Uyghur Minority

 

Introduction

The Uyghurs have inhabited Xinjiang and Central Asia for a long time, and they were formed after the long-term migration and multi-ethnic integration. According to the sixth China’s census in 2010, the Uyghur is the fifth largest ethnic group in China, with a total population of around 10 million. They mainly live in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, in which the population count of Uyghur is 834,5622, accounting for 99.4% of the total Uyghur population in China. Their settlements are scattered over the oases around Tarim Basin.
 

The word “Uyghur”, which they call themselves, literally means “allied”, “united” or “assisted”. In different historical periods, it has been transcribed into different characters in Han Chinese documents. After a series of changes, in 1934, the government finally decided to use “维吾尔” as the official Chinese name of this ethnic group, which literally means to maintain the unity of you and me. It is said that the original meaning of this name was accurately expressed for the first time. After 1949, the Chinese government recognized them as one of the ethnic minority groups under the name of “Uyghur”.
 

The modern Uyghur language is classified under the Turkic language family, which is close to Uzbek. The Uyghur people have a long history of using scripts. Different writing systems have been applied to transcribe their own languages in different historical periods. They used Turkic and Sogdian scripts, but the Arabic script has been long used since the gradual conversion of the Uyghur people to Islam. The current Uyghur script, which becomes commonly used after continuous supplementation, is improved on the basis of this Arabic script.

 

History

The Uyghurs in Xinjiang originated from the Tiele tribes. During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, they united with other tribes to form the Uyghur alliance to resist the rule of the Turkic Khaganate. With the support of the Tang Empire, they overthrew the Turkic Khaganate and established the Uyghur Khaganate. During the An Lushan Rebellion, the Uyghur Khaganate sent troops many times to assist the Tang Empire in suppressing the rebel army. In 840 AD, the Uyghur Khaganate fell after a brutal famine and a civil war, and then the Uyghur people migrated westwards. In the middle of the 10th century, the nomadic Uyghur groups started to settle in Northwest China. The original Indo-European ethnic groups in the Tianshan Mountains gradually assimilated into the Uyghur groups. Afterwards, Uyghur ancestors in Xinjiang were successively ruled by other regimes.
 

Until the beginning of the 13th century, they took the initiative to become a vassal to the Mongol Empire of Genghis Khan. Later, the Mongolian officials began to vigorously promote Islam among the local Mongolians in order to facilitate the rule of local Uyghurs and other groups who believed in Islam and spoke Turkic, so that a considerable number of Mongolian residents converted to Islam. After the gradual Islamization, these Mongolians living in agricultural areas lost their own characteristics. They gradually became a mixture of Turkic and Mongolian tribes, thereby becoming part of Uyghur ethnic groups then. At the beginning of the 18th century, the Qing Empire defeated Dzungar Khanate and annexed their territory of the southern Tianshan Mountains, including Urumqi. In 1758, the Qing government began to build fortresses and deployed garrisons there. During this period, the Uyghur society was basically in a state of autonomy. Manchu, Han and Mongolian officials rarely interfered in Uyghur daily administrative affairs other than trade, military forces and public security, and the Uyghur people were mainly managed by local officials in accordance with the Islamic law.
 

Before the 20th century, Uyghur ethnic groups in various regions lacked the unified national consciousness, and each Uyghur group called itself differently. In the early 20th century, many tribes in Central Asia began to establish their own nation states. Dissidents have all carried out different activities on this land, trying to transform this area in different ways. Finally, in September 1949, the War of Liberation and the Chinese People’s Revolution achieved decisive victories throughout the country. On September 26, Xinjiang was peacefully liberated. The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region was formally established in 1955, which lived up to the demand of the Uyghurs and all ethnic groups in Xinjiang to be the masters of the country, and greatly increased the enthusiasm of the people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang.

 

Distribution

The Uyghurs are mainly distributed in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in northwest China. Almost 90% of Uyghurs inhabit the southwestern region of Xinjiang, in which the population of the Uyghur ethnic group outnumbers other groups’.
 

Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, the hinterland of Eurasia, is located in northwest China. It is a China’s provincial-level division with the largest area of over 1.6 million square kilometers (640,000 square miles) and the longest land border of more than 5,600 kilometers. From north to south, it borders 8 countries, namely Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.
 

