Hanjian
Encyclopedia
In Chinese culture, a Hanjian is a derogatory and pejorative term for a race traitor
to the Han Chinese
nation or state, and to a lesser extent, Han ethnicity. The word Hanjian is distinct from the general word for traitor, which could be used for any race or country. As a Chinese term, it is a digraph of the Chinese character
for "Han" and "traitor".
, the Han Chinese
were the majority of the population but the Qing Dynasty was founded by the Manchus. Initially, the Qing government used the term to name Han Chinese who rebelled against Manchu rule. During the late Qing period, anti-Manchu nationalists used the term for Hans who collaborated with the Qing government and thus were traitors of the Han people. The word was often used retroactively for historical Han traitors, such as Wu Sangui
, who opened the gates of Shanhai Pass
because of mistreatment of his family and his concubine Chen Yuanyuan
at the hands of the peasant rebels led by Li Zicheng (the peasant rebels were Han Chinese, but Wu decided to ally with the Manchus).
During the Second Sino-Japanese War
, the National Revolutionary Army
was defeated in various battles by the Imperial Japanese Army
. Chiang Kai-shek
explained that Hanjian espionage helped the Japanese and ordered CC Clique
commander Chen Lifu to arrest the Hanjians. 4,000 were arrested in Shanghai
and 2,000 in Nanjing
. Because martial law was enforced, formal trials were not necessary, and the condemned were executed swiftly, while thousands of men, women and children watched with evident approval.
The pro-Japan collaborationist government in Nanjing led by Wang Jingwei
during the war is considered to be Hanjian by the Chinese, as are individuals from Taiwan who fought in the Imperial Japanese Army against China and the Allies
. The word also came to be used in the Chinese legal system: the Republic of China
(ROC) enacted Regulations Regarding Punishment of Hanjian (1938) and Regulations [on] Dealing with Hanjian (1945). The People's Republic of China
(PRC) ratified a Direction for the Confiscation of Properties of War Criminals, Hanjian, Bureaucratic Capitalists and Anti-Revolutionaries.
After the Sook Ching Massacre
in Singapore
and Malaya
during World War II, prominent Chinese Singaporean industrialist and philanthropist Tan Kah Kee
proposed to the provisional ROC government to treat all Chinese who attempted to negotiate with the Japanese as Hanjian. His proposal was adopted by the Second Legislative Yuan
and was lauded as "the best proposal in the world" by the Chinese resistance who fought against the Japanese.
During the Cold War, the People's Republic of China classified Chinese citizens who collaborated with a hostile foreign power as Hanjian.
A Hanjian is more specific than simply any traitor in that since a Hanjian would need to collaborate with an external power that is not Han or Chinese to be considered one. Theoretically, in civil wars there would not be any Hanjian, but in reality both sides of the Chinese Civil War accused each other of being Hanjian, for the Americans and for the Soviets. As such, an accusation that someone is a Hanjian is much stronger than an accusation of being simply a traitor.
Race traitor
Race traitor is a pejorative reference to a person who is perceived as supporting attitudes or positions thought to be against the interests or well-being of their own race...
to the Han Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
nation or state, and to a lesser extent, Han ethnicity. The word Hanjian is distinct from the general word for traitor, which could be used for any race or country. As a Chinese term, it is a digraph of the Chinese character
Chinese character
Chinese characters are logograms used in the writing of Chinese and Japanese , less frequently Korean , formerly Vietnamese , or other languages...
for "Han" and "traitor".
History
During the Qing DynastyQing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
, the Han Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
were the majority of the population but the Qing Dynasty was founded by the Manchus. Initially, the Qing government used the term to name Han Chinese who rebelled against Manchu rule. During the late Qing period, anti-Manchu nationalists used the term for Hans who collaborated with the Qing government and thus were traitors of the Han people. The word was often used retroactively for historical Han traitors, such as Wu Sangui
Wu Sangui
Wu Sangui was a Ming Chinese general who was instrumental in the succession of rule to the Qing Dynasty in 1644...
