Manchu-language Books in Qing China

Abstract

It has long been assumed that the Manchu language, the native language of the Qing rulers, dwindled to insignificance by the nineteenth century. This dissertation counters this narrative through an examination of Manchu-language books, drawing on both first-hand examination of Manchu-language books in the United States, Europe, and Japan, and quantitative analysis of a database of Manchu-language books held in collections around the world. As a whole, this dissertation argues that, far from dwindling, Manchu-language book culture was and remained very much alive throughout the Qing. Through this study, I analyze the culture of Manchu-language books, showing them to have been commercially produced, collaboratively translated, and intensively read. After providing a thorough introduction to what Manchu-language books look like, I examine both government and commercial book production, showing that it was commercial production that dominated the production of Manchu-language books by the nineteenth century. I then consider publishing trends, which indicate that most Manchu-language books were bilingual (Manchu and Chinese) books designed to teach their reader Manchu. I further explore how the Qing’s need for translators influenced the production of Manchu-language books, with government translators translating non-government texts and producing books for would-be translators. Additionally, I show that manuscript was an important means of transmitting Manchu-language texts and look at signs of readership, concluding that Manchu-language readers were both active and multilingual. Finally, I suggest two reasons that, combined, help explain why Manchu-language books continued to be produced, circulated, and read even in the late Qing: the resurgence of Manchu identity, and the continued need for Manchu-language translators.