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    The Chinese were forced to wear pigtails by whom and for how long and what superstition is involved in the cutting of the pigtail?

    Question #40908. Asked by supermary345. (Nov 09 03 6:49 AM)


    png23

    		The pigtail was a mark of political enslavement to the Manchu dynasty, and westerners made fun of the Chinese hair style. The pigtail was abolished in China in 1911 when the Manchu dynasty was overthrown in favor of the Republic. Cutting off a pigtail was a terrible insult to the Chinese as they believed it would hurt them spiritually.
    http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mpigtail.html

    I also found this reference:

    "Originally it was a sign of submision demanded by the first Manchu Emperor only one year after seizing the throne in 1645. Chinese men shaved the front of their head, then combed the back hair into braids. They used not only their own natural hair, but also horsehair or black silk. The Chinese came to see their braided pigtails a sign of dignity and manhood. For the Chinese, to pull on another's pigtails was a great insult."

    So the custom would have lasted for 265 years.

    Nov 09 03, 10:12 AM
    Siskin

    		Chinese boys and men until the Revolution were famous for wearing plaited pigtails. This was a fashion introduced by the Manchus in the 17th century. Originally it was a sign of submission demanded by the first Manchu Emperor only one year after seizing the throne in 1645. Chinese men shaved the front of their head, then combed the back hair into braids. They used not only their own natural hair, but also horsehair or black silk. The Chinese came to see their braided pigtails a sign of dignity and manhood. For the Chinese, to pull on another's pigtails was a great insult. The pigtails were abolished in 1911.

    http://histclo.hispeed.com/country/other/china/hair/china-hair.html

    Nov 09 03, 10:17 AM
    Senior Moments

    		The line of people answering this is very apt as the pigtails were also known as queues.

    Nov 09 03, 4:54 PM
    mochyn

    		That is where "jumping the queue" originated, the Han Chinese detested the Manchu rule, so in 1911 when they all cut off their pigtails they jumped on them to show their displeasure.

    Nov 09 03, 4:59 PM
    gmackematix

    		Yes Mochyn. And when they all jumped at the same designated time, the Earth shifted slightly in its orbit. ;-)

    Nov 09 03, 7:51 PM

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