The Spirituality of Mongols Ethnic Minority

Mongolian Spiritulity

Most Mongols follow a folk religion known as Mongolian shamanism, which is part of a much broader Central Asian faith called Tengrism. It combines numerous shamanistic[1] and animistic[2] elements, and is intrinsically intertwined with aspects of the Mongolian people’s tribal culture. However, during the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), Buddhism grew in popularity throughout China and soon became mingled with Mongolian shamanism, producing a new branch of the religion that is often referred to as Yellow shamanism. It is so-called because it incorporates many features from the Gelug or “Yellow Hat” sect of Tibetan Buddhism. This serves to distinguish it from another form of the religion that adamantly rejected Buddhist teachings, known by the ominous title of Black shamanism.

Generally speaking, Mongolian shamanism is centred on the worship of deities, called tngri, and the God of Heaven or ultimate deity, known as Tenger. From the 13th century onwards, Genghis Khan was elevated from legendary conqueror to godlike entity, as he is considered to be one of the embodiments of Tenger. The Mausoleum of Genghis Khan in the city of Ordos serves not only as a monument to his historical legacy, but also as a religious centre where he is worshipped.

Within the pantheon of gods, the highest group are the 99 tngri, 55 of which are benevolent or “white” and 44 of which are malevolent or “black”. These are followed by the 77 natigai or “earth-mothers”, below which are numerous other deities of various types and functions. Historically the tngri were common to all clans, and could be called upon by special individuals known as shamans (böö) and shamanesses (udgan), who acted as intercessors between the human and the spirit realm. However, under certain circumstances, clan leaders, nobles, and even commoners could interact with the spirit world.

Mongolian spirituality 01After these core deities, there are three groups of ancestral spirits that were usually specific to a clan. The first were the “Lord Spirits”, which were the souls of previous clan leaders; the second were the “Protector Spirits”, made up of the souls of great shamans (ĵigari) and shamanesses (abĵiya); and the final group were the “Guardian Spirits”, consisting of the souls of smaller shamans (böge) and shamanesses (idugan). That being said, there was still plenty of room in the spirit realm for the little guys too!

Although they weren’t inducted as ancestral spirits, there were three further divisions of spirits that could be called upon in times of need: the white spirits of nobles from the clan; the black spirits of commoners; and the evil spirits of slaves and non-human goblins. Since delegation is as important to the spirit realm as it is to the business world, white spirits could only be called upon by white shamans and conversely black shamans were only permitted to contact black spirits. If a white shaman called on a black spirit, they would lose their right to summon white spirits, while if a black shaman dared contact a white spirit, he would be brutally punished by the black spirits.

The worshipping of these deities and spirits is primarily done at sacrificial altars known as ovoos or “magnificent shrines”. Ovoos are sacred stone heaps that are typically made from nearby rocks, wood, and strips of colourful silk. They vary in size and are often located in high places, such as at the top of mountains or within mountain passes. Each ovoo is meant to be symbolic of a deity, so there are ovoos dedicated to heavenly gods, mountain gods, gods of nature, ancestral spirits, and any otherworldly entity you could think of! Slaughtered animals, incense sticks, and libations all serve as worthy sacrifices when one is worshipping at an ovoo.

Mongolian ovoo 05If a Mongolian person happens to pass by an ovoo while traveling, it is customary to stop and circle the ovoo three times in a clockwise direction, as it is believed this will protect them during their journey. After that, they will usually pick rocks up from the ground and add them to the pile. In some cases, they might even leave offerings in the form of candy, money, milk, or alcohol. As modernity has crept in, these traditions have had to change, and it is now considered acceptable to honk your horn while passing an ovoo if you don’t have time to stop.

At the end of summer, ovoos become the site of Heaven worship ceremonies, where people gather to make offerings to Tenger. They first place a tree branch or stick into the ovoo and tie a blue ceremonial silk scarf to it, known as a khadag. This scarf is meant to symbolise the blueness of the open sky and Tenger himself, who is regarded as the sky spirit. They then light a fire and make offerings of food before taking part in ceremonial dances and prayers. Food left over from the offering ceremony becomes part of a lavish feast that is shared by all of the participants. After all, maintaining that religious fervour must really work up an appetite!

