传统夷夏观与中国疆域的形成--中国疆域形成理论探讨之一

文章主要对传统夷夏观在中国疆域形成中的作用进行了探讨，认为如果从汉族和边疆民族对中国疆域形成的贡献看，中国疆域的形成可以分为两大时期，唐以前是汉族起着主导作用，汉、唐的两次大统一都是以汉族为主体实现的；唐以后则是边疆民族主导着疆域发展的进程，元、清两次大统一都是由边疆民族实现的。传统的夷夏观是导致这种状况一个很主要的因素。受传统夷夏观的束缚，以汉族为主体建立的王朝往往难以突破人为设置的“夷夏”界限，对边疆地区采取羁縻统治或“不治”，因而阻碍了疆域形成的进程；而边疆民族所建王朝则没有这些束缚，并不断冲击着传统的夷夏观，中国疆域的最终形成就是伴随着这种观念的不断突破而实现的。

Traditional Yi - Xia View and the Forming of China's Territory--Serial Studies on China's Territory Formation (1)

The treatise discusses the role played by the traditional Yi-Xia view in the forming of China's territory. It argues that the forming of China's territory, if judged by the contribution made by the Han people and the minorities of the borderland regions, can be generally divided into the following two periods, namely the period before the Tang Dynasty and the period after the Tang Dynasty. In the first period, Han people played a leading role, the two great unifications of the Han Dynasty and the Tang Dynasty was realized mainly by Han people. In the second period, the process of territory formation was led by the minorities of the borderland, as exemplified by the two great unifications of the Yuan and Qing Dynasties. The traditional Yi-Xia view was the main factor in causing this outcome. Being fettered by the traditional Yi-Xia view, it was difficult for the dynasties established by Han people to break through the contrived boundary of "Yi and Xia". Thus they controlled the borderland through the 'Jimi policy' (loose management) or 'Buzhi' policy (no management) and therefore hindered the process of territorial development. The dynasties founded by the borderland minorities had no such impediment, and moreover they were able to exert an influence on the traditional Yi-Xia view. Thus, China's territory was only formed after constant challenge to this concept.