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The Hakka (, lit. "guest families") are a Han Chinese people whose ancestors are said to originate from around the Henan and Shanxi provinces in northern China over 2,700 years ago. In a series of migrations, the Hakka settled in Guangdong and Fujian provinces in southern China, and then overseas to various Chinese enclaves throughout the world. They have had a disproportionate influence on the course of Chinese and Overseas Chinese history, particularly as a source of revolutionary and political leaders. MIGRATIONS AND GROUP IDENTIFICATION The use of the term ''Hakka'' to describe this people is thought to be comparatively recent, dating to the Qing Dynasty (c. 17th century). Their ancestors migrated southwards several times because of social unrest, upheaval, and by invasion of foreign conquerors since the Jin Dynasty (265-420) . Subsequent migrations occurred at the end of the Tang Dynasty when China fragmented, during the middle of the Song Dynasty which saw massive depopulation of the north and a flood of refugees southward when the Jurchens captured the northern Song capital, the fall of the Song to the Mongol s in the Yuan Dynasty , and when the Ming Dynasty fell to the Manchu who formed the Qing Dynasty . During the reign of the Qing Kangxi Emperor, the coastal regions were evacuated by imperial edict for almost a decade, due to the danger from the remnants of the Ming court who fled to what is now Taiwan. When the threat was eliminated, the Kangxi Emperor issued an edict to repopulate the coastal regions once again. To aid the move, each family was given money to begin their new lives; newcomers were registered as "Guest Families" (客戶, kèhù). The original inhabitants, the Punti , Cantonese-speaking Han Chinese people, were protective of their own more fertile lands, and the newcomers were pushed to the outer fringes of fertile plains, or settled in more mountainous regions to eke out a living. Conflict between the two groups grew, and it is thought that "Hakka" was a term of derision used by the Punti aimed at the newcomers. Main article: Punti-Hakka Clan Wars Over time, the term "Hakka" became adopted by the newcomers to refer to themselves. However, as the term is inclusive of Hakka Chinese language speakers, those Han Chinese registered as Guest Families who migrated at the time who may not have been Hakka language speakers, as well as intermarriages among Hakka and Punti members, identification as Hakka at the time was largely self-selected. Through studies into both Cantonese and Hakka genealogies, some Hakka and Punti people with the same surnames claim the same ancestors, athough their descendants strongly identify with one group to the exclusion of the other. The Hakka ancestors are thus but one group amongst many who migrated southwards. Hakka people are now found in the southern Chinese provinces, cheifly in Guangdong , south western Fujian , southern Jiangxi , southern Hunan , Guangxi , southern Guizhou , south eastern Sichuan , Hainan and Taiwan islands. The Hakka Dialects across these various provinces differ Phonologically , but the Meixian (Meizhou) dialect of Hakka is considered the archetypical spoken form of the language. Although they are frequently distinctive in culture and Language from the surrounding population, they are not considered a Separate Ethnic Group by the Chinese people and are seen as part of the majority Han Chinese . In these conflicts, indigenous settlers thought that the Hakka were not Chinese at all, but due to common ancestry as traced in clan genealogies, Hakka descendants are as Chinese as their neighbours. In fact, they are no more non-Han as other southern Han populations. Historical sources shown in census statistics only relate to the general population without the control of certain districts, provinces, or regions. These were taken during imperial times, but do not relate to how and what language the population spoke. Therefore, it does not directly document Hakka migrations. The study by Luo Xianglin 's work published in 1933 (K'o-chia Yen-chiu Tao-Liu Introduction to the Study of the Hakkas . Hsin-Ning and Singapore) used genealogical sources of family clans from various southern counties. With population movement, it is reasonable to assume that there are population mixing among newcomers and the indigenous people. A recent study showed that there is in fact strong evidence of genetic diversity in general Han Chinese Population . This suggests that the southward migration of people is borne out in DNA studies, consistent with genealogical data. Further, two main groups of modern Han Chinese are observed, a northerly Han group with genetic affinity with northerly Mongoloid peoples, and a southerly Han group which have genetic affinity with the Gin Vietnamese . This is