 

 

[1] Shamanism: The practice of attempting to reach altered states of consciousness in order to communicate with the spirit world and channel energy from it into the real world. This can only be done by specialist practitioners known as shaman.

[2] Animism: The belief that all non-human entities, including animals, plants, and even inanimate objects, possess a spiritual essence or soul.

The Mongolian Ovoo

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Along the long and winding country roads of Inner Mongolia, strange mounds loom at the roadside, bedecked with colourful prayer flags and piled high with smooth stones. Known as ovoos or “magnificent shrines”, these sacred heaps are typically fashioned from nearby rocks, wood, and strips of colourful silk. In areas where rocks are too few, they can even be made from soil, sand, or tree branches. They vary in size and are often located in high places, such as at the top of mountains or within mountain passes. According to traditional Mongolian shamanism[1], each ovoo is meant to be symbolic of a deity, so there are ovoos dedicated to heavenly gods, mountain gods, gods of nature, ancestral spirits, and any otherworldly entity you could think of!

Slaughtered animals, incense sticks, and libations all serve as worthy sacrifices when one is worshipping at an ovoo. If a Mongolian person happens to pass by an ovoo while traveling, it is customary to stop and circle the ovoo three times in a clockwise direction, as it is believed this will protect them during their journey. After that, it is customary to pick rocks up from the ground and add them to the pile as an offering. Anyone who is specifically seeking a blessing from the gods will leave finer gifts in the form of candy, money, milk, or alcohol.

ovoo 01In fact, leaving an offering is such an integral part of the tradition surrounding ovoos that you’ll often find a variety of miscellaneous items underneath them, including old steering wheel covers, wooden crutches, empty liquor bottles, and even horses’ skulls! As modernity has crept in, these traditions have had to change, and it is now considered acceptable to honk your horn while passing an ovoo if you don’t have time to stop. While ovoos dedicated to the rich pantheon of deities in Mongolian shamanism tend to be for public use, those built for ancestral gods or village gods are often private shrines for a specific clan or shared by a certain village, banner, or league.

At the end of summer, ovoos become the site of Heaven worship ceremonies, where people gather to make offerings to Tenger, the God of Heaven according to Mongolian shamanism. They first place a tree branch or stick into the ovoo and tie a blue ceremonial silk scarf to it, known as a khadag. This scarf is meant to symbolise the blueness of the open sky and Tenger himself, who is regarded as the sky spirit. They then light a fire, burn incense, and make offerings of food before taking part in ceremonial dances and prayers. Food left over from the offering ceremony becomes part of a lavish feast that is shared by all of the participants. After all, maintaining that religious fervour must really work up an appetite!

 

[1] Shamanism: The practice of attempting to reach altered states of consciousness in order to communicate with the spirit world and channel energy from it into the real world. This can only be done by specialist practitioners known as shaman.

The Mongol Ethnic Minority

mongols 01

You might be surprised to find that Mongols, or Mongolians, are classified as one of the 55 recognised ethnic minorities in China. Yet there are approximately 6 million ethnic Mongols living in the country, nearly twice the population of Mongolia itself! While constituencies of Mongols are scattered throughout the northeastern provinces, the largest concentration can be found in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. That being said, what precisely defines the Mongol ethnicity is a subject that is under heated debate!

A Mongol is a member of an ethnographic group made up of a number of tribal peoples, who roughly share the same social structure, economy, culture, and language. Generally speaking, they are descended from nomadic pastoralists who lived on the steppes of Central Asia, were notoriously excellent horsemen, and travelled with their herds over vast grasslands. Frequent wars, tribal disagreements, and migrations caused a widespread diaspora, meaning communities of Mongols can be found throughout Central Asia.

