Islam In Sichuan

Islam is a minority religion in the Chinese province of Sichuan. The total number of Muslims are 112,478 according to a 2004 census conducted by the Islamic Association of China, the majority are ethnic Hui. Chengdu, the provincial capital, and Xichang, capital of the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture, are the two cities with high concentration and long history of the Hui communities. According to a 1990 census, 23,288 Muslims resided in Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture of western Sichuan, with about 40 mosques catering to their religious needs. Counties with highest number of Muslims in this region are Ma'o, Ngawa, Quqên, Sirza Degu, Sungqu, Tsanlha, and Zoigê.

Background

Persians in Sichuan

Persian settlers and immigrants were found in Sichuan during the period of Tang dynasty (618–907), Former (907–925) and Later Shu (934–965). Among those in the recorded history whose names are known today including An Fuguo (), a governor of Weizhou (in modern-day Li County) during the mid-7th century; Shi Chuwen (), who held the official post of Sima of Lizhou during the Former Shu period; Mu Zhaosi (), a renowned physician; and the most well-known Li Shunxian, a poet and concubine of the Emperor Wang Zongyan of Former Shu, and her two brothers , a poet and pharmacologist, author of ''Overseas Pharmacopoeia'' (), and Li Xuan (), also a pharmacologist and alchemist, although their religion is a subject of debate.

Geographical position

In his article "The Cross-Boundary Networks of the Hui Muslim Communities", Professor Tsai Yuan-lin of National Chengchi University of Taipei gave a brief description of the geographical position of Sichuan, writing: "Historically speaking, Sichuan had been the frontier province from the Han viewpoint, surrounded by the Muslims of the North-western provinces, the Tibetans of Qinghai and Tibet, and the Yi, Miao and other ethnic minorities of Yunnan and Guizhou; from the Hui viewpoint, Sichuan had been the crossroad of the North-western, Southwestern, and Eastern provinces. The long history of the co-existence and social contact among the Han and Hui immigrants, and the indigenous peoples creates the largely diverse cultural and religious landscape of Sichuan."

History

Although being a minority religion in Sichuan, Islam is not a recent arrival, its presence can be traced back to the 10th century, albeit on a small scale. In the early 13th century, the Mongol Empire conscripted Muslim soldiers from various ethnic groups in Central Asia and incorporated them into the troops during the reign of Ögedei Khan. Islam spread massively into the province during and after the Mongol conquest of Sichuan.

The Ming dynasty (1368–1644) saw a significant number of Muslim settlers from Gansu, Hubei, Hunan, Shaanxi and the Jiangnan region. This is recorded in a large number of county histories, the genealogy books of the Muslims, and inscriptions on memorial steles to constructions of mosques. In the ''Annals of Guangyuan County'' compiled in the Republican Era (1912–1949), it is recorded that "Islam flourished in Guangyuan during the Yuan and Ming dynasties". The inscription on the memorial stele of Long'an Mosque, Pingwu records that the mosque was built in the early Ming dynasty. The genealogy book of the Mas of Shaguoying, Xichang states that in 1392, their ancestor Ma Gang (), a military commander, led his troops to Sichuan to fight the rebellion of . According to the ''Annals of Xichang County'', the oldest mosque in Xichang was built in 1369. During the Ming dynasty, significant numbers of Muslims were to be found in Chengdu, Guanxian and Xindu, with their mosques located in the three districts. A mosque was also erected by in Chongqing in the middle of the Ming dynasty, to cater to the spiritual needs of 100-odd Muslim families settled in the south of Yuzhong District.

The founded at Langzhong in the late 17th century by Ma Ziyun () and Hilal al-Din contains the tomb of the Khwaja Sayyed ʻAbd Allāh, a 29th generation descendant of Muhammad and teacher ('' murshid'') of the two founders, who entered Langzhong in 1684 and died in 1689. The mosque later became a Qadiri pilgrimage site for Sichuanese Muslims, and a central shrine of the Qadiriyya in China. The city of Langzhong, formerly known as Baoning (), was referred to as "Eastern Mecca" by some Chinese Muslims.

The Muslim population reached its peak in the Qing dynasty (1636–1912). After the Jinchuan campaigns in the 18th century, most of the Muslim soldiers settled in this region. This period also saw a mass migration of Muslims from Baoqing Prefecture (modern-day Shaoyang, Hunan), most of whom settled in southern and western Sichuan. Jahriyya was introduced into Mianning and Xichang via Yunnan at some point between 1820 and 1850, both in the south. It had nevertheless a bigger impact on the Muslim communities in the northern city of Guangyuan. In 1873, the defeat of the Panthay Rebellion in Yunnan prompted numerous Muslims to move to Sichuan to escape persecution. In addition, the spread of Islam in Sichuan owed a debt to those Muslim merchants from Gansu and Shaanxi, at least three mosques in Chengdu were built by them, namely the Yixue Mosque of Gansu Muslims, the Jiu Mosque and Qinfu Mosque.

Denominations

Muslims in Sichuan belong to the Sunni branch, the majority follows the Qadim school. Most of the Ikhwan followers are concentrated in the cities of Guangyuan and Jiangyou. With regard to the Sufis, Jahriyya and Qadiriyya are popular in northern Sichuan, with the former being the most influential school. Apart from the five provinces of Northwest China (Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai, Shaanxi, and Xinjiang), Sichuan is the only province with significant numbers of Sufi followers.

Education

''Jingtang Jiaoyu'' () appeared in Sichuan in the early Qing period. A such school was opened immediately at Chengdu Huangcheng Mosque after its completion. As reported by Su Dexuan () in his ''A Brief Introduction to Sichuanese Muslims'' (, 1934): "Chengdu is the cradle of Islamic education, most of Sichuan's respected akhunds have been taught in this city." Chengdu Muslim Primary School is the first modern Islamic school in China opened in 1902, followed by Chongqing Xisigong Primary School (1907) and Guangyuan Islamic Primary School. The most influential one, however, is the Islamic Normal School of Wanxian, established in 1928.

A missionary's observation

James Hutson (1869–1929), a British missionary of the China Inland Mission, lived in Dujiangyan (formerly known as ''Kwan Hsien'' uanxian during the early 20th century. He authored a short obervation of the city's Muslim residents published in his 1915 book ''Mythical and Practical in Szechwan'':

Gallery

File:鼓楼南街清真寺.jpg, , Chengdu
File:Tianba Masjid in Miyi 2020P2.jpg, , Baima, Miyi County
File:Songpan.yousuotuncun.mosquee.jpg, Yousuotun Mosque, Sungqu
File:Songpan.mosquee.jpg, North Mosque, Sungqu

See also

* Christianity in Sichuan
* Islam in Hong Kong
* Islam in Macau
* Islam in Taiwan
* Islam in Tibet
* Islamification of Xinjiang
* Daxing Hui Ethnic Township
* Phoenix Mountain Mosque

References

Bibliography

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{{Sufi

Sichuan