Confucius and the Dong-Yi (Eastern „Barbarian” – Scythian) Culture[1]
Confucius (551-479 BC) was a Chinese philosopher, politician and teacher who is regarded as the founder of Confucianism. Confucius and Liu Bang (256 BC-195 BC), the first emperor of the Han dynasty, who had some physical features similar to those of Caucasians, were both believed to be descendants and heirs of the Dong-Yi people.
The term “Dong Yi” (東夷) refers to a group of ancient peoples who lived in the eastern and southeastern regions of ancient China. The term is often used interchangeably with the term “Yi” (夷), which generally refers to any people – “barbarians” – who were not Han Chinese. They were called “Eastern Barbarians”, linking them to the “Western Barbarians”, as the Xiongnu (Asian Huns) were called by the Chinese.
The Dong Yi were a diverse group of people and it is likely that they were descended from a mixture of different populations. Some scholars believe that they may have descended from the ancient Yueshi people, who inhabited the region around the Yellow River in the late Neolithic period (c. 4000-2000 BC). The Yueshi were known for their advanced agricultural and metalworking skills and may have contributed to the development of the Dong Yi culture.
Other scholars believe that the Dong Yi may have descended from the Xiongnu (Asian Hun – Eastern Scythians), a nomadic people who lived in the northern steppes of Asia. The Xiongnu were known for their military prowess and horsemanship and may have intermarried with the Dong Yi.
It is also possible that the Dong Yi are descended from a combination of Yueshi and Xiongnu peoples. This would explain the diversity of Dong Yi culture and the presence of both agricultural and nomadic elements.
Confucius was greatly influenced by the values and customs of the Dong Yi. He believed that the Dong Yi had a deep understanding of the importance of morality, social order and filial piety. He also admired their martial prowess and their ability to live in harmony with nature.
Confucius’ writings contain many references to the Dong Yi. In one passage he says: “The people of the Eastern Barbarians have a reputation for being strong and brave, and they are skilled in archery. In another passage he says: “The people of the Eastern Yi are known for their filial piety and their respect for elders”. These passages reflect Confucius’ admiration for the Dong Yi and his belief that they had much to teach the Han Chinese. This is reminiscent of the ancient Greeks’ admiration for the Scythians and the Chinese’ admiration for the Xiongnu.
In addition to his writings, Confucius also travelled to the eastern regions and interacted with the Dong Yi people. He learned from their customs and traditions and incorporated some of their ideas into his own teachings. For example, he adopted the Dong Yi practice of ancestor worship, and he also incorporated some of their martial arts techniques into his teachings.
Confucius’ interactions with the Dong Yi had a profound effect on his philosophical development. He came to believe that the Dong Yi had a deep understanding of the principles of human nature and morality. He also admired their ability to live in harmony with nature and with each other. These insights helped shape Confucius’ teachings and continue to influence Confucianism today.
The Dong Yi were known for their martial prowess and deep respect for their ancestors. They also had a reputation for being skilled farmers and for living in harmony with nature. Confucius admired these qualities and believed that they could be applied to society as a whole.
One of the key tenets of Confucianism is the importance of filial piety, the respect and obedience that children owe to their parents. This concept was influenced by the Dong Yi reverence for ancestors. Confucius believed that filial piety was essential to maintaining social order and harmony.
Another important Confucian doctrine influenced by the Dong Yi is the concept of ren, often translated as kindness or benevolence. This concept emphasises the importance of treating others with kindness and respect, regardless of their social status. Confucius believed that ren was the foundation of a just and harmonious society.
The Dong Yi also influenced Confucius’ teachings on ritual and propriety. Confucius believed that these practices were essential to maintaining social order and harmony. He believed that ritual and propriety helped to create a sense of shared identity and purpose among people.
In conclusion, just as the Greeks admired the “barbarian” Scythians for living close to their true inner human nature as well as the outer environmental nature, so Confucius and the Chinese people admired the Eastern Scythians, the Xiongnu and the Dong Yi for doing the same. And we can see that both Chinese and Greek cultures were based on and greatly influenced by Scythian spirituality, thought and culture.
The Dong Yi had a significant influence on the teachings of Confucius. Their emphasis on filial piety, ren, ritual and propriety helped to shape Confucius’ vision of a just and harmonious society. The teachings of Confucius continue to be influential in China and around the world.
[1]This article contains excerpts from the paper by Soleilmavis Liu: The Dong-Yi People
Dong-Yi (Eastern „Barbarian” – Scythian) Culture[2]
The Dong-Yi culture was the most advanced culture of the Neolithic period in the territory of present-day China.
(1) The Dong-Yi writing system was one of the oldest writing systems in Neolithic China. It was an important source for the Shang oracle bone script. The Changle Bone Inscriptions belonged to the Longshan culture and were considered to be the recording characters of Neolithic China. They predate the Shang oracle bone script by about 1,000 years.
(2) The Dong-Yi people were the inventors of arrows.
(3) The Dong-Yi people were highly skilled in making pottery. Eggshell black pottery in Longshan culture was considered the best work of ancient Chinese pottery.
(4) The Dong-Yi people were the earliest users of copper and iron in Neolithic China.
(5) The earliest human brain surgery in Neolithic China is thought to have been performed about 5000 years ago in Guangrao, Shandong, where the skull of an adult male was found to have been recovered from surgery, and he lived for a long time before dying.
(6) Dong-Yi people developed etiquette. A code of etiquette in the Long Shan culture shows social stratification and the formation of the nation.
Dong-Yi (Eastern Barbarian – Scythian) Culture was the Root of Chinese Civilization
The Shandong Peninsula was the birthplace of Dong-Yi culture. The Dong-Yi culture played the leading role in creating the Yellow River Valley culture, the root of Chinese civilisation.
The Dong-Yi culture was the root of the Hundred Schools of Thought, literally the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, philosophers and schools that flourished in the Shandong peninsula and eastern Henan area during a period of great cultural and intellectual expansion in China from 770 BC to 221 BC – the classical age of philosophy, when Scythian philosophy spread from central Eurasia to the cultures of the periphery.
It could be said that the Shandong peninsula – the land of the Dong-Yi – was the birthplace of the Hundred Schools of Thought. The founders of most of the Hundred Schools of Thought came from the states of Lu, Qi or Song, as well as other states located around what is now Shandong Province or near the Shandong Peninsula.
The founders of Confucianism, Kong Qiu (Confucius) and Meng Ke (Mencius), were from Lu. So were the founder of Mohism, Mo Di (Micius), and the founder of the Miscellaneous School, Shi Jiao.
The founder of Legalism, Guan Zhong, came from the State of Qi, as did Zou Yan, the founder of the Yin-Yang School. The founders of the Military School, Sun Wu (Sunzi) and Sun Bin (descendant of Sun Wu) were also from Qi.
The State of Song was the home of the founder of Taoism, Laotzu (Laozi or Lao Laizi), Zhuang Zhou (Zhuangzi), and also the founder of the Logicians or School of Names, Hui Shi.
The founder of the School of Diplomacy or the School of Vertical and Horizontal (Alliances), Gui Gu Zi, came from the state of Wei (now Qixian in Henan Province), which is close to the Shandong Peninsula.
[2]This article contains excerpts from the paper by Soleilmavis Liu: The Dong-Yi People