Nowadays they can be roughly classed into a myriad of sub-groups, including: the Khalkha, the Dorbet, the Olöt, the Torgut, the Buzawa, the Chahar, the Urat, the Karchin, the Ordos Mongols, the Bargut, the Daur Mongols, the Monguors, and the Buryat. In spite of their shared ethnicity, each of these sub-groups has their own distinctive traits and customs. In China, even the Tuvan people are classed under the Mongol ethnicity, although their culture is considered to be wildly different from most Mongols.

Historically, the ancestors of the Mongols were small nomadic tribes, such as the Xiongnu, the Xianbei, and the Donghu, who roamed the regions surrounding the Argun River sometime between the 5th and 3rd century BC. They remained largely separate until the beginning of the 13th century, when an enigmatic warrior loomed on the horizon and threatened to irrevocably change the course of history.

In 1206, this powerful and persuasive clan leader called on all of the other clan leaders in the region to gather at a specific location along the Orkhon River in order to hold an assembly known as a kurultai. At this assembly, he persuaded his rivals to not only form an alliance and unite their separate territories, but to make him their ruler. His name was Genghis Khan. From then onwards, these tribal peoples were known as the Mongols and the Mongol Empire was born. With the formidable Genghis Khan at its helm, it grew to become the largest contiguous land empire in world history. Even after the Mongol Empire collapsed, his legacy would live on in his grandson, Kublai Khan, who conquered the entirety of China and established the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368).

It was the creation of the Mongol Empire that largely facilitated commercial and cultural exchange between China, Central Asia, West Asia, and Europe, while the Mongols openness to other cultures during the Yuan Dynasty led to an era of religious freedom where Tibetan Buddhism, Islam, and Christianity were all allowed to flourish in China. Alongside the Manchu, the Mongols were the only non-Han Chinese ethnic group to have taken control of China proper. As such, their contributions to Chinese history, culture, literature, language, medicine, and astronomy have been invaluable.

From bright white gers glittering like pearls on the grasslands to the strange and haunting sounds of Khöömei or Mongolian “throat-singing”, their unusual lifestyle has been a source of fascination for centuries. Time may have passed, but they have remained much unchanged: formidable on horseback, deftly accurate with a bow, fearsome in their wrestling attire, and unparalleled in their toughness.

Read more about Mongol Ethnic Minority:

Mongolian Spirituality       Mongolian Ovoo

The Traditional Dress of Hui Ethnic Minority

Like many facets of their culture, the traditional dress of the Hui people has been heavily influenced by their Islamic faith. The key to their outfits is to look clean, bright, and sombre, although some embellishment is allowed. The men wear small black or white caps without brims, and these hats can be pentagonal, hexagonal, or octagonal depending on the branch of Islam that they follow. They have a preference for double-breasted white shirts and, in some cases, white trousers and socks. Both men and women like to wear blue waistcoats and some men will wear an extra waistcoat to create a tidy, crisp contrast. In colder areas or during harsh winters, some men and women will wear fur garments made from sheepskin.

hui dressThe women’s dress, though not as elaborate as many other ethnic minorities, is rather more decorative than the men’s. They tend to wear headscarves or veils but these vary depending on their age. Young women typically wear green or coloured veils that have a golden trim and have been embroidered with elegant floral patterns. Married women will wear black veils that cover them from head to shoulder, while elderly women will wear white veils that stretch from their head all the way down their backs. They normally wear a dress that fastens at the side over a pair of trousers and, although they are usually muted in colour, younger women’s clothes may be embroidered with decorative patterns. Women of all ages liven up their outfits with gold or silver bracelets, earrings and rings because, after all, diamonds aren’t a girl’s only best friend!

The Spirituality of Uyghur Ethnic Minority

Throughout their long and illustrious history, the Uyghur people have adopted numerous religions, including shamanism[1], Tengrism[2], Manichaeism, and Buddhism. However, by the 17th century, the vast majority of Uyghurs had converted to Islam. This means that they pray in mosques, follow priests known as imams, and worship the holy book known as the Quran. They rank as the second largest Muslim group in China, directly after the Hui people. That being said, Uyghurs and Hui people rarely worship in the same mosques.

