List of Ethnic Groups
The following table summarizes the various ethnic groups and/or other social groups of known historical significance to the history of China (any non clear-cut connection is denoted by a question mark):
| Pinyin Romanization | Names in Chinese characters and Pronunciation | Approximate residence according to Chinese texts | Time of appearance in the history of China | Equivalence(s) of non-Chinese names | Time of appearance outside China | Possible Descendant(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miao | 苗 (Miáo) | Name applied to peoples in various areas stretching from provinces (Hebei, Shanxi) north of the Huang He to Yunnan province | As early as 25th century BC to present | Hmong, Hmu, Xong, A Hmao, ... | See Miao | Miao/Hmong, ethnic groups in China, America and Europe |
| Yuezhi | 月氏 (Yuèzhī) | Tarim basin | c. 6th century BC to 162 BC, then driven out by Xiongnu. | Kushans, Tocharians ? | Mid-2nd century BC in Central Asia | No known descendants, but possibly absorbed into the Uyghurs, who now show a large plurality of Indo-European DNA, despite the majority of Uighurs having Mongoloid racial traits (although there are some Uighurs with certain European traits, such as light hair, light eyes, face shape, etc.) |
| Han | 漢 (Hàn) | China, generally, especially central China | From earliest history or prehistorical (though often associated with Han Dynasty to present | Han Chinese, Chinese | Certainly by Han Dynasty | Modern Han Chinese |
| Wuhuan | 烏桓 (Wūhuán) | Western portions of Manchuria (Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning provinces) and Inner Mongolia | 4th century BC to late 3rd century BC, assimilated by Han | No known equivalence | N/A | No known descendants |
| Xianbei | 鮮卑 (Xiānbēi) | Manchuria (Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning provinces), Mongolia, and Inner Mongolia. Moved into areas north of the Huang He and founded a dynasty there. | c. 4th century BC to mid-6th century, assimilated into Hans | N/A | N/A | No known descendants (some Han have the Xianbei surname Murong, Tuoba, and Yuwen) |
| Qiang | 羌 (Qiāng) | Gansu, Qinghai, western portion of Sichuan, eastern portion of Xinjiang, and northeastern portion of Tibet | Mentioned in oracle bone inscriptions of the Shang Dynasty, c. 14th century BC to c. 1050 BC.
c. 4th century BC to late 5th century, assimilated into Hans |
No known equivalence | N/A | Modern Qiang, Tangut, Old Tibetan, Nakhi, Jingpho, Lahu etc. |
| Di | 氐 (Dī) | Areas of neighboring borders of Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, and Shaanxi | c. 8th century BC to mid-6th century, assimilated into Hans | No known equivalence | N/A | As minorities in Sichuan |
| Jie | 羯 (Jié) | Shanxi province | Late 2nd century to mid-4th century, assimilated into Hans | No known equivalence | N/A | No known descendants |
| Dingling, Gaoche, Shule | 丁零 (Dīnglíng), 高車 (Gāochē), 疏勒 (Shūlè) | Banks of Lake Baikal and on the borders of present-day Mongolia and Russia, migrated to modern-day Shanxi and Xinjiang | 1st century BC to late 5th century, assimilated into Hans | ? | ? | Some descendants still living by Lake Baikal ? |
| Rouran, Ruru, | 柔然 (Róurán), 蠕蠕 (Rúrú), 茹茹 (Rúrú) | Present-day Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, northern portions of Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, and eastern portion of Xinjiang | Early 3rd century to early 6th century | Turkic peoples and/or Mongolic peoples (possibly others falling under the label as well) | Late 6th century to early 9th century | Turkic peoples |
| Tujue | 突厥 (Tūjué) | Present-day Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, northern portions of Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia, Xinjiang, and eastern portion of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan | Late 5th century to mid-10th century | Göktürks | Mid-6th century to early 9th century | The western Turks partly migrated to Transoxiana, Persia, and Anatolia, while the eastern Turks assimilated mainly to the Uyghurs in Xinjiang; nowadays, mostly Turkmen and Uyghur in Central Asia, and, to a lesser degree, the Turkish-speaking population of modern-day Turkey (and other Turkic peoples) share that ancestry. |
| Huihu | 回紇 (Huíhé) | Present-day Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, northern portions of Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Ningxia | Early 7th century to mid-10th century | Uyghurs | Early 9th century to present | Uyghurs and Yugurs |
| Tufan | 吐蕃(Tǔbō, also pronounced as Tǔfān in Taiwan) | Present-day Tibet, Qinghai, western border of Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi and Southern border of Xinjiang | Mid-6th century to present | Tibetans | Early 6th century to present | Tibetans |
| Qidan | 契丹 (Qìdān) | Present-day Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, Manchuria, Liaoning, northern border of Shanxi and Hebei, and later in Xinjiang and eastern border of Kazakhstan | 388-1125 | Khitan | 388-1211 | Daur and Evenks people.
There exist descendants of war-scattered Qidan soldiers sent to Yunnan and Guangxi province during the Yuan Dynasty in Baoshan, Yunnan. |
| Xi or Kumo Xi | 庫莫奚 (Kùmòxī) | More or less the same residence of the Khitans, since regarded as two ethnic groups with one unique ancestry | Pre-4th century to mid-12th century | No known equivalence | N/A | No known descendants |
| Shiwei | 室韋 (Shìwéi) | Present-day Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, western Manchuria and southern Siberia | Late 6th century to late 10th century | No known equivalence | N/A | Conquered by Khitans, splinter groups and remnants re-emerged as Mongols |
| Menggu | 蒙古 (Ménggǔ) | Present-day Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, western Manchuria, southern Siberia, and eastern and central Xinjiang before Genghis Khan | Since late c. 8th century | Mongol | Late 12th century to present | Mongol
There remain descendants of Mongol soldiers sent to Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guangxi provinces during the Yuan Dynasty. |
| Dangxiang | 党項 (Dǎngxiàng) | Ningxia, Gansu, northern portions of Shanxi, southwestern portion of Mongolia, Southeastern portion of Xinjiang | Mid-8th century to early 13th century | Tanguts | N/A | Part of Hui nationality (Dungan), Ersu, part of Amdo Tibetans |
| Sai | 塞 (Sāi) | Widespread throughout Central Asia | 2nd century BC to 1st century BC | Saka | 5th century BC | ? |
| Mohe | 靺鞨 (Mòhé) | Manchuria and northern portion of Inner Mongolia, helped to establish Balhae | Early 7th century to early 10th century. | Malgal | N/A | Jurchens |
| Nüzhen or Manzuren | 女真 (Nǚzhēn), 滿 (Mǎn) | Manchuria and northern portion of Inner Mongolia | Early 10th century to present, established Jin Dynasty and Qing Dynasty | Jurchens, Mancho, Manchus or Manchurian | Since mid-17th century, first encountered by the Russians | Largest minority ethnic group in Dongbei region or Manchuria. Their culture has very much assimilated with the Han, though some distinctive aspects still remain. |
Read more about this topic: Ethnic Groups In Chinese History
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