Although I wanted to move on to another country, discuss their so-called "national character," I thought it would be worthwhile to stay with China a bit longer, since there is another side of the "national character" that is unique to China that has not been covered yet. After all, China is the world's most populous country with an incredible number of dialects and a diversity of ethnic groups. China is not like Japan and Korea, two homogenous countries with one language. Although there may be slight dialectical differences in accents and word usage from region to region, with the exception of Ainu and Okinawan languages, the basic language spoken is the same. Not so in China, linguistic differences are much more pronounced. Someone speaking one of the northern region dialects like Manchu would not understand at all a person speaking Hakka or some other southern dialect. This does not include the two main languages, Mandarin and Cantonese, two completely different tongues!
But, we are not here to discuss ethnic variety or linguistic differences. Rather, it is China's unique characteristic of recording history as accurately as possible. In most cultures and countries, history is recorded in favor of that country, that is natural. No one wants to leave a legacy that portrays them in a negative light. So, sometimes events or actions of the past are recorded in a favorable light, regardless of how it really happened. For instance, our view and portrayal of the Mexican-American War is totally different from that of Mexico's. To Mexicans, the U.S. was the aggressor who sought to expand its territory and took Mexican land by force. But according to our history books, the Mexican-American War occurred because of alleged disagreement between the two countries.
Japan still refuses to admit to some of its wrong doings during World War Two and has not changed its history books in schools. That has been a bone of contention between Japan and China and Korea since the end of World War Two. That is just how countries are about their history! Nobody really wants to record things accurately that might show them as aggressors or "villains!"
Chinese historians are an exception to that rule. China has had official historians since their "Warring States Period" which dates back to around 500 BC. One notable historian that emerged after the "Warring States Period" became the preeminent historian of China. He set the standard by which all Chinese historians were to record history in the future. He was also responsible for writing the great classic, the Shiji or The Record of Grand Historian, written in 109 BC
Ssu Ma Chien (145 - 86 BC) was the official historian for the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD) and he compiled this grand works, Shiji, which was essentially a history of China from the earliest period to his time. It became a great classic and was required reading for all scholars, one of the three pre-Chin texts; the book of history, the book of philosophy, and the book of literature. It was absolutely essentially for anyone in China who wanted to pass the civil service exams to be familiar with these texts. In other words, the "classics" were required reading for anyone wanting to succeed in China, right up to the Ching Dynasty in the 20th Century!
Ssu Ma Chien was meticulous about recording events as accurately and truthfully as he could. He did not take sides, and believed that history should be recorded with absolute accuracy. This made him the greatest historian in China, but also almost brought about his downfall.
During one of the important battles that the Chinese army fought against the northern barbarians, the hsiung-nu, the Chinese general in charge of the army mishandled the whole affair and the Chinese were badly defeated with over 10,000 deaths. The general was an incompetent, but he was also the king's favorite. Ssu Ma Chien immediately began recording the fiasco as it really happened. The king learned of this and ordered Ssu Ma Chien to change his writing, to present the general in a more favorable light, to place the blame on another general. Ssu Ma Chien refused. He told the king that it was his duty to the king and the country to record history truthfully and not to change things to suit the needs of individuals. The king became angry and threatened to have Ssu Ma Chien beheaded, but the historian refused to budge. So, the king in his fury had Ssu Ma Chien castrated and thrown in jail!
The castrated Ssu Ma Chien languished in prison for several years, but still managed to record history while imprisoned! When Ssu Ma Chien was released from prison he resumed writing history and his reputation had grown tremendously, to a point where it would have been foolhardy for anyone to try to force him to change his writing. With his incredible act of courage and steadfast belief in recording history accurately, Ssu Ma Chien had established a precedence in Chinese historical writing. All Chinese historians since that time (more than 2000 years!) have tried to emulate Ssu Ma Chien and record history as it really happened, not how the king or some ruler wanted it to be recorded.
Unfortunately, what the governments produce today are not really a reflection of that country's history and China is no exception when it comes to its government. What the Chinese Communist Party claims is history really has no true bearing on history! But Chinese scholars, historians, still follow the path established by Ssu Ma Chien more than 2000 years ago! Most scholars of history will readily agree that Chinese history as recorded by their scholars is the most accurate record of what really took place in the past.
Most first time readers of Chinese history are sometimes confused and other times disappointed that the history of that great country seems to read like a "soap opera!" There are countless betrayals, poisoning, assassinations, acts of cowardice, petty bickering, etc., things that one usually does not encounter in reading histories of other countries. But that is because Chinese history, as recorded by scholars, is recorded accurately, the way things really happened. There are, of course, recordings of acts of incredible bravery, sacrifice, etc., as well. But in general, history is recorded as it really happened, as people really behaved and carried on!
Because of the reputation and proclivity of Chinese historians to record history accurately, many scholars doing research on other neighboring countries such as Japan and Korea will read Chinese historical texts on that country! Chinese texts tend to be neutral and not biased as they can be when written by other historians. For example, the most accurate recording of Mongolian history is Chinese texts called the Secret History of Mongols. The Mongols' own version the Ssanang Ssetsen tends to read more like a folk tale, glorifying the Chingis Khan era and skipping over more negative aspects of that time.
So, the Chinese "national character" may be defined as discussed in the previous blog, that of practicality! Chinese are possibly the post pragmatic people in the world, and it shows in their attitudes and behavior. But, there is also this interesting quirk of character, that of recording history accurately, even if it portrays some of their alleged heroes and past leaders as cowards, liars, and cheats.
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