Dongxiang people
Encyclopedia
The Dongxiang people are one of 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China
. Most of the Dongxiang live in the Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture
and surrounding areas of Gansu
Province in northwestern China, while others groupings can also be found in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Qinghai
Province, and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. According to the 2000 census, their population numbers 513,805.
in the 13th century.
One possible origin is that they are descendants of Mongolian troops posted in the Hezhou area by Genghis Khan
(1162-1227 AD) during his journey westward, while another possibility is that they could be a mixture of many peoples including Mongolian, Han, and Tibetan groups.
The American Asiatic Association published an account of the Dongxiang's origins in the "Asia, Volume 40". A Muslim Mongol, Ma Chuanyuan, who was the supermagistrate of five districts, was interviewed, and gave a story on his people's origins. The conversion to Islam by a clan descended from Genghis Khan angered their relatives, who drove them all the way to Eastern Linxia. This occurred at the twilight of the Yuan dynasty. East Linxia was described as a land of "thorns and yellow earth". The author estimated a number of 100,000 Mongolian Muslims. They spoke Mongolian but were all illiterate. The account described them as "a community of one hundred thousand, Mongol by race, Mohammedan by religion and Chinese by culture." The majority of them were monolingual, the nephew of Ma Chuanyuan, at age 12, learned to write and speak Chinese in school, he was an alumnus of Tianjin
's Nankai Middle School, and Nanjing
's Military College
.
Dongxiang were also known as Santa (San-t'a) people, it was reported that many of them served in the army of the Hui
General Ma Fuxiang
. It was even said that Ma Fuxiang himself was of Santa descent, who had assimilated into the Hui community.
Their autonym, sarta, may also provide a contradictory clue to their origin: a similar word Sart
was formerly used in Central Asia to refer to Arab traders, later to the local (mostly) Turkic-speaking city dwellers. Their official name of Dōngxiāng meaning "eastern villages" stems from the fact that their settlements are east of the major Han Chinese settlements.
Like other Muslims in China, the Dongxiang served extensively in the Chinese military. It was said that they and the Salars were given to "eating rations", a reference to military service.
, Hui
, and Tibet
an surnames. Dongxiang with Han Chinese surnames such as Wang, Kang, Zhang, Gao, Huang claim descent from Han Chinese. Those with surnames such as Ma and Mu are descended from Hui.
Some Dongxiang have said in the rare instances that they do marry with other people, it is only with Hui and Han, but not Tibetans.
A town called Tangwangchuan (唐汪川) in Gansu
had a multi ethnic populace, the Tang 唐 and Wang 汪 families being the two major families. The Tang and Wang families were originally of non Muslim Han chinese extraction, but by the 1900s some branches of the families became Muslim by "intermarriage or conversion" while other branches of the families remained non Muslim.
People in the area have changed their ethnicity by marrying members of other groups or converting to their religion. The Tang and Wang families are now composed of all three different ethnic groups, with Han Chinese
, Hui
, and Dongxiang people. The Dongxiang and Hui are Muslims.
Tangwangchuan and Hanjiaji were notable for being the lone towns with a multie ethnic community, with both Non Muslims and Muslims.
The cuisines of various ethnicities have spread across boundaries in the area of Hehuang, with different groups such as Mongolians, Tibetan, Dongxiang, and Hui eating each others food like mutton and milk tea.
The Dongxiang speak Dongxiang language
, a member of the Mongolic
family. The Dongxiang people also have a rich tradition of oral literature, and use the Arabic alphabet.
As a result of the language shift
, some 20,000 people in several villages in the northeastern Dongxiang County now speak the so-called "Tangwang language
": a creolized
version of Mandarin with a strong Dongxiang influence, in particular in its grammar.
Government statistics show that the Dongxiang are among the poorest and least literate of China's minorities, with most Dongxiang having completed only an average of 1.1 years of schooling, a problem aggravated by the lack of a written language.
In 2004, the Ford Foundation
provided US$30,000 in grant money for a pilot project to promote bilingual education in Dongxiang and Mandarin, in an effort to reduce school drop-out rates. The project is credited with the publication of a Dongxiang-Chinese bilingual dictionary as well as recent rises in test scores.
