Question

What is ethnocentrism and why were the Chinese ethnocentric?

Answer 1

What is ethnocentrism and why were the Chinese ethnocentric?

Ethnocentrism refers to the belief of a particular society's culture and traditions as being the correct ones. This belief tends to fall into preconceptions about other cultures, which are often considered inferior.

During the Qing Dynasty's reign, China was composed of other people groups. These groups had different beliefs and societal structures, which sometimes differed from the ones of the ruling Dynasty's. The Han Chinese believed that their skin was a superior one, along with their culture and traditions. They segregated others who didn't share their features, and also sought to maintain their own culture alive due to all the kingdoms that had tried to settle and establish their own cultures. This increased the Han Chinese's ethnocentric belief. They continued to protect their idiosyncrasies until the 19th century.