Nowadays, the majority of Uyghur people follow the Sunni branch of Islam, although there are existing conflicts between those who subscribe to the mystical tradition of Sufism and those who do not. Generally speaking, Uyghurs living in the southern regions of Xinjiang, particularly surrounding the city of Kashgar, are much more conservative. In these regions, women will most likely wear the full veil, which is uncommon in other parts of Xinjiang. In less conservative areas, many people will still drink alcohol, will not object to women working, and will allow young women to wear Western clothes.

In rural parts of Xinjiang, many shamanistic and animistic[3] traditions endure. These traditions appear to have intertwined with Islam, as shamans will chant passages of the Quran to heal the sick and people will wear amulets inscribed with Arabic script to ward off evil spirits. In Gansu province, there is a small pocket of people known as the Yugurs or “Yellow Uyghurs” who still practice Tibetan Buddhism. It is thought that they share a common ancestry with the Uyghur people, although they are a distinctly different ethnic group.

 

 

[1] Shamanism: The practice of attempting to reach altered states of consciousness in order to communicate with the spirit world and channel energy from it into the real world. This can only be done by specialist practitioners known as shaman.

[2] Tengrism: This is a Central Asian polytheistic religion that incorporates features of shamanism, animism, totemism, and ancestor worship. The religion is founded on the belief that the meaning of life is to live in harmony with the natural world. Historically, it was of great significance to the Turks, the Mongols, and the Hungarians.

[3] Animism: The belief that all non-human entities, including animals, plants, and even inanimate objects, possess a spiritual essence or soul.

 

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The Customs of Hui Ethnic Minority

The Hui are a deeply religious people and strictly follow the Islamic faith, meaning they live a puritanical lifestyle. They are forbidden from smoking, drinking alcohol, and gambling, and young people are not permitted to sit alongside elders. They rarely like to joke and their dress code is reasonably strict, since it is considered inappropriate to bare your arms or any part of your chest in public. The Hui people may not be the ethnic minority you’d want to party with, but their fascinating mixture of Eastern and Central Asian culture is a wonder to observe.

They strictly follow Islamic dietary laws and are forbidden to eat the meat of pigs, dogs, horses, donkeys, and mules as well as the blood of any animal. They have a particular aversion to pork as, according to the Quran, pigs are the only animals that can never be properly cleaned. That being said, I don’t think the pigs are going to complain about this arrangement! They are not permitted to eat the meat of any animal that has died naturally or has been slaughtered by anyone other than an imam or approved butcher. It is also unacceptable to make jokes about food or use the forbidden foods in a metaphor. For example, the terms “blood red” or “as filthy as a pig” would be considered highly inappropriate.

A Halal Restaurant in Beijing
A Halal Restaurant in Beijing

Cleanliness is one of their main concerns and so they always wash their hands before and after any meal. Before attending religious services, they will take part in either a “minor cleaning” or a “major cleaning”. A minor cleaning simply involves washing the face, mouth, nose, hands, and feet, while a major cleaning entails a thorough bathing of the whole body. So, if you thought your sister took a long time in the shower, be thankful you aren’t sharing your bathroom with a Hui family!

They are very particular about their drinking water so people should never water their livestock or wash themselves or their clothes near a water source. Before heading to a well or spring to collect water, one must wash their hands thoroughly and any remaining water in a container must never be poured back into the source.

When a person dies, their body must be thoroughly cleaned with water and then wrapped in a white cloth. They are then buried promptly and without a coffin in the presence of an imam, who acts as the presider. The Hui people do not wail during funerals, as this is seen to be a sign of hatred for the deceased.

Tea of HuiWhen a Hui family receives visitors, they will always welcome them with tea, fruits, and homemade cakes. They have a rich tea drinking culture and use a three-part tea cup made up of a saucer, a cup with no handle, and a cover, so be careful how you hold it or you may end up with a three-part mess! The host will always prepare the tea and, if there are several guests, they will serve it according to age and status. For example, the most honourable or eldest guest should be served first.

