當代中國民族政策下的羌族及其歷史─兼評中國少數民族研究中的「近代建構論」

Abstract

羌族的形成，經歷了一個相當複雜的近代過程；涉及西方傳來的國族主義與「民族」概念，漢族知識分子的國族建構與相關歷史書寫，各層次核心與邊緣人群間的權力關係，以及此關係下的羌族本土的歷史、文化及語言建構。更重要的是，所有這些近代過程也是歷史上漢人（或華夏）藉著對「羌」的銓釋與再詮釋以刻劃我族邊緣的過程之一部分。這一篇文章中，我首兒簡略說明「羌」在中國歷史與歷史記憶中的地位，然後說明「羌族」成為中國少數民族的近代歷史與文化過程；特別是在中國少數民族政策下，羌族認同及其族群本質的本土發展與建構。最後我也藉著羌族的例子來說明，在詮釋中國南方與西南民族之形成上，目前流行的近代建構論不足之處。

The Formation of the Qiang nationality has resulted from a complex process in the modern era involving nationalism and the concomitant notion of “nation,” the nation-state building scheme and related historical narratives of the Han, the core versus peripheral human relations at various levels, and native efforts in constructing their own history, culture and language. Most importantly, this modern process in only the newest stage of a long historical process in which the Han Chinese delineated and re-delineated their western ethnic boundary by defining and redefining who were the Qiang in China`s western frontier. In this article, first I introduce “the Qiang” in China`s historical memory. Then, I proceed to explain the modern process by which the Qiang become a minority nationality－especially, the native developments of the Qiang identity and cultures. I argue that the theory of “modern invention” that has been used to understand or interpret the Chinese nation and her nationalities is inadequate, or at least, incomplete.