Guizhou Ethnic Groups in the Qing Dynasty Miao Albums: Miao, Yizu, Gelao

Abstract

This paper aims to evaluate textual descriptions of Guizhou ethnic groups found in the Qing dynasty Miao albums as  a source for the study of history of large ethnic groups such as Miao, Yizu and Gelao. Two Miao albums about ethnic groups of Guizhou are housed at the library of Saint Petersburg State University, one of them has 72 descriptions with hand-drawn plates, only 28 out of 40 descriptions with plates remain in the other one. Among them are dozens of descriptions of Miao groups, several groups of Yizu, Buyi and Gelao, mainly with information on their costume and customs. Scarce information on history is found only in the descriptions of Yizu, since Yizu had been holding positions of local tusi chieftains and had established their own polities which the Chinese empire was forced to interact with. Rare descriptions of Miao have mentions of historical events. This study traces the historical sources, starting from the Han dynasty, where information was borrowed from, for the Miao albums. The paper restores these pieces of information and provides a commentary. Apparently, the value of Miao albums is presented by their visual images of Guizhou people together with accompanying ethnographic notes rather than the historical accounts.