现代民族国家观念在云南边地传播肇源于清末西方列强入侵所引发的西南边疆危机，迫使清政府转变原有的国防观念，更加重视云南边防，在民族主义和现代民族国家观念的作用下，清政府的现代国家边界意识越发清晰。在建立现代民族国家使命的推动下，从清末到民国初年，政府借助于新的印刷技术、现代民族国家观念的思想武器和学校教育的组织形式，试图同化边地少数民族、巩固边防。现代民族国家观念在边地酝酿、中心生成又反传边地, 其在云南边地传播的过程，其实也是教育同化的过程。历史地看，这样的努力是成功的，但边地少数民族传统的“世界观”并未因此而完全消隐，依然具有生命力。

The spreading of modern nation-state concept in the Yunnan border zones originated from the southwest frontier crisis in the late Qing Dynasty which caused by the invasion of western powers, and the idea of national defense of Qing government was forced to change by the contexts. Hence, the government of Qing had to pay more attention on Yunnan border defense. Thanks to the ideological trend of nationalism and nation-state concept, the modern boundary consciousness of Qing government became more clear. Being a modern nation state, from the late Qing Dynasty to the early Republic of China, was one of the core appeals of the Chinese people, and the government tried to assimilate the minority in the Yunnan border zones and strengthen the ability of frontier defense by new printing techniques, ideological weapon of the concept of modern nation state, and the school educational management. Meanwhile, the spreading process of the nation state concept, which originated from the border area, manipulated by the central , then back to the border, also was the process of education assimilation in this area. Historically, the process had been proved to be successful, but today the minorities’ worldview in Yunnan border zones is not disappeared or assimilated at all; and to some extent, it’s still vigorous.