, who opened the gates of Shanhai Pass
Shanhai Pass
Shanhai Pass , or Shanhaiguan, along with Jiayu Pass and Juyong Pass, is one of the major passes of the Great Wall of China It is located in Shanhaiguan District, Qinhuangdao, Hebei. In 1961, Shanhaiguan became a site of China First Class National Cultural Site.It is a popular tourist destination,...
because of mistreatment of his family and his concubine Chen Yuanyuan
Chen Yuanyuan
Chen Yuanyuan , born Xing Yuan , lived near the end of the Ming Dynasty, and was a concubine of Wu Sangui. Her courtesy name was Wanfen . Her actual historical significance is disputed, although it is largely believed that Chen was pivotal in Wu Sangui's campaigns after the fall of the Ming. She...
at the hands of the peasant rebels led by Li Zicheng (the peasant rebels were Han Chinese, but Wu decided to ally with the Manchus).
During the Second Sino-Japanese War
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
, the National Revolutionary Army
National Revolutionary Army
The National Revolutionary Army , pre-1928 sometimes shortened to 革命軍 or Revolutionary Army and between 1928-1947 as 國軍 or National Army was the Military Arm of the Kuomintang from 1925 until 1947, as well as the national army of the Republic of China during the KMT's period of party rule...
was defeated in various battles by the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
. Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek was a political and military leader of 20th century China. He is known as Jiǎng Jièshí or Jiǎng Zhōngzhèng in Mandarin....
explained that Hanjian espionage helped the Japanese and ordered CC Clique
CC Clique
The CC Clique, or Central Club Clique was one of the political factions within the Kuomintang , in the Republic of China...
commander Chen Lifu to arrest the Hanjians. 4,000 were arrested in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
and 2,000 in Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
. Because martial law was enforced, formal trials were not necessary, and the condemned were executed swiftly, while thousands of men, women and children watched with evident approval.
The pro-Japan collaborationist government in Nanjing led by Wang Jingwei
Wang Jingwei
Wang Jingwei , alternate name Wang Zhaoming, was a Chinese politician. He was initially known as a member of the left wing of the Kuomintang , but later became increasingly anti-Communist after his efforts to collaborate with the CCP ended in political failure...
during the war is considered to be Hanjian by the Chinese, as are individuals from Taiwan who fought in the Imperial Japanese Army against China and the Allies
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
. The word also came to be used in the Chinese legal system: the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
(ROC) enacted Regulations Regarding Punishment of Hanjian (1938) and Regulations [on] Dealing with Hanjian (1945). The People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
(PRC) ratified a Direction for the Confiscation of Properties of War Criminals, Hanjian, Bureaucratic Capitalists and Anti-Revolutionaries.
After the Sook Ching Massacre
Sook Ching massacre
The Sook Ching massacre was a systematic extermination of perceived hostile elements among the Chinese in Singapore by the Japanese military during the Japanese Occupation of Singapore, after the British colony surrendered on 15 February 1942 during the Second World War. Sook Ching was later...
in Singapore
Japanese Occupation of Singapore
The Japanese occupation of Singapore in World War II occurred between about 1942 and 1945 after the fall of Singapore on 15 February 1942. Military forces of the Empire of Japan occupied Singapore after defeating the combined Australian, British, Indian and Malayan garrison in the Battle of Singapore...
and Malaya
Japanese occupation of Malaya, North Borneo and Sarawak
Throughout much of World War II, British Malaya, North Borneo and Sarawak were under Japanese occupation.The Japanese Empire commenced the Pacific War with the invasion of Kota Bahru in Kelantan on 8 December 1941 at 00:25, about 90 minutes before the Attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii at 07:48 on 7...
during World War II, prominent Chinese Singaporean industrialist and philanthropist Tan Kah Kee
Tan Kah Kee
Tan Kah Kee was a prominent businessman, community leader, and philanthropist in colonial Singapore, and a Communist leader in the People's Republic of China.- Early years :...
proposed to the provisional ROC government to treat all Chinese who attempted to negotiate with the Japanese as Hanjian. His proposal was adopted by the Second Legislative Yuan
Legislative Yuan
The Legislative Yuan is the unicameral legislature of the Republic of China .The Legislative Yuan is one of the five branches of government stipulated by the Constitution of the Republic of China, which follows Sun Yat-sen's Three Principles of the People...
and was lauded as "the best proposal in the world" by the Chinese resistance who fought against the Japanese.
