tungusic language family. It has different ways of being spoken, called dialects. The official version, "Standard Manchu," was set during the time of the Qianlong Emperor. Back then, people in the royal court had to speak it.

After the 1800s, most Manchu people started speaking Mandarin Chinese more often. The Manchu language began to be used less and less. Even though emperors tried to make people use it, it was hard to stop the change.

Today, very few people speak Manchu fluently, maybe less than 100! Most of them live in a place called Sanjiazi in Heilongjiang Province. But since the 1980s, there's been a new interest in learning Manchu. Governments, scholars, and volunteers are working hard to teach it. Many schools now offer Manchu classes, and volunteers teach it for free. This helps to save the language and culture.

Older Manchu people are even spending their own money and time to teach younger generations. They share textbooks and teach online, all to keep their cultural traditions alive.

Manchu writing system

The ancestors of the Manchu people, called the Jurchens, had their own writing system a long time ago. But this writing system was lost over time. Later, a leader named Nurhaci wanted his people to have their own way of writing.

So, he asked two scholars, Gagai and Eldeni, to create a new script. They used Mongolian writing as a guide. This first Manchu script was called "script without dots and circles." It had some problems, as some sounds were hard to tell apart.

Later, another scholar named Dahai improved the script. He added dots and circles to make it clearer. This improved version is called "script with dots and circles" or "new Manchu script."

Traditional Manchu lifestyle

Many people mistakenly think the Manchu people were nomads, always moving from place to place. But actually, they were mostly farmers who lived in settled villages. They grew crops and also enjoyed hunting and archery while riding horses.

The Manchu people's farming lifestyle was different from some other Tungusic groups who were nomadic hunters. Because of this, the Qing government tried to encourage those northern groups to settle down and adopt the farming way of life like the Manchus.

Images for kids

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  Aguda, Emperor Taizu of Jurchen Jin

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  An imperial portrait of Nurgaci

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  Prince Zaitao dresses in modern reformed uniform of late Qing dynasty

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  Noblewoman Wanyan Litongji, 1900s

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  The cover of the Eight Manchu Banners' Surname-Clans' Book

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  A musketeer wearing a queue and formal hat

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  Han and Manchu clothing coexisted during Qing dynasty

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  Han Chinese clothing in early Qing

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  Han Chinese general Zhang Zhiyuan wearing Qing military outfit.

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  Painting of the Qianlong Emperor hunting

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  Manchu wrestlers competed in front of the Qianlong Emperor

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  The performance of Manchu palace skaters on holiday

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  Octagonal drum performance on stage

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  Akšan [zh], Manchu singer and ulabun artist

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  Manchu Hunting party

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  Manchu Hunting party

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  Manchu Hunting party

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  Manchu Hunting party

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  Manchu Hunting party

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  Manchu Hunting party

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  Manchu Hunting party

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  Manchu Hunting party

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  Manchu Hunting party

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  Manchu Hunting party

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  Manchu Hunting party

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  Manchu Hunting party

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  Manchu autonomous area in Liaoning.

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  Manchu autonomous area in Jilin.

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  Manchu autonomous area in Hebei.

See also

In Spanish: Manchú para niños