Manchuria

Manchuria is a historical region in Northeast Asia. Today, it includes all of Northeast China and parts of the modern Russian Far East. It is made up of three Chinese provinces: Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning, along with some areas in Inner Mongolia. In the past, more land was included, such as parts near the Amur River that now belong to Russia.

The name "Manchuria" comes from the word "Manchu." This name was used by Japan when they created a state called Manchukuo. Today, many people in China avoid using the name "Manchuria" because it reminds them of hard times. Instead, they often call the place the "Northeast."

Many different groups of people have lived in Manchuria, including the Manchus, Mongols, Koreans, and several smaller groups. Long ago, early Koreanic kingdoms and the ancestors of the Manchus, known as the Jurchens, were here too.

Boundaries

Manchuria is today linked to three Chinese provinces: Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning. In the past, areas such as Chengde, Hulunbuir, Hinggan, Tongliao, and Chifeng were also part of Manchuria. These places are now in Hebei and Inner Mongolia.

Historically, the area called Manchuria included parts of what are now in Russia, like Primorskiy Kray, the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, southern Amur Oblast, Khabarovskiy Kray, and a bit of Zabaykalʼskiy Kray. These areas were part of the Qing dynasty until they were given to the Russian Empire through treaties in 1858 and 1860.

Names

Further information: Manchu people § Name

Manchuria

Origins

The name "Manchuria" began in the 18th or 19th century from the Japanese. It comes from the Japanese word Manshū, meaning "Region of the Manchus." Later, Europeans used this name too.

In China, "Manchuria" was not a common name for the local people or the Manchus. The area had other names. By the late 1800s, some Chinese people started using Manzhou for the region, but it did not become common until later.

China

In China, the name "Manchuria" is tied to history and identity. Some think the Manchus saw their home as special, which helped make the idea of Manchuria. Maps and writings from the late 1800s used Manzhou, and it showed up more on Chinese maps in the early 1900s. But most Chinese people did not use the name often.

Japan

The word "Manchuria" has a complex history. Some scholars say Japan made the name to separate the region from China. Japan used this name when they created a state called Manchukuo in the 1930s. Others feel "Manchuria" just describes the place without special meanings.

Nurgan

During the Ming dynasty, the land of the Jurchens was called Nurgan.

Three Provinces

In the Qing dynasty, the area was known as the "three eastern provinces," which are Jilin, Heilongjiang, and Fengtian. These became full provinces in 1907.

Guandong

Manchuria was also called Guandong, meaning "east of the pass." This refers to a spot near the Great Wall of China. The name was used when many Chinese people moved there in the 1800s and 1900s.

Northeast Region

Today in China, the term "Northeast Region" is used instead of "Manchuria." This change came because of the area's history with Japan. People from this area are called "Northeasterners." The Northeast is mostly home to Han Chinese, along with many other groups like Mongols and Hui.

Geography and climate

Manchuria is a big area in Northeast Asia. It is made up of very old rocks from an ancient continent. It has mountains, like the Greater Khingan, and wide flat lands with rich soil.

The weather in Manchuria changes a lot. Summers are warm and wet with heavy rains. Winters are very cold but dry, with little snow. This big change happens because Manchuria is between a huge landmass and the Pacific Ocean, which makes the winds shift direction during the year.

History

Main article: History of Manchuria

Early history

Manchuria was home to many groups, including the Manchu, Mongols, Koreans, Nanai, Nivkhs, Ulchs, and Hui. Many kingdoms rose here, such as the Sushen, Donghu, Xianbei, Wuhuan, Mohe, Khitan, and Jurchens. Korean kingdoms like Gojoseon and Goguryeo ruled parts of the area too. Chinese dynasties like the Qin, Han, Cao Wei, Western Jin, and Tang controlled parts of Manchuria. People in Manchuria hunted, fished, raised animals, and farmed.

The Khitan created the Liao dynasty, the first to control all of Manchuria. Later, the Jurchen formed the Jin dynasty (1115–1234), taking over parts of northern China and Mongolia. After the Mongol Yuan dynasty, the Ming dynasty took control. In the 1580s, a leader named Nurhaci united the Jurchen tribes. He founded the Later Jin dynasty, which became the Qing dynasty. The Qing dynasty took over all of China in 1644.

Population change

At first, the Manchu rulers tried to stop Han Chinese from moving into Manchuria. They built barriers like the Willow Palisade to mark the boundary. But many Han Chinese still moved in, farming land and renting from Manchu landlords. By the 1800s, Han Chinese were most of the population in towns and garrisons.

Russian invasions

In 1858 and 1860, Russia forced the Qing dynasty to give up land north of the Amur River and east of the Ussuri River. This land became known as Outer Manchuria or Russian Manchuria. The rest stayed with China.

History after 1860

Russia built railways in Manchuria, and many Han farmers moved there. Japan took control of southern Manchuria after the Russo-Japanese War in 1904–1905. Japan wanted Manchuria for its resources. In 1931, Japan invaded Manchuria and set up a puppet state called Manchukuo, ruled by the former Qing emperor Puyi. After World War II, the Soviet Union took over Manchuria briefly before leaving it to China. The Chinese Communist Party then used Manchuria as a base during the Chinese Civil War.

People's Republic of China

Today, Manchuria includes the provinces of Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang. After China’s founding in 1949, Manchuria became important for heavy industry and oil production, especially with the discovery of the Daqing oil field in the 1960s.