The Uighur Ethnic Group is one of China’s recognized minorities. The Uighur people use their own language which belongs to the Altaic-Turkic Family of Languages. The Uighur’s language has a writing system. The total population of Uighur is about 10 million according to the 2010 nationwide census. Most of them live in Xinjiang Uighur’s Autonomous Region. Xinjiang is the largest province in China, inhabited by the Uighur people, the Han-Chinese, the Hui people, the Mongols and others. It lies in the northwest part of China, covering an area of 1.66 million square kilometers(447,879 sq.mi).
The History of Uighur
As the main habitation of Uighur, Xinjiang was called the Western Region in ancient times. During the early stage of the Han Dynasty(202B.C.-8A.D.), the Xiongnu nomads in the north always launched attacks against the border region of the Han. In order to build a relationship with the tribes in the west, Emperor Wu sent an envoy to the central and western Asia. In the following years, the Xiongnu nomads were defeated by the Han’s forces. The tribes in the Western region vowed their loyalty to the Han Empire. In the year of 60 B.C., the Han Empire set up garrisons in Xinjiang to protect the tribes.
The Uighur originated from the nomadic tribes in the north part of China and the south of the Baikal Lake. The Uighur people was first mentioned in the Chinese historical records as the Dingling(a Turkic-speaking tribe) in the 3rd century. In the middle of the 6th century, the chieftain of Dingling Tribe founded the Turk Khanate. However, the other tribes were put under the brutal persecution by the ruler. They united and overthrew the Turk Khanate. Uighur means alliance or union. The allies established the Huihu Khanate in 744 by the help from the Tang Empire(618-907).
Xinjiang Uighur’s Autonomous Region was founded on Oct. First, 1955.
The Uighur’s Culture and Folk Custom
The Uighur people are follower of Islam. They stick to the Koranic dietary proscription. The blood of animals is a kind of forbidden food. They also do not consume pork and the meat of some other animals, such as dogs, horses, donkeys and mules. The staple food of Uighur people consists of wheat, corn(maize) and rice. The mutton barbecue is their favorite food.
The Uighur women usually dress themselves in a gown with a sleeveless jacket. Their favourite ornaments are earrings, bracelets and necklaces. Both men and women like to wear a cap which is square and flat on the top.
Most the Uighur people are good dancers. The Drum Dance, the Iron-Ring Dance and the Bowls-on-Head Dance are popular among the natives. Their dances feature the light and graceful movement. The world famous Twelve-Mukam is an epic opera comprising 340 lyrics. Singers and dancer perform the play together. It was added to the list of World Intangible Cultural Heritages in 2005.
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Author: Tina Luo
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