Two edicts on wearing the hair

Two Edicts Concerning the wearing of the Hair Under Manchu Rule Dorgon’s edict (the "haircutting order") forced all adult Han Chinese men to shave the front of their heads and comb the remaining hair into a queue, on pain of death. The slogan of the order is: "To keep the hair, you lose the head; To keep your head, you cut the hair." To the Manchus, this policy was a test of loyalty and an aid in distinguishing friend from foe.