Nanman's joke

The title of Xirong originated from the Zhou Dynasty. Zhou people called themselves "Huaxia", so they called the people around Huaxia Dongyi, Nanman, Xirong and Beidi respectively to show the difference. Since then, China has mainly used barbarians to refer to other ethnic groups except Huaxia, and there is not necessarily a clear geographical correspondence. For example, Yan Ce in the Warring States Policy said that "I am a slave of northern barbarians" and did not use the word "northern emperor". Han Yuyuan said, "If you are gorgeous and yi Di is also, you will be yi Di; Yi Di and China people also, then China ",here is the concept of China and Yi Di opposing each other. Generally speaking, "Man Zi" or "Man Zi" is a word often used by China, which is a disparaging term for foreigners. As for why "Rong" is used relatively little, there may be scholars who specialize in philology, so I won't start here.

Next, let's talk about Naman's problem. China's thought of "four foreigners" was exported to North Korea and Japan through traditional Confucian classics during the Wei, Jin, Sui and Tang Dynasties with the establishment of China cultural circle and the expansion of China's influence in East Asia. They also imitated China's theory. Under the Great Chinese Empire, the small empire that claimed to be the circle of Chinese civilization began to be barbarians to other ethnic groups or regions around it. For example, the word "Nanman" was used not only by Japan, but also by Baekje, a small country in the south of the Korean Peninsula, during the Three Kingdoms period of ancient Korea, which shows the influence of this thought.

I think you already know that Japan calls Portugal and Spain Na Man. Why use Nan Man? During the Warring States Period in Japan, Portugal and Spain (especially Portugal) conducted colonial and missionary activities in East Asia earlier. Their trading bases at that time were mainly Luzon Island and Java Island in Southeast Asia. Portuguese trading ships came from the South China Sea. These people have yellow hair and blue eyes, which the Japanese have never seen before, so they are called Nanman. Portugal's missionary activities in the Warring States period had a great influence on Japanese society. At that time, the iron cannon introduced directly changed the tactics of Japan in the Middle Ages, while Naiman Guo (カステラ), Naiman stain and other things influenced Japanese traditional culture. There are still many words in Japanese that come from Portuguese.

It is worth noting that at that time, the Japanese did not call all Europeans Naaman, nor did the Netherlands and Britain (Protestants) who spread to Japan later than Portugal and Spain. Tokugawa Ieyasu also has different attitudes towards the two.