consistent with migrations experienced during the history of the Hakka, from the north to the south of China. Even though this study is not a direct study of Hakka ancestry using DNA data, it does show that all modern southern Chinese have non-Han genotypes due to a history of intermarriage with indigenous aboriginal peoples in the places they came to settle in. SOCIAL AND CULTURAL INFLUENCES With limited prospects in agriculture, Hakka men have turned more often than other Chinese toward careers in the military or public service. Consequently, the Hakka emphasized education and have performed well in Imperial examinations. Hakka society was dependent on the working abilities of women, who had to take up a larger share of the work farming while the men were studying or at war. Because the women had to work, the Hakkas did not practice Foot-binding . Due to their agrarian lifestyle, the Hakka have a unique architecture based on defense and communal living (''See'' Hakka Architecture ) and a hearty savory cuisine based on preserved, fried and stewed items (''See'' Hakka Cuisine ). The Hakka have had a disproportionate influence on the course of Chinese and Overseas Chinese history, particularly as a source of revolutionary and political leaders. Hakka were active in the Taiping Rebellion led by the failed Qing scholar Hong Xiuquan who claimed he was the younger brother of Jesus , and led a movement which formed the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom (Taiping Tian Guo). This continues to be true in modern Chinese history where some of the most prominent Chinese leaders have been Hakkas. In the 1980s-90s, the political heavyweights of three Chinese-led countries were all Hakkas simultaneously: People's Republic of China's Deng Xiaoping , Republic of China's Lee Teng-hui and Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew . In addition, Dr Sun Yat-sen , Deng Xiaoping and Lee Kuan Yew, all Hakkas, are three of the four Chinese named as "the 20th Century's 20 Most Influential Asians" by Time magazine. HAKKAS IN CHINA (in yellow), where Xingning and Meixian are located]] Hakkas in Guangdong In Guangdong, the Hakkas comprised about 60% of total population of Hakka. Worldwide, over 95% of the oversea descended Hakkas came from this region, usually from (Chinese: 四角楼, sìjǐaolóu). Hakkas in Fujian The Hakkas who settled in the mountainous region of south western Fujian province in China, developed a unique form of architectural building known as ''tu lou'' (土樓), literally meaning ''earthen structures''. The ''tu lou'' are either round or square, and were designed as a large fortress and multi-apartment building complex in one. The structures typically had only one entrance-way and with no windows at ground level. Each floor served a different function -- the first hosts a well and livestock, the second is for food storage and the third and higher floors contain living spaces. Tu-lou were built to withstand attack from bandits and marauders. (see Hakka Architecture ) HAKKAS IN TAIWAN In Taiwan, Hakka people contribute to about 15% of the population descended largely from Guangdong, Guangxi, other neighboring provinces, and form the third lagest population on the island. Many Hakka moved due to political prosecution. To escape, they tend to settle on lands high up in the hills or remote mountains. To date, many of the Hakka people continue to live in these hilly location of Taiwan. Taiwan's Hakka are concentrated in Hsinchu City and Hsinchu County , Miaoli County , and around Jhongli in Taoyuan County and Meinong in Kaohsiung County , and Pingtong County with smaller presence in Hualian and Taitung County . In recent decades, many Hakka have moved to the metropolitans, including Taipei and Kaohsiung . HAKKAS WORLDWIDE The Hakkas have emigrated to many regions worldwide, notably, Malaysia , Singapore , Indonesia , and Thailand . Hakka people have also emigrated to Australia , Canada , the United States , and many countries in Europe , including Great Britain , France , Germany , Belgium , and the Netherlands . Hakka people are also found in South Africa and the islands of the Caribbean , and Central And South America . Most expatriate Hakka in Great Britain have ties to Hong Kong, and may have emigrated when Hong Kong was still a colony of Great Britain. There has been a Hakka community in Calcutta ,but most have migrated to Canada , the United States , Australia , and Taiwan . Today there are about 90-100 million Hakka speakers around the world. PROMINENT HAKKAS Revolutionaries and politicians
Government officials
Literary figures
Artists
Entrepreneurs
Entertainers
SEE ALSO
SOURCES The Hakka Dialect. A Linguistic Study of its Phonology, Syntax and Lexicon. Mantaro J. Hashimoto. Cambridge University Press. 1973. EXTERNAL LINKS
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