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. Most of the Dongxiang live in the Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture
Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture
Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture is in Western China's Gansu Province, south of the capital, Lanzhou. It is an autonomous prefecture for the Muslim Hui people, a large Chinese ethnic group. It also includes two autonomous counties for other Muslim groups, namely Dongxiang, Salar, and...
and surrounding areas of Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
Province in northwestern China, while others groupings can also be found in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Qinghai
Qinghai
Qinghai ; Oirat Mongolian: ; ; Salar:) is a province of the People's Republic of China, named after Qinghai Lake...
Province, and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. According to the 2000 census, their population numbers 513,805.
Origin and development
The Dongxiang are closely related to the Mongolians. Scholars speculate that their identity as an independent ethnic group arose through contact with Central Asians, due to whom the Dongxiang converted to Sunni IslamSunni Islam
Sunni Islam is the largest branch of Islam. Sunni Muslims are referred to in Arabic as ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah wa āl-Ǧamāʿah or ʾAhl ūs-Sunnah for short; in English, they are known as Sunni Muslims, Sunnis or Sunnites....
in the 13th century.
One possible origin is that they are descendants of Mongolian troops posted in the Hezhou area by Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan
Genghis Khan , born Temujin and occasionally known by his temple name Taizu , was the founder and Great Khan of the Mongol Empire, which became the largest contiguous empire in history after his death....
(1162-1227 AD) during his journey westward, while another possibility is that they could be a mixture of many peoples including Mongolian, Han, and Tibetan groups.
The American Asiatic Association published an account of the Dongxiang's origins in the "Asia, Volume 40". A Muslim Mongol, Ma Chuanyuan, who was the supermagistrate of five districts, was interviewed, and gave a story on his people's origins. The conversion to Islam by a clan descended from Genghis Khan angered their relatives, who drove them all the way to Eastern Linxia. This occurred at the twilight of the Yuan dynasty. East Linxia was described as a land of "thorns and yellow earth". The author estimated a number of 100,000 Mongolian Muslims. They spoke Mongolian but were all illiterate. The account described them as "a community of one hundred thousand, Mongol by race, Mohammedan by religion and Chinese by culture." The majority of them were monolingual, the nephew of Ma Chuanyuan, at age 12, learned to write and speak Chinese in school, he was an alumnus of Tianjin
Tianjin
' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...
's Nankai Middle School, and Nanjing
Nanjing
' is the capital of Jiangsu province in China and has a prominent place in Chinese history and culture, having been the capital of China on several occasions...
's Military College
Whampoa Military Academy
The Nationalist Party of China Army Officer Academy , commonly known as the Whampoa Military Academy , was a military academy in the Republic of China that produced many prestigious commanders who fought in many of China's conflicts in the 20th century, notably the Northern Expedition, the Second...
.
Dongxiang were also known as Santa (San-t'a) people, it was reported that many of them served in the army of the Hui
Hui people
The Hui people are an ethnic group in China, defined as Chinese speaking people descended from foreign Muslims. They are typically distinguished by their practice of Islam, however some also practice other religions, and many are direct descendants of Silk Road travelers.In modern People's...
General Ma Fuxiang
Ma Fuxiang
Ma Fuxiang . Ma, a Dongxiang muslim leader, had a military and political career which spanned the Qing dynasty through the early Republic of China and illustrated the power of family, the role of religious affiliations, and the interaction of Inner Asian China and the national government of...
. It was even said that Ma Fuxiang himself was of Santa descent, who had assimilated into the Hui community.
Their autonym, sarta, may also provide a contradictory clue to their origin: a similar word Sart
Sart
Sart is a name for the settled inhabitants of Central Asia which has had shifting meanings over the centuries. Sarts, known sometimes as Ak-Sart in ancient times, did not have any particular ethnic identification, and were usually town-dwellers.-Origin:There are several theories about the origin...
was formerly used in Central Asia to refer to Arab traders, later to the local (mostly) Turkic-speaking city dwellers. Their official name of Dōngxiāng meaning "eastern villages" stems from the fact that their settlements are east of the major Han Chinese settlements.
Like other Muslims in China, the Dongxiang served extensively in the Chinese military. It was said that they and the Salars were given to "eating rations", a reference to military service.
