References

Websites:

http://islam.about.com/od/muslimcountries/p/uyghur.htm

http://chineseculture.about.com/od/minoritiesinchina/a/Uyghurs.htm

http://www.alpinebirding.com/lview.asp?id=73

http://people.cs.pitt.edu/~mehmud/uyghur/music_dance.html

http://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/nationality/uygur.htm

http://www.theworldofchinese.com/2013/04/whats-up-uyghurs/

http://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/15755/CH

http://www.google.com/imghp

Books:

Rachel Harris, Yasin Mukhpul: Music of the Uyghurs. Encyclopedia of the Turks, vol. 6. Istanbul: Yeni Turkiye, pp542-9

Jerry H. Bentley and Herbert R. Ziegler. Traditions and Encounters: A Global Perspective on the Past. New York: McGraw Hill, 2003.

Bovingdon 2004

Richard W. Bulliet et al., eds. The Earth and its Peoples: A Global History. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1997.

Chabrier 1960 

Academic Journals:

HANN, C. (2013). THE UNCERTAIN CONSEQUENCES OF THE SOCIALIST PURSUIT OF CERTAINTY: THE CASE OF UYGHUR VILLAGERS IN EASTERN XINJIANG, CHINA. Antípoda, (17), 79-106. doi:10.7440/antipoda17.20l3.05

Zhang, S., Xu, M., Li, X., Fang, H., Yang, S., & Liu, J. (2013). Implicit Trust between the Uyghur and the Han in Xinjiang, China. Plos ONE, 8(8), 1-8. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0071829

Ablimit, A., Wenbei, Q., Wenjuan, S., Weiwei, W., Fengjun, L., Ling, K. H., & ... Xiufen, Z. (2013). Genetic diversities of cytochrome B in Xinjiang Uyghur unveiled its origin and migration history. BMC Genetics, 14(1), 1-20. doi:10.1186/1471-2156-14-100

Uyghur Wedding

Uyghur Wedding celebrations are at the brides home. They are done by the community imam. The brides family thoroughly cleans the house beforehand and they prepare a meal which includes marmalade, bread, fruits, sugar, and pasties. Only close family and friends are invited.
Before the celebration, the bride asks her family for the blessing and she says her farewells. During the encounter with the imam, the bride and groom are both asked if they accept the other to be their spouse. They are asked three times. The bride must answer quietly, while the groom must answer loudly. To symbolize their love, loyalty, and new life, they then share a piece of bread. The first one to take the bread is considered to be more loyal. The groom then goes home with his family to prepare for the rest of the celebration. Next comes the time when the groom arrives at the brides house accompanied by his friends which are playing the tambourine, suona, and the rawap while chanting! The brides family blocks the entrance into the home while the groom and his friends try to push their way through the door. Before allowing them entering, the groom must give gifts. The entertainment follows. When the bride leaves the home, she is expected to cry. The wedding then moves its progress to the grooms house where he lifts the brides vail. Songs are sung to wish the couple happiness and praise the bride for her beauty. This is when the feasting begins. After the feast there is plenty of dancing to celebrate.

Uyghur Fashion

When it comes to clothing in the Uyghur culture, cotton is a big hit. The woman generally wear long, bright, colorful gowns with baggy sleeves. They accent these with a vest and sometimes a scarf as well.
Although this is a common look amongst all, the details of how they dress var by age. Younger, more modern girls wear tunic dresses or long sweaters and they will wear leggings underneath or skinny jeans. On the other hand, the younger, most conservative girls wear cardigans with an over the knee skirt and high boots.They also wear flowered head scarves in a pirate style. Now, as for the middle aged woman, they wear long coats over long skirts. Sequins and sparkles are common to accent the skirts. These woman also wear head scarves. Older woman wear black coats made of fake fur or mink. Over their head and shoulders, they wear cotton or wool shawls that are draped. They almost can be considered to be in uniform in a sense. middle aged woman and older woman tend to wear darker colors.
Men also wear gowns but they have a scarf that is tied around their waists. The younger men may wear striped sweaters that have a few random words across them. On the bottom they may wear corduroys,denim jeans, or dark slacks. They may wear basketball shoes or they may wear pointy brown semi-dress shoes. For middle aged men, they wear dark slacks and corduroys as well. With that they wear dark jackets and also semi-dress shoes. Hats are a must for them. As for older men, they wear wools coats over dark slacks. On the feet, they wear thick leather shoes or felt boots. Hats are also a must for them.

Caps are a main accessory for the Uyghur's. Caps are very important to them. Woman dress their caps up by putting designs on them.
Accessorizing is basically a necessity for the woman in this culture. They love jewelry such as necklaces, earrings, and bracelets.
Most woman have very long hair and a lot of them keep it braided. The braids are a significant look to distinguish the Uyghur woman. Single woman may have many braids while married woman can only have two of them.

The woman also wear a lot of makeup. The more glitz and glam, the better!

Uyghur Music & Dance

Music plays a big role in