The north of Xinjiang is the Altai Mountains, and the south is the Kunlun Mountains with the Tianshan Mountains are in the middle, which divide Xinjiang into two parts with different natural environments. The south of Tianshan Mountains is called Nanjiang, and the north is Beijiang. At Nanjiang, there is the Tarim Basin, the largest basin in China, in the center of which is the Taklamakan Desert. Dzungarian Basin is located at Beijiang. The eastern end of the Tianshan Mountains is the Turpan Basin, which is the lowest depression and the hottest area in China.
 

Because of the great distance from the sea in any direction, a typical continental climate prevails in Xinjiang. Nanjiang is arid and warm, while Beijiang is relatively cold, but abundant in rain and snow. There are hundreds of rivers in Xinjiang, which are fed by melting snows of mountains. Except for the Irtysh River, the rest are not running towards an ocean. These rivers are used for irrigation in the oases. Thanks to this kind of climate, Xinjiang became the world’s largest cotton exporter, accounting for 26% in the world cotton market.

 

Culture

Historically, the Uyghur people adopted many different religions, such as Shamanism, Tengrism, Manichaeism and Buddhism. However, at the end of the 10th century, they began to convert to Islam, which gradually occupied a dominant position in Uyghur areas. At present, the Uyghur is the second-largest Muslim ethnic group in China, second only to the Hui. But, there are some differences between the Uyghur and Hui Muslims in Xinjiang, so they generally worship in different mosques. The majority of modern Uyghurs are Sunnis, and Uyghur Muslims in the southern part of Xinjiang are more conservative than other parts. These Uyghur Muslims have their own unique ideological system in the interpretation of the Quran, which advocates abstinence and asceticism.
 

Uyghur cuisine has both Chinese and Central Asian characteristics. Due to the dry climate, wheat is their main staple grain. Their favorite meat includes mutton, beef and chicken, but pork is forbidden in accordance with Islamic rules. The followings will show you the most common dishes you will enjoy in Xinjiang.
 

Nan, a staple flat-bread that is oven-baked, is the most popular food in Xinjiang. You might find it in every meal no matter when you travel to Xinjiang. It is crispy bread with sugar, salt and sesame seeds. It is very delicious, especially accompanied by a bowl of Shorpa, a kind of lamb soup.
 

If you order Polu, a popular Uyghur dish in Xinjiang, you will be well served with a plate of steamed rice with fried mutton, carrots and onion, and raisins may also be added on its top.
 

Samsa is another Uyghur pastry, which is a pie stuffed with minced mutton and vegetables and baked in a special clay oven. Samsa stuffed with chicken, beef, or potato can also be found in the street.
 

If you have a chance to enjoy the Uyghur Kebab, then you will know why it is one of the most popular dishes in Xinjiang. It is skewered lamb or beef roasted over a grill and seasoned with a blend of spices. It is no doubt that Uyghurs are the experts at making lamb kebabs throughout China.
 

Leghman, also called latiaozi in China, is a Uyghur pulled noodle with meat and vegetables. It is served as boiled noodle with fried mutton as its topping.
 

Dapanji, also known as big plate chicken, is a popular chicken dish from Xinjiang, which became popular in the late 1990s. Its main ingredients are chicken, potatoes and red hot chili pepper, so the flavor is a little spicy. It is usually served with leghman on a big plate, and then you don’t need to order anything else for a meal. When it is served with naan optionally, then the bread in its gravy will become soft and you will feel its melting in your mouth.
 

The Uyghur lives are deeply influenced by Persian and Islamic cultures. The Uyghur clothing is usually made of wool with intricate geometric patterns. As Muslims, Uyghur women, like other Muslim women in the surrounding areas, wear a little conservatively, but the Uyghur female clothing comes in various brighter colors. In southern Xinjiang, it is common to see women in their veils. In modern times, due to the influence of the West and Soviet Russia, Uyghurs in some areas like to wear Western-style clothing with distinctive Doppa or Hijab to keep their ethnic identities. Uyghur women like to wear colorful headscarves and dresses made of silk, while Uyghur men like to wear colorful chapan, a long coat embroidered in a variety of patterns. Both men and women prefer silk slippers and leather boots. Uyghur young girls prefer to braid their hair to show their feminine beauty, but men traditionally tend to cut all their hair off because it is considered as an auspicious symbol.
 

