Fun fact: How did toast come about and why has it existed for so long?

In 2015, China's Tusi sites were included in the United Nations World Cultural Heritage List. The display of multiple Tusi sites once again allowed many people to appreciate the conditions in ancient ethnic minority areas.

So what is toast? Why has toast existed for so long? What kinds of toast have existed in history? Let’s talk about it today.

01. Why is there toast?

Tusi, also known as native official, is an official position established in the northwest and southwest regions during the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties and held by ethnic minority leaders and inherited by the people. According to the rank, it can be divided into military positions such as Xuanweishi, Xuanfushi, Anfushi, and civil positions such as Tuzhifu, Tuzhizhou, Tuzhixian, etc.

Before the Yuan Dynasty, various feudal dynasties had adopted the method of "ruling the natives with native officials", that is, granting titles to the leaders of various ethnic groups in the frontier to rule their own people. The Yuan Dynasty granted the leaders of various ethnic groups official titles such as Xuanweishi, Xuanfushi, Anfushi and Zhaotaoshi. The chieftains set up in the minority areas of Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangdong and Guangxi in the Ming Dynasty were divided into two types: one was under the jurisdiction of the military department, such as Xuanweisi, Xuanfusi, Anfusi, Zhaotaosi, etc.; the other was under the jurisdiction of the administrative department, and the prefectures, states and counties were established according to the administrative system of the Han area, with local governors, local governors and local county governors. Both types of official positions were held by the heads of ethnic minorities. The chieftains were affiliated with the Ministry of Personnel, and their positions were hereditary. They were given seals by the court, and the systems of inheritance, rank, assessment, tribute, and conscription were established.

In addition to paying tribute and levying taxes to the imperial court, the Tusi still retained traditional ruling institutions and power within their jurisdiction. The position of Tusi was hereditary, and often due to the competition for territory, wars broke out, affecting national unity.

02. Why has toast existed for so long?

The families in the core area of ​​the Han nationality often experienced a major change with a change of dynasty, and many powerful families disappeared. This is the case with the familiar Wang and Xie families.

What's more, these big families are still under the imperial system, and they are not like chieftains who hold all the power in the entire region.

Those who are able to maintain their ruling power stably are generally located in China's ethnic minority communities, namely Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi and Xiangxi, Hunan, etc., the so-called chieftains.

03. What kinds of chieftains have existed from ancient times to the present?

Shuixi'an Clan , the first chieftain. The Shuixi'an Clan, the first chieftain, has a history of nearly 1,500 years, originating from the Three Kingdoms and ending during the reign of Emperor Kangxi. It is truly a magical existence. The second-generation ancestor of this family once assisted Zhuge Liang in capturing Meng Huo seven times.

Shuidong Song Family - more than 1,000 years old , originated from Song Dingll in Guizhou during the Tang Dynasty and ended in the late Ming Dynasty.

The next one should be the popular saying " Thinking of planting Yang in the fields, and Cenhuang in Guangdong and Guangxi "

Sizhou Tian Family - more than 800 years old, originated from the Sui Dynasty. Tian Zongxian from Shaanxi was the first generation. At the end of the Yuan Dynasty, it was divided into Sizhou and Sinan branches. They hurt each other and were finally wiped out by Zhu Di. (There is also a saying that it originated from Manshuai)

Xizhou Peng Clan - more than 800 years old, originated from Peng Shichou from Jishui, Jiangxi during the Five Dynasties and ended in the Qing Dynasty. He was the first chieftain in Hunan.

Bozhou Yang Family - 726 AD, originated in the Tang Dynasty, founded by Yang Duan from Taiyuan, Shanxi after he conquered Nanzhao. During the Wanli period, Yang Yinglong rebelled and was eliminated.

The Sicheng Cen Family - 674 AD, originated in the Northern Song Dynasty. It was established by Cen Zhongshu, a native of Yuyao, Zhejiang, when he followed Di Qing to conquer Guangxi and Nong Zhigao rebelled. It ended during the Yongzheng period of the Qing Dynasty.

The Siming Huang family originated in the Northern Song Dynasty. It was established by Huang Shanzhang, a native of Shandong, who followed Di Qing to conquer the Nong Zhigao rebellion in Guangxi.

To clarify one thing, during the Northern Song Dynasty, Nong Zhigao, the leader of the Zhuang ethnic group in Guangxi, rebelled and created many local chieftains. In order to quell the rebellion, Di Qing, a famous general of the Northern Song Dynasty, led a large army to quell the rebellion. After that, Di Qing returned to Beijing, and many of his subordinates stayed in Guangxi and became the founders of the local chieftains.

For example, the Cen and Huang families in Guangdong and Guangxi mentioned above. In addition, there are the Zhao family of Encheng, the Zhao family of Longjiang, etc. Of course, these chieftains cannot compare with the hereditary families of the Cen and Huang families.

In addition to the above-mentioned toast, there is also Yunnan toast.

The more well-known ones are the Mu chieftains in Lijiang, the Tao chieftains in Jingdong, and the Na chieftains in Yuanjiang.

The Mu family in Lijiang is probably the most famous chieftain. Today, the Mu Mansion in Lijiang is still a core tourist attraction, with a history of more than 470 years. Other chieftains include the Zuo family in Menghua.

There is a saying that goes "A dynasty lasts a hundred years, but chieftains last a thousand years." This saying vividly describes the rule of ethnic minority areas in China. Compared with the dynasties in the Central Plains, chieftains are local emperors who can continue to rule even after the change of dynasties.