[ad_1]
Bowing is a sign of respect and obedience, originating from imperial China where subjects were required to bow to the emperor. Today, it is rarely practiced but may be used in specific situations. The word comes from Mandarin and involves kneeling and dropping the forehead to the ground. Bowing is also practiced in some Chinese Buddhist sects as a sign of religious veneration. Historically, bowing had implications for foreign diplomats in China who risked indicating their nation was a subject of the emperor.
The term “bowing” refers to a specific type of bow that is used to express respect and deference, and also more generally to any type of action that involves obedience. The word and tradition comes from imperial China, where people were expected to bow to the emperor or empress of China. Today, people rarely bow to living individuals, although people may choose to do so in certain very specific situations.
This word comes from the Mandarin kou tou, which means “to bang one’s head,” and entered English in the 1800s. To bow, someone kneels and then drops their forehead to the ground. The posture is extremely submissive, leaving the nape of the neck vulnerable, and is therefore a sign of extreme respect and submission. In imperial China, subjects were required to bow before approaching the emperor, and people also bowed to important officials, especially when asking for something.
As China has become a more egalitarian society and there is no longer an emperor, there are no situations where modern Chinese (or anyone else) are required to bow to others. However, some people may choose to bow when asking for mercy, forgiveness, or a favor from someone else, and in some martial arts disciplines, people bow in certain situations.
Kowtowing is also practiced in some sects of Chinese Buddhism. In these sects, worshipers bow before approaching a statue of the Buddha, and may also bow before Buddhist priests. Visitors to Buddhist shrines who are not Buddhists may also bow out of respect for Buddhist culture, if instructed to do so by a guide. While bowing in this manner is performed as a sign of religious veneration and respect, the act itself has no religious overtones, contrary to some conceptions in the West.
Historically, kowtow has had all sorts of implications. For example, representatives of foreign powers who bowed to the emperor risked indicating that they and their nations were subjects of the emperor. This became a problem for many foreign diplomats in China, as they did not want to bow down, because they were official representatives of the government, and therefore were not allowed in the emperor’s presence.
[ad_2]