Uyghurs live in the vast desert, where wind and sand are severe; summers are hot and amid; winters are dry and cold. Therefore, Uyghurs pay great attention to the transformation of the environment, and their courtyards often have orchards or gardens to beautify the neighborhood. They also attach great importance to the interior decoration of houses, so each family has colorful carpets everywhere.
 

When Uyghurs meet their elders or friends, they must put their right hands on their chests, and women must hug each other. They put their hands on their knees to say goodbye. The younger generation must give a salute to the elders. But now, they also accept shaking hands as a good meeting manner.
 

Muqam is a type of Uyghur classical music, with 12 different styles. It is a mixture of the classical Arabic Muqam music and the local Uyghur folk songs, which has been designated as part of the Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. Like Muqam, the Uyghur folk songs styles vary from region to region. Its contents can be divided into two parts: traditional folk songs and modern folk songs. Traditional folk songs cover a wide range from love songs, labor songs to historical songs, customs songs.
 

Meshrep, a series of traditional Uyghur performing arts, including drama, music, dance, acrobatics and games, is the development of ancient Uyghur ancestors’ celebrations. Different Meshrep will perform on different occasions, including weddings and disciplinary ceremonies. Meshrep is usually organized outdoors, a major feature of which is that there is no difference between audiences and actors, because everyone is a participant. Meshrep fully reflects the positive, optimistic and humorous nature of the Uyghur people.

 

Customs

The traditional Uyghur festivals mainly include Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, which are derived from Islam. The dates are not fixed because they follow the Islamic calendar.
 

The Eid al-Fitr is observed on the first day of the 10th month of the Islamic calendar. After a month of fasting, Muslims will watch the moon on the last night of Ramadan. If they see the crescent moon, they will start to celebrate this festival. Otherwise, they have to keep waiting, but it won’t beyond three days. Because it is a grand religious festival, Muslims will gather together to worship and pray, and greet the elderly, relatives and friends who may be forgotten on normal days.
 

On the day of the Eid al-Adha, Muslims must wear new clothes and sacrifice the animals, such as ox, sheep and camels, during this festival. The meat will not only be entertained to their own families, but also distributed to the poor, so as to ensure that all Muslims have a meat meal during festivals. It is no wonder that the Eid al-Adha is an important part of Uyghurs’ social connection.
 

Intermarriage is often not allowed by the Uyghur customs. Uyghurs may as well to marry someone who believes in Islam. Uyghurs have less strict requirements for unmarried young men and women, so they can meet and communicate with each other. When a man falls in love with a woman, they will ask their families for approval. The wedding is usually held in the woman’s house by Akhoond. After Akhoond recites a piece of Quran, he will take out two pieces of naan dipped in saltwater. The bride and groom must finish such bitter bread, which symbolizes that the couple will share joys and sorrows and be loyal to their love in the future. At the wedding banquet, they will entertain all guests with Polu.
 

According to Islamic rules, Uyghurs practice quick burial. After a ritual to expiate the sins of the dead, the corpse is sent to the burial ground without coffins and any burial objects. Enclosure walls will be built around the cemetery. According to traditional customs, men who come to the funeral must wear a Doppa and women must wear a headscarf.

 

Scenic Spots

If you are planning a travel to Xinjiang, the followings are the must- visit scenic spots.
 

Tianchi, the Heavenly Lake of Tianshan, is an alpine lake, which on the north side of Tianshan. If you would like to enjoy the picturesque views of peaks and lakes, take a bus from Urumqi, and have yourself enjoy its beauty and serenity.
 

Karamay Ghost City is the most beautiful Yardang landforms in Xinjiang. It is named after the gloomy noise when the intense wind moves through the large rocks. Even if you have no chance to reach it yourself, you may have already seen it from the famous Chinese movie, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
 

Xinjiang Museum collects over 40,000 pieces of cultural relics, through which you may find the cultural glory of ancient Western Regions, the Xinjiang’s ethnic customs illustrated by paintings and the famous ancient mummies of Xinjiang.
 

Tarim Huyanglin National Forest Park is the largest primitive populus euphratica forest park in Xinjiang, integrating desert poplar and desert landscape. It is the oldest, largest, and the most well-preserved populus euphratica reserve in the world. Walking in the park and looking at the ancient and sturdy trunks, you will admire the miracle of nature.