The Ethnogenesis of the Uighur (original) (raw)
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From Domestic to International: The Politics of Ethnic Identity in Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia
This paper examines two contrasting cases of ethnic-group political activism in China – the Uighurs in Xinjiang and the Mongols in Inner Mongolia – to explain the former’s political activism and the latter’s lack thereof. Given similar challenges and pressures, how can we explain the divergent patterns in these two groups’ political behavior? This paper forwards the argument that domestic factors alone are not sufficient to account for differences in the groups’ political behavior. Instead, international factors have to be included to offer a fuller and satisfactory explanation. The paper illustrates how three types of international factors – big power support, external cultural ties, and Uighur diaspora community activism – have provided opportunities and resources to make the Uighur political activism sustainable. In Inner Mongolia, its quest for self determination reached the highest fervor in the early half of the twentieth century, particularly with the support of imperial Japan. However, since the end of WWII, Inner Mongolia has not received any consistent international support and, as a result, has been more substantially incorporated into China’s geopolitical body.
Historical Perspectives on Contemporary Xinjiang
Inner Asia, 2000
This paper reflects on historical precedents to some of the issues raised by other papers in this symposium. Particular problems discussed include the population and demographic distribution of Han, Uyghur and other groups in Xinjiang; fiscal subventions from Beijing to Xinjiang; Qing dynasty agricultural reclamation as precursor of the bingtuan; Xinjiang’s environment; and ethnic relations.
The Uyghurs of Xinjiang: Politics of Identity and Internal Colonialism
Journal of Kolkata Society for Asian Studies, 2021
The Uyghurs are the aboriginal people of Central Asia, and constitute an ethnic Turkish Muslim minority group in China's North Western region, known as Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) or East Turkestan as many Uyghurs prefer to identify it. Current trajectory of Uyghur nationalism makes it clear that the Uyghurs have been resisting the dominant Chinese nationalism narrative since the mid-20 th century CE because of their own perception of nationhood. Due to their ethnoreligious minority status they are being continuously discriminated socially and economically in Chinese society. The Uyghurs both in physical and ethnic set up are distinguishable from the dominant Han people. This study is an attempt to understand the Uyghurs problem not only from the nationalism perspective but also from a new understanding of internal colonialism. It tries to uncover the factors that are equally responsible for the Uyghurs' demand of right to self-rule. In this aspect, three different perspectives have been employed. Firstly, to locate the question of Uyghurs' identity from their peripheral position in Chinese society; secondly, from the perspective of the dominant Chinese nationalists, in other words, Sinicization of minorities; thirdly, to make sense on the issue from perspective of internal colonialism.
Introduction. Narratives from Xinjiang: social and political significance
Ildikó Bellér-Hann, Rune Steenberg & Aysima Mirsultan (eds.): Voiced and Voiceless in Xinjiang: Minorities, elites, and narrative constructions across the centuries, Asian Ethnicity 22, 1., 2021
This special issue of 'Voiced and Voiceless in Xinjiang' explores the construction of historical and cultural narratives as a complex field of interaction between representatives of the state and minority elites in Chinese Central Asia, with a particular focus on the region known since 1955 as Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR). It shows how narratives, situated in their broader social, political and economic contexts, have been used in diverse ways by various actors to achieve diverse purposes, ranging from communal cohesion to the legitimation of power among different groups at different times. Having briefly introduced the main historical context (leading to ongoing crisis in Xinjiang) and the state of the field, this Introduction discusses some common themes of the issue, including the interdependence of grand/master narratives (grand récits) and small narratives (petits récits) and the mediating role of the local knowledge elite, before outlining the individual contributions.
Historical-Sociological Background of the Relationship between China and Xinjiang Region
Asian Journal of Humanities and Social Studies, 2019
China’s minority issue always is a hot topic among scholars from west and east, and Chinese rule in Xinjiang Region is one of the hottest. As Uyghur secessionist’s numerous violent clashes are defined as desperate resistance in the west and terrorist attack in China, the discrepancy is too obvious to ignore. This discrepancy not just influences the public opinion but also the international diplomatic policy and academic investigation. This paper, as a preparation for the further investigation on the China’s Xinjiang policy, examined the background of the China-Xinjiang relationship from multidimensional perspective. By reviewing historical records and comparing them with Chinese official claims and Uyghur secessionist’s claim, this article located Xinjiang region's position inside both Chinese nationalism and Uyghur independence movement. Also Chinese official minority policies are examined as they are considered as key factor for Uyghur independence movement.
Crossroads: A History of Xinjiang is a magisterial work of synthesis, the first book to attempt a history of the lands we now know as the Chinese province of Xinjiang from Tienshanosaurus to the modern day at publication, 2007. Millward's choice of title is indicative of the direction in which he takes his narrative, as 'Eurasian Crossroads' signifies both the region's historic geographic role as a conduit of transregional travelers and the intersection of these travelers' religions, cultures, languages, and ethnicities, all of which have changed dramatically over the long arc of history Millward covers in the book. As for his use of the label 'Xinjiang,' he explains in the preface that he uses this eighteenth-century term essentially out of lack of a better option. Anything with 'Turkestan' in the name has political connotations from the short-lived East Turkestan Republics of 1934-5 and 1944-6, and 'Chinese Turkestan' naturally offends both Uyghurs who do not appreciate the 'Chinese' part and Han who do not appreciate the 'Turkestan' part. As such, Millward has settled for Xinjiang, which is of course the name for the region today in both official and popular parlance. Anachronistic names aside, the reason why 'Xinjiang' is an awkward way to define the book's subject is that it had historically not been treated as a single, stand-alone, unified political entity prior to the Qing, who bestowed the name, meaning 'New Dominion', on the region. Even then, the Qing divided Xinjiang into three 'routes': northern, southern, eastern (including Urumchi, Turfan, Hami). For the most part, Millward uses this general division of Zungharia in the north, the Tarim Basin in the south and west, and the Turfan Basin to the East. Having taken the time to carefully explain this at the beginning, it is frustrating at times to read terms such as 'Southern Xinjiang' employed in an imprecise and anachronistic fashion. On a similar note, while he recognizes the difficulty in keeping track of the various names of cities and regions, an additional appendix for these would be greatly appreciated in any future edition. The two maps that precede the first chapter are excellent reference, and the reader will find these incredibly useful in following the events in the book. Millward's immediate purpose for including the maps is to highlight at the start features of its geography that come to situate the region in patterns that repeat in history, for example: Certain patterns of Xinjiang's past, notably the tendency of nomads based in the north (where one could raise horses) to control and tax the oases of the south (where one could raise grain), arise from its geography. As discussed in detail in Chapter 1, this feature of Xinjiang's geography also embroiled it in the enduring rivalry between nomadic powers based in Mongolia (which communicates easily with northern Xinjiang) and states based in north China. 2 11 P. 237.