Studies of Islam in China in the Twentieth Century

CHAPTER 5 Studies of Islam in China in the Twentieth Century Gao Zhanfu Abstract This chapter explores Chinese Islamic Studies in the twentieth century with particular emphasis on historical changes and development, thus providing a systematic account of the history of Chinese Islamic studies in relation to the particular social environ- ments under investigation. This chapter examines and reaffirms the significance of Chinese Islamic history in the last century, drawing on resources from folklore and various texts that have been particularly significant, including national studies and the social sciences. Particular attention has been given to clearly portray the historical facts related to such studies to ensure academic rigor and readability. Keywords Twentieth Century – China – Islam Islam was introduced into China almost 1,300 years ago, during the Tang Dynasty. Originally perceived as a foreign religion, Islam underwent an extraor- dinary historical process and now ten Chinese nationalities embrace Islam. Meanwhile, the study of Chinese Islamic history has developed apace with the growth of the religion in China, and the field has an established reputation dat- ing back to non-Muslim Chinese scholars recording and introducing the basic beliefs and religious activities of Muslims more than one thousand years ago. During the long period of Chinese Islamic Studies, the last hundred years of the twentieth century are characterized as the most vibrant, creative period and a vast quantity of research has been produced in this era. The last century of academic research on Chinese Islamic history can be divided into two periods: (1) before and (2) after the establishment of the Peoples’ Republic of China * This article was originally published in Studies in Northwest Nationalities (Xibei minzu yanjiu 西北民族研究) 2 (2002). © koninklijke brill nv, leiden, ��7 | doi ��.��63/97890474�8008_006 Studies Of Islam In China In The Twentieth Century 65 in 1949. Prior to discussing Chinese Islamic Studies of the Twentieth Century, there is a brief review of the history of Chinese Islamic Studies before the twentieth century that is deemed necessary for readers to grasp the topic and that is also important to our understanding. This chapter proceeds to explore: (a) Chinese Islamic Studies before the Twentieth Century; (b) Chinese Islamic Studies prior 1949; and (c) Chinese Islamic Studies after 1949. 1 Chinese Islamic Studies before the Twentieth Century Starting with trade in the Tang Dynasty, Islam reached China through the encounters of Muslim traders. Due to their high mobility in trading activities, in addition to their relatively limited numbers, the presence of Muslims in China attracted little attention. Later, after settling in, cohabitating with locals and marrying Chinese women, “foreign” Muslims became part of Chinese society. This development also encouraged the development of bilateral rela- tions between China and Arab countries. Some Chinese travelers went to Arab countries and documented their findings. Du Huan (杜環), a Tang military staff member captured by the Arabs, recorded his eye-witness account of Muslim and Arab lifestyles in his Travelogues (Jin xin ji 經行記). To our knowledge, his writing is the earliest Chinese historical text to record Arab lives and Islam in the Chinese language; it represents how Tang Chinese perceived the lives of Muslims. Zhu Yu (朱彧) in the Northern Song Dynasty wrote Pingzhou Table Talks (Pingzhou ke tan 萍洲可談), published in 1119 AD. The book is a detailed account of trade, living environment, customs, social exchanges, marital sta- tus, and even the locations of foreign trading houses ( fanfang 蕃坊). It also depicted the election and assignment of trading house leaders ( fanzhang 蕃長) as appointed by the Imperial Court, which was responsible for oversee- ing foreign trade and registering and indexing names of trading houses, some of which included Muslims emigrating to Guangzhou. Furthermore, Zhao Rukuo (趙汝适) wrote a two-volume book called Description of the Barbarians Peoples (Zhu fan zhi 諸蕃志). The second volume documents extensive records of Tazi or Tajik Muslims from the Islamic heartlands (大食 dashi, often asso- ciated with the name Tajik) trading in the Jiangzhe (江浙) region. Yue Ke (岳珂), of the Southern Song Dynasty, provided records of settlements and customs of Arab Muslims in his work, History of Ting (桯史). Other works, like A Geographical Encyclopedia at the Outskirts of Pamir (Ling wai dai da 嶺外代答) by Zhou Qufei (周去非) (1135–1189 AD) and An Internal Journey in My Heart: Collective Poems (Xin shi 心史) by Zheng Suonan (鄭所南) (1241–1318 AD), also reference Chinese Islam. These historical and personal writings, expressed .

Load more