During the Cold War, the People's Republic of China classified Chinese citizens who collaborated with a hostile foreign power as Hanjian.
Notable people labelled Hanjian
- Qin HuiQin Hui (Song Dynasty)Qin Hui or Qin Kuai was a Chancellor of the Song Dynasty in China, who is widely regarded as a traitor of the Han race for his part in the political execution of General Yue Fei...
: premier of the Southern Song DynastySong DynastyThe Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
who preached appeasement towards aggressions from the Jurchens of the Jin DynastyJin Dynasty, 1115–1234The Jīn Dynasty ; Khitan language: Nik, Niku; ; 1115–1234), also known as the Jurchen Dynasty, was founded by the Wanyan clan of the Jurchens, the ancestors of the Manchus who established the Qing Dynasty some 500 years later...
; played an important role in the death of general Yue FeiYue FeiYue Fei , style name Pengju, was a military general of the Southern Song Dynasty. His ancestral home was in Xiaoti, Yonghe Village, Tangyin, Xiangzhou, Henan...
, who is seen as a patriotic hero by the Chinese - Wu SanguiWu SanguiWu Sangui was a Ming Chinese general who was instrumental in the succession of rule to the Qing Dynasty in 1644...
: Ming DynastyMing DynastyThe Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
general who guarded Shanhai PassShanhai PassShanhai Pass , or Shanhaiguan, along with Jiayu Pass and Juyong Pass, is one of the major passes of the Great Wall of China It is located in Shanhaiguan District, Qinhuangdao, Hebei. In 1961, Shanhaiguan became a site of China First Class National Cultural Site.It is a popular tourist destination,...
. He guided the armies of the Manchus into China after the rebel leader Li Zicheng ended the Ming Dynasty and abducted his concubine Chen YuanyuanChen YuanyuanChen Yuanyuan , born Xing Yuan , lived near the end of the Ming Dynasty, and was a concubine of Wu Sangui. Her courtesy name was Wanfen . Her actual historical significance is disputed, although it is largely believed that Chen was pivotal in Wu Sangui's campaigns after the fall of the Ming. She...
. He later commanded the Manchu invasion and personally executed the Yongli EmperorZhu Youlang, Prince of GuiZhu Youlang, Prince of Gui, the Yongli Emperor was the fourth and last emperor of the Southern Ming Dynasty of China. His era name means "Perpetual calendar"....
of the exiled Southern Ming DynastySouthern Ming DynastyThe Southern Ming Dynasty was the Ming loyalist regime that continued in Southern China from 1644 to 1662 following the capture of Beijing by rebel armies and the death of the last Ming emperor in 1644....
in a display of loyalty to the Manchus. - Wang KeminWang KeminWang Kemin was a leading official in the Chinese republican movement and early Beiyang government, later noted for his role as in the collaborationist Provisional Government of the Republic of China and Nanjing Nationalist Government during World War II....
: collaborated with the Japanese during World War II; established by the Japanese as the puppet Provisional Government of the Republic of China or North China Autonomous Government; classified and arrested by the Nationalist GovernmentKuomintangThe Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
as a national traitor; committed suicide. - DemchugdongrubDemchugdongrubPrince Demchugdongrub was the leader of a Mongol independence movement in Inner Mongolia. He was the chairman of Mengjiang, a Japanese puppet state in World War II....
(De Wang): Collaborated with the Japanese; established by the Japanese Army as the head of state of government of Inner MongoliaInner MongoliaInner Mongolia is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China, located in the northern region of the country. Inner Mongolia shares an international border with the countries of Mongolia and the Russian Federation...
. Classified by the Nationalist Government as a national traitor. However, since Dewang was not a Chinese but a Mongol, naming him a Hanjian is problematic. - Wang JingweiWang JingweiWang Jingwei , alternate name Wang Zhaoming, was a Chinese politician. He was initially known as a member of the left wing of the Kuomintang , but later became increasingly anti-Communist after his efforts to collaborate with the CCP ended in political failure...
