The modern concept of state originated in Europe in the 19th century and mainly refers to the nation-state established based on the Westphalian system, and this concept was completely lacking in ancient times.
can be seen from the structure of the character "国". No matter which font expresses the same meaning, that is, it is a city surrounded by four sides. In the beginning, the country meant a city. A city was a country. As more and more new cities were built, the country gradually became a capital, also known as a royal city. After establishing the feudal system in
cycle, again redefines the concept of a country. It is used specifically to refer to fiefdom, which means the vassal state. The vassal state is not a truly independent country, but is just an administrative unit and is directly under the jurisdiction of the emperor. The feudal system did not disappear with China's unification, but was retained until . The Qing Dynasty also had a king like . The southwestern region of under his rule was essentially a vassal state.
In addition to the vassal states, there are also vassal states. These countries have greater independence than the vassal states, but they are still not real countries because they still fall within the jurisdiction of the emperor. For example, Ming Dynasty sent troops to Vietnam to exercise the authority of the emperor.
Where the emperor does not belong to the jurisdiction of the emperor is called a foreign land, which means foreign country. It can be seen that in ancient times, "the world" was the real country.
" Cultivate oneself and manage the family Governance of the country and pacify the world" is the ideal ambition of ancient literati. Governing the country here refers to governing the vassal states, and "pacifying the world" refers to serving the country.
1921 China ended the dynasty era and entered the modern era, and the country at this time means a modern country.
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