Mixing
The Dongxiang have Mongol, Han chineseHan Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
, Hui
Hui people
The Hui people are an ethnic group in China, defined as Chinese speaking people descended from foreign Muslims. They are typically distinguished by their practice of Islam, however some also practice other religions, and many are direct descendants of Silk Road travelers.In modern People's...
, and Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
an surnames. Dongxiang with Han Chinese surnames such as Wang, Kang, Zhang, Gao, Huang claim descent from Han Chinese. Those with surnames such as Ma and Mu are descended from Hui.
Some Dongxiang have said in the rare instances that they do marry with other people, it is only with Hui and Han, but not Tibetans.
A town called Tangwangchuan (唐汪川) in Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
had a multi ethnic populace, the Tang 唐 and Wang 汪 families being the two major families. The Tang and Wang families were originally of non Muslim Han chinese extraction, but by the 1900s some branches of the families became Muslim by "intermarriage or conversion" while other branches of the families remained non Muslim.
People in the area have changed their ethnicity by marrying members of other groups or converting to their religion. The Tang and Wang families are now composed of all three different ethnic groups, with Han Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
, Hui
Hui people
The Hui people are an ethnic group in China, defined as Chinese speaking people descended from foreign Muslims. They are typically distinguished by their practice of Islam, however some also practice other religions, and many are direct descendants of Silk Road travelers.In modern People's...
, and Dongxiang people. The Dongxiang and Hui are Muslims.
Tangwangchuan and Hanjiaji were notable for being the lone towns with a multie ethnic community, with both Non Muslims and Muslims.
The cuisines of various ethnicities have spread across boundaries in the area of Hehuang, with different groups such as Mongolians, Tibetan, Dongxiang, and Hui eating each others food like mutton and milk tea.
Economy
The base of the economy of Dongxiang is agriculture. The main products are potatoes, maize and wheat. They are also recognized craftsmen, specializing in the elaboration of traditional carpets.Language and education
Dongxiang language
The Santa language, also known as Dongxiang , is a Mongolic language spoken by the Dongxiang people in northwest China.-Grammar:In common with other Mongolic languages, Dongxiang is basically a subject–object–verb language...
, a member of the Mongolic
Mongolic languages
The Mongolic languages are a group of languages spoken in East-Central Asia, mostly in Mongolia and surrounding areas plus in Kalmykia. The best-known member of this language family, Mongolian, is the primary language of most of the residents of Mongolia and the Mongolian residents of Inner...
family. The Dongxiang people also have a rich tradition of oral literature, and use the Arabic alphabet.
As a result of the language shift
Language shift
Language shift, sometimes referred to as language transfer or language replacement or assimilation, is the progressive process whereby a speech community of a language shifts to speaking another language. The rate of assimilation is the percentage of individuals with a given mother tongue who speak...
, some 20,000 people in several villages in the northeastern Dongxiang County now speak the so-called "Tangwang language
Tangwang language
The Tangwang language is a variety of Mandarin Chinese heavily influenced by the Mongolic Dongxiang language. It is spoken in a dozen or so villages in Dongxiang Autonomous County, Gansu Province, China. The linguist Mei W...
": a creolized
Creole language
A creole language, or simply a creole, is a stable natural language developed from the mixing of parent languages; creoles differ from pidgins in that they have been nativized by children as their primary language, making them have features of natural languages that are normally missing from...
version of Mandarin with a strong Dongxiang influence, in particular in its grammar.
Government statistics show that the Dongxiang are among the poorest and least literate of China's minorities, with most Dongxiang having completed only an average of 1.1 years of schooling, a problem aggravated by the lack of a written language.
In 2004, the Ford Foundation
Ford Foundation
The Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....
provided US$30,000 in grant money for a pilot project to promote bilingual education in Dongxiang and Mandarin, in an effort to reduce school drop-out rates. The project is credited with the publication of a Dongxiang-Chinese bilingual dictionary as well as recent rises in test scores.
Famous Dongxiang people
- Ma WanfuMa WanfuMa Wanfu was a Dongxiang-Imam of the village Guoyuan in Hezhou...
, anti Qing rebel and Yihewani founder - Ma DahanMa DahanMa Dahan was a Dongxiang muslim who formed a pact with the fellow Dongxiang Ma Wanfu when rebelling against the Qing dynasty in 1895. They led their followers in Hezhou, Didao, and Xunhua to revolt...
, anti Qing rebel