Traditionally, when longans are in season, they will add three fresh longans to the cup with their skins still on. The tea leaves are placed on top of the longans and then boiling water is added. Out of season, they will use dried longans or longan paste. The cup can be refilled with boiling water many times and so many cups of tea can be had from just a few ingredients! The tea leaves used can vary, as each family will have a preference for which type of tea they like.

When drinking the tea, you must skim the cover across the surface of the water, as this helps any added sugar to melt and supposedly makes the tea more fragrant. The tea is drank while holding the cover at an angle so the cover acts as a strainer and keeps the tea leaves out of the mouth. It is considered impolite to remove the cover, blow the tea leaves away with your mouth, swallow the tea in one go, or gasp while drinking the tea.

Above all else, you must never set aside a cup of tea that has been offered to you without trying it first. If you start to eat the fruit, this signifies to your host that you do not want any more tea. It also lets them know you’re hungry, so you may get a cheeky piece of cake out of it too!

The Spirituality of the Hui Ethnic Minority

The Great Mosque in Xi’an
The Great Mosque in Xi’an

Though the Hui people are not defined by their Islamic faith, the vast majority of them are Muslim. This means they worship at mosques, follow priests known as imams, and worship the holy book called the Quran. Although throughout history many of their mosques have been destroyed due to religious persecution, since 1949 they have been allowed to build them and worship freely.

All Hui communities will surround a mosque and the older mosques tend to be a mixture of Han Chinese and Central Asian architecture, while the newer ones are purely Central Asian in design. One of the finest examples is the Great Mosque in the city of Xi’an, which perfectly amalgamates elements of Chinese and Central Asian architecture.

Some Hui people claim that Islam is the only religion through which Confucianism should be practised and thus accuse Buddhists and Taoists of heresy. However, other Hui people, particularly those who follow the Sunni Gedimu and Yihewani branches of Islam, burn incense during worship, which is thought to be the result of Taoist and Buddhist influences. Many of the other Islamic ethnic minorities, such as the Salar, regard this as a heathen ritual and denounce it.

The Hui are the only Muslims in the world who are known to have female imams and, while male imams as known as ahung, female imams are known as nu ahung. They guide other women in prayer but are not allowed to lead prayers like regular imams.

 

Hui Ethnic Minority

hui-ethnic-01

With a current population of approximately 10 million, the Hui are the 2nd most populous of China’s 55 ethnic minorities. Although following Islam is not necessarily a criterion for being Hui, this ethnic group is largely made up of Muslims and this is part of what makes them so unique. They are spread throughout China, with the largest concentration in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and several sizeable communities in the provinces of Gansu, Qinghai, Xinjiang, Yunnan, Shandong, and Shaanxi. While all of them speak Chinese, some of them have retained the ability to speak Arabic and use it predominantly during religious activities. After all, being fluent in two of the world’s most notoriously difficult languages has to have its advantages!

Unlike several of China’s other ethnic minorities, the Hui bear great resemblance to the Han majority. In fact, very little separates the two ethnic groups besides the Hui’s religious beliefs. For example, Hui people conform to Islamic dietary laws and will not eat pork, which is the most popular meat in China. However their appearance and dress does not differ hugely from their Han counterparts, which begs the question; what makes them so different from Chinese Muslims? The answer lies in their illustrious past as traders and military men.

The term “Hui” comes from their original name of “Huihui”, which was used during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1912) dynasties. It is thought to originate from the early term “Huihe” or “Huihu”, which was used during the 8th and 9th century to describe anyone from the western Uyghur State. Though these Uyghurs were not exclusively Muslim and are not directly related to modern-day Uyghur or Hui people, the term “Huihui” was applied to any foreigner who came from the west.

