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The Longjia (Chinese: 龙家; sometimes also known as the Nanjingren 南京人) are an unofficially recognized ethnic group of western Guizhou province, China. They are officially classified as Bai by the Chinese government.[1]
The Longjia (Chinese: 龙家; sometimes also known as the Nanjingren 南京人) are an unofficially recognized ethnic group of western Guizhou province, China. They are officially classified as Bai by the Chinese government.[1]
Along with the neighboring Gelao, Miao, and Caijia peoples, the Longjia people had been a subjugated ethnic group under Nasu Yi control in Shuixi 水西 (modern-day Bijie Prefecture) during the Ming Dynasty. Nevertheless, the Longjia were given minor administrative posts since the Yi considered the Longjia to be the best educated among the subjugated ethnic groups, whereas the closely related Caijia people were often assigned to assist in horse stables due to their skills with horses (Herman 2007:74, 77).[2] The Nasu Yi were not native to western Guizhou, but had migrated from the Luyang Mountains of northeastern Yunnan (in modern-day Huize, Xuanwei, and Dongchuan) during the 3rd century and founded the Mu'ege Kingdom around 300 C.E.[2]
In Zhijin County, the Longjia people (autonym: Songnibao 松尼保) are called Buwai 补外 by the Gelao, Siqie 斯切 (or Siye 斯业[3]) by the Miao, and Awupu 阿武普 by the Yi (Zhijin County Gazetteer 1997:159). They are also called Guizou 归走 by the Caijia.[3]
Guizhou (1984:8)[4] lists the following exonyms for the Longjia people in IPA.
The Han Chinese call the Longjia by the following names (Zhijin County Gazetteer 1997).
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Main article: Longjia language |
The Longjia language is a Sino-Tibetan language.[1]
There is a total of 2,000–4,000 Longjia people in Pu'an, Pingba, and Qingzhen counties, Guizhou, as well as Longlin County of Guangxi.[5][6] Within Bijie Prefecture, the Longjia are found in the counties of Bijie, Dafang, Zhijin, Qianxi, and Nayong.[7] The Xixiu District Gazetteer 安顺市志：西秀区志 (2007:110) reports an ethnic Bai (Longjia) population of 1,458 households or 6,562 persons.
Reported locations include (Guizhou 1984:6):[3][8]
Population figures are as follows.
The Duan clan 段氏 of Dafang County, the Shang clan 尚氏 of Nayong County, and the Yang clan 杨氏 of Pan County are officially classified as ethnic Bai, but belong to neither the Longjia nor Qixingmin groups (Guizhou Ethnic Gazetteer 2002:690).
According to the Guizhou Ethnic Gazetteer (2002:689), the Dading Gazetteer (大定府志) gave the following townships with Longjia residents during the late Qing Dynasty.
The Dafang County Gazetteer (1996:150-152) also reports Longjia people living in Dazhai 大寨 and Dadao 大道 of Dafang County, with more than 2,000 living in each.[12] In Dafang County, villages that have between 1,000 - 2,000 Longjia people include Hegu 河谷, Bazi 坝子, Lihua 里/理化, Pengcheng 鹏程, Changshi 长石, Hetao 核桃, Guobao 果宝, Zhuchang 珠场, Xiangshuizhen 响水镇, Shangba 上坝, and Zeji 则鸡. Longjia with the autonym Songlibao 松立保 have also been reported in Jingzhu 荆竹村 and Bayi 八一村 villages in Babao Township 八堡乡, Dafang County.[13]
Other locations are Cuoba 撮坝, Pengcheng 鹏程, Changchun 长春, Baini 白泥, Guowa 果瓦, Shangba 上坝, and Maopiao 毛票.
The Bijie County Gazetteer (1996:143) reports the following locations of ethnic Longjia.
The Bijie County Gazetteer (1996:143) reports that the Bai people speak a language called Nanlong 南龙语.
The Chinese government has designated the following 15 townships in Guizhou as ethnic Bai townships (白族乡). Some have ethnic Longjia populations, while others have ethnic Caijia populations.