Introduction
This article tells the origin of the Yi aka Lolo people in southwestern China. In ancient times, the Chinese called them 'Wu Man' (烏蠻) or Black Barbarian.The Lolo-Yi people is the largest ethnic minority in Yunnan province of China today.
Homeland
The Lolo-Yi people is a branch of the Sino-Tibetan people.
Their homeland is in eastern Yunnan of China and they are the natives in that region. They also live in large numbers in Sichuan and Guizhou provinces.
 |
| Yunnan homeland (dark yellow) |
Original homeland
The Yi people are one of the Southeastern branch of the Sino-Tibetan people which originated from Sichuan basin.
Their earliest ancestor was called Xi-Mu-Zhe (希慕遮), his 31st generation grandson Apu Dumu lived around 800 BC.
In order to escape the flood, Apu Dumu together with his relatives and clan trekked high up to Lokni (洛尼) Mountain of modern-day Zhaotong (昭通) in northeast Yunnan.
 |
| Migration to Yunnan |
After the flood receded, Apu Dumu's had his six sons from three wives migrate in different directions from Zhaotong. This huge migration was recorded in their 'Directions' (指路經) history book.
 |
| Apu Dumu, three wives and six sons |
Early Lolo kingdoms
An early Lolo kingdom was the Yelang kingdom with its capital in north-western Guizhou province; it was founded before 298 BC but was annexed into China in 109 BC.The Lolo worship the tiger and many tiger artefacts were excavated at the site in north-western Guizhou where the Yelang kingdom was situated.
 |
| Artefacts in Guizhou |
A kingdom named Nanzhao was established in Yunnan by the Lolo-Yi people's Meng (蒙) clan from 738 AD to 902 AD. Buddhism was the main religion in this kingdom.
Lolo culture
The Lolo-Yi main festival is the Torch Festival which they believe that fire is able to chase away evil spirits and protect their crops from pests.
For three days and nights every year, their people would carry flaming torches to parade around their villages; and also sing and dance around a big bonfire.
 |
| Bonfire of Torch festival |
Another evidence that Yi are not nomadic tribes like their Northwestern Sino-Tibetan brothers is that they don't drink horse, cow, sheep or goat milk.
Language and writing script
The Lolo-Yi languages like most Sino-Tibetan languages are monosyllabic and tonal languages.
The Lolo-Yi people have their own ancient writing script which existed as early as 771 BC - 476 BC. The Yi history book 'Le Er Te Yi' recorded the existence of a writing system which they used during that ancient period.
The Yi writing characters are also based on pictures like mountains, river, stones on a similar basis as the Chinese writing characters.
 |
| Yi history book and writing script |
Loloish subgroups
Apu Dumu had six sons whose migration paths are:
- First son Wu (武) and second son Zha (乍) first migrated southwards to Kunming and then across the whole of southern and western Yunnan.
- Third son No (糯) and fourth son Heng (恆) migrated northwards to Liangshan in southern Sichuan and also remained in northeastern Yunnan.
- Fifth son Bu (布) and sixth son Mo (默) migrated eastwards to western Guizhou and south-eastern Yunnan.
 |
| Six branches of Lolo-Yi |
The six sons form the six main Loloish branches:
- Northern: Nosu
- Eastern: Nasu
- Southern: Nisu, Akha-Hani, Bisu-Phunoi
- Southeastern: Sani, Axi, Azhe, Azha
- Central: Lolo, Lipo, Lisu/Lamu, Lahu/Kuchong, Jino
- Western: Nusu, Lalo/Rouruo
The Central branch was called the Kunming people in Chinese history books.
 |
| Nasu subgroup |
 |
| Another subgroup |
Closest ethnic relatives
The closest ethnic relative of the Lolo-Yi people are the Burmic people who used to live together in the same kingdom of Nanzhao before they migrated south to Myanmar.
 |
| Ethnic Bamar |
Conclusion
The Lolo-Yi people is one of the Southeastern branch of the Sino-Tibetan people. They are the largest ethnic minority in Yunnan and the natives of both eastern Yunnan and also Sichuan.
Nowadays, the ethnic majority in Yunnan is the Mandarin branch of Han Chinese who migrated to Yunnan much later than the Lolo-Yi.
Related links
Ethnic origin of Akha in ThailandEthnic origin of Burmese
Sources
- Perspectives on the Yi of Southwest China. By Stevan Harrell. 2001.
- https://kknews.cc/story/mqn2vv9.html
- http://www.fengsuwang.com/minzu/liuzufenzhi.asp
- https://kknews.cc/culture/8v426q4.html
- https://kknews.cc/history/rx35k3x.html
- https://kknews.cc/culture/xqj2xjg.html
- https://kknews.cc/history/vmvgqky.html
- https://kknews.cc/culture/x3y8zyq.html
Copyright © eastasiaorigin.blogspot 2017-2021. All rights reserved.
This is a very interesting article. Very informative and well-written. Can you do a separate article on the Hing-Hwa languages? And an article on Hainanese language please. Love your blog! Keep up the good work
ReplyDeleteGood news! The origin of Hainanese language will be published in early May 2021.
Delete