Thus the Hui people have a direct link not to China but to Central Asia. They have a varied ancestry that includes Arab, Persian, Mongol, Turkic and other Central Asian ancestors and their origins can be traced back in two ways. Some Hui people descended from Arab and Persian traders, who arrived in China via the Silk Road during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Around the 7th century, some of them eventually settled in cities such as Guangzhou, Quanzhou, Hangzhou, Yangzhou and Chang’an (modern-day Xi’an) and were referred to as “fanke” or “guests from outlying regions”. Wherever they settled, they built mosques and public cemeteries. Over time they intermarried with Han people and converted their partners to Islam but largely assimilated with Chinese culture.

Other Hui communities, such as those in Yunnan and northwest China, trace their origins back to Mongol, Turkic and other Central Asian settlers who arrived in China during the 13th century. When the Mongols undertook their western expeditions during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), they drafted in large groups of Islamic peoples from Central Asia. The aim was for these people to settle as scouts in parts of western China and act as livestock breeders until they were needed for military purposes. We don’t know exactly how the ability to raise a cow would benefit their skill as soldiers, but perhaps that’s a moo-t point.

They were also allowed to build mosques and they came to form an aristocratic class directly under the Mongol rulers known as the “Semu”. Thus they had a profound influence on military, political, and social affairs during the Yuan Dynasty. However, in spite of their new found power, many imperial laws prevented these Muslims from practising several Islamic customs, such as the eating of halal meat. This lack of religious freedoms eventually prompted several Hui people to turn on the Mongols and ally with the Ming Dynasty. In fact, it wasn’t until the Ming Dynasty that the Hui people were even recognised as a distinct ethnic group!

Nowadays Hui people live in large, exclusively Muslim communities that usually surround a mosque. This can be anything from villages to streets or whole quarters in major cities. They normally have both a Chinese name and an Arabic name, although they predominantly use their Chinese names. In spite of being religious people in a largely secular country, they have been widely accepted since 1949 and there is even a Hui Culture Museum in Yinchuan City, Ningxia.

Read more about Hui Ethnic Minority:

Hui Spirituality       Traditional Dress       Other Customs

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Traditional Dress of Uyghur Minority

 

Uyghur dress

The traditional dress of the Uyghur people is deeply intertwined with both their history as traders along the Silk Road and their devout belief in Islam. In particular, two pieces of clothing have become symbolic of the Uyghur ethnic minority: the chapan and the doppa. The chapan, a variant of the caftan, is a long coat that is worn over the clothes during the winter months. It is typically worn by men and comes in a variety of colours, from muted blues to fiery reds. Intricate patterns are embroidered on the exterior and, instead of buttons, the chapan is bound by a large cloth band around the waist.

The doppa is a square or round skullcap that is worn not only by the Uyghurs but also by the Kazan Tartars, the Uzbeks, and the Tajiks. The cap itself is usually black or white, although other colour variants do exist, and it is traditionally embroidered with vibrantly colourful patterns, much like the chapan. Older Uyghur men are known to grow long beards and wear a much taller version of the doppa, which is fringed with fur at the bottom.

While men sport the chapan, women wear exquisitely embroidered long-sleeved dresses that billow out at the waist. Popular embroidery motifs include vines, pomegranates, moons, arabesques, and geometric patterns. Golds, reds, and blacks are the most popular colour combinations, although pinks, greens, blues, purples, and even tie-dyes also feature. To complement these luxurious dresses, Uyghur women don plenty of jewellery, including large earrings, bracelets, and necklaces.

Young girls tend to braid their hair in a number of long plaits, as this is regarded as a symbol of feminine beauty, while married women usually wear two plaited pigtails affixed to the head with a crescent-shaped comb. Although it is still reasonably uncommon, some women will wear the veil in-keeping with their Islamic faith. Both men and women wear silk slippers or leather boots, depending on the season and the occasion. From shimmering satins to rich silk threads, the opulence of the Uyghurs’ traditional dress is undeniable!