: advocated peace negotiation during the Second Sino-Japanese WarSecond Sino-Japanese WarThe Second Sino-Japanese War was a military conflict fought primarily between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. From 1937 to 1941, China fought Japan with some economic help from Germany , the Soviet Union and the United States...
. Set up the Nanjing "Nationalist Government" puppet state with the assistance of the Japanese. - Zhou FohaiZhou FohaiZhou Fohai , Chinese politician, and second in command of Wang Jingwei's collaborationist Nanjing Nationalist Government Executive Yuan.-Biography:...
: second-in-charge of the Wang Jingwei government Executive YuanExecutive YuanThe Executive Yuan is the executive branch of the government of the Republic of China , commonly known as "Taiwan".-Organization and structure:...
. - Chen Gongbo: head of the Legislative YuanLegislative YuanThe Legislative Yuan is the unicameral legislature of the Republic of China .The Legislative Yuan is one of the five branches of government stipulated by the Constitution of the Republic of China, which follows Sun Yat-sen's Three Principles of the People...
of the Wang Jingwei government. - Kawashima YoshikoKawashima Yoshikowas a Manchu princess brought up in Japan, who served as a spy in the service of the Japanese Kwantung Army and Manchukuo. Originally named Aisin Gioro Xianyu with the courtesy name Dongzhen , her Chinese name was Jin Bihui . She is sometimes known in fiction by the pseudonym as the "Eastern Mata...
: Also known as "the Eastern Jewel", she was born a Manchu princess, given to and raised by Japanese and executed as a Japanese spy and Chinese traitor by the Kuomintang after the Second Sino-Japanese War. She has been featured in numerous Chinese and Japanese novels, films, television programs, and video games, with Chinese frequently portraying her as a wanton villainess and seductress and Japanese portraying her as a tragic heroine. It is debatable whether or not she is Chinese and hence qualify as a Hanjian. - Koo Hsien-jungKoo Hsien-jungKoo Hsien-jung was a Taiwanese businessman and politician who enjoyed strong links to the Japanese colonial administration of Taiwan. He founded the Koos Group of companies, the largest business group in Taiwan....
: Betrayed the pro-Qing Republic of FormosaRepublic of FormosaThe Republic of Formosa was a short-lived republic that existed on the island of Taiwan in 1895 between the formal cession of Taiwan by the Qing Dynasty of China to the Empire of Japan by the Treaty of Shimonoseki and its invasion and occupation by Japanese troops...
(Taiwan) and led the Imperial Japanese ArmyImperial Japanese Army-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
to capture TaipeiTaipeiTaipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
in 1895. The Koo family became wealthy and influential during the Japanese colonization and continues to be one of the most powerful business and political families in Taiwan, with members living and operating in both Taiwan and Japan.
Modern usage
Because of the dominance of Han culture in China, Han and Chinese are virtually equivalent to each other. Therefore, in the modern context of this word, a Hanjian is one who is a traitor to Chinese, whether the political, geographical or cultural concept, and is not necessarily limited to Han Chinese.A Hanjian is more specific than simply any traitor in that since a Hanjian would need to collaborate with an external power that is not Han or Chinese to be considered one. Theoretically, in civil wars there would not be any Hanjian, but in reality both sides of the Chinese Civil War accused each other of being Hanjian, for the Americans and for the Soviets. As such, an accusation that someone is a Hanjian is much stronger than an accusation of being simply a traitor.
See also
- CollaborationismCollaborationismCollaborationism is cooperation with enemy forces against one's country. Legally, it may be considered as a form of treason. Collaborationism may be associated with criminal deeds in the service of the occupying power, which may include complicity with the occupying power in murder, persecutions,...
- Collaborationist Chinese ArmyCollaborationist Chinese ArmyThe Collaborationist Chinese Army in the Second Sino-Japanese War went under different names at different times depending on which collaborationist leader or puppet regime it was organized under....
- Race traitorRace traitorRace traitor is a pejorative reference to a person who is perceived as supporting attitudes or positions thought to be against the interests or well-being of their own race...
- Shu`ubiyya
- Un-AmericanUn-AmericanUn-American is a pejorative term of US political discourse which is applied to people or institutions in the United States seen as deviating from US norms....