 

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The Uyghur Ethnic Minority

Uyghur ethnic

With a population of over 8 million, the Uyghur people are easily one of the largest ethnic minority groups in China. The majority of them reside in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, although there are substantial constituencies of them in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkey. Smaller communities of Uyghurs can be found throughout the world, even as far as Germany, Australia, and the United States! They live primarily at the base of the Tianshan Mountains, with an estimated 80% of Xinjiang’s Uyghur population occupying territory surrounding the Tarim Basin. Outside of Xinjiang, the largest community of Uyghurs in China can be found in Taoyuan County of Hunan province.

When it comes to religion, they predominantly follow the Sunni branch of Islam and subscribe to the mystical Islamic tradition of Sufism, although they tend to distance themselves from other Muslim groups in China, such as the Hui people. Compared to China’s other ethnic minorities, the Uyghurs are profoundly physically diverse, ranging from people who look ethnically European or Middle Eastern to those who have a far more East Asian appearance. This physical diversity points to a difficulty in defining exactly what makes someone a member of the Uyghur ethnic group.

In the Turkic Uyghur language, the word “Uyghur” literally means “united” or “allied”, which is somewhat fitting when you consider that the Uyghur group is actually a melting pot made up of a multitude of ancient peoples! The term “Uyghur” was first used during the Northern Wei Dynasty (386–535) in reference to a clan of the Gaoche people, who were a group of Turkic tribes. Later on, the Gaoche became known as the Tiele people.

Historically, the Uyghurs were a nomadic tribe who spent much of their time as vassals to larger and more powerful ethnic groups, such as the Mongolians and the Han Chinese. However, that wasn’t to be the case for very long! In 734, the Turkish Khaganate (682–744), which had once ruled much of the area on China’s northern borders, started to fall apart and numerous Turkish subject tribes vied with one another to annex its valuable territory. After a lengthy period of warfare, the Uyghur people emerged victorious and established the Uyghur Khaganate (745-840). At its peak, its territory stretched from the Caspian Sea right through to Manchuria. Yet, rather confusingly, anyone who was a citizen of the Uyghur Khaganate was designated a Uyghur, regardless of their ethnic heritage.

It was at this time that the Uyghur people were influenced by Sogdian refugees and converted to Manichaeism. Their situation at one of the crucial stops along the Silk Road meant that trade blossomed in the Uyghur Khaganate, and this trading culture is still evidenced by the many lively markets throughout Xinjiang. Unfortunately, after a brutal famine and a civil war, the empire was overrun by the Kyrgyz people and collapsed in 840. The Uyghur refugees were forced to flee and ended up settling in the area surrounding the Tarim Basin. They established the Kingdom of Qocho (856–1335) and eventually converted to Buddhism.

As time went on, they gradually intermarried with the local people and became the Uyghur ethnic group that we know today. Islam arrived into China sometime during the 7th century and was widely spread by the Kara-Khanid Khanate (840–1212), which was a Turkic dynasty that ruled an area in Central Asia known as Transoxiana. By the 17th century, the majority of Uyghurs had finally adopted Islam as their main religion. The region where they lived, which was once known as East Turkistan, didn’t become part of China proper until it was conquered by the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) in 1864 and renamed Xinjiang or “New Territory”. The small community of Uyghurs that currently live in Hunan province are descended from Uyghur soldiers that were sent to the region during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) to help quell a local rebellion.

UyghurNowadays, the Uyghurs are well-known for their rich culture and fascinating customs. Throughout Xinjiang, visitors are consistently dazzled by the bright colours of their traditional dress, the sumptuous aroma of freshly grilled kebabs, the beauty of their local mosques, and the sprightly sounds of Uyghur musicians. In particular, a type of musical performance known as the 12 Muqams of the Uyghur people was designated by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2005, proving the impact that these people have had on local culture. In short, a trip to Xinjiang simply wouldn’t be complete without indulging in the opulence of Uyghur culture.

 

Read more about Uyghur Ethnic Minority:

Uyghur Spirituality       Traditional Dress       Festivals       Marriage Customs       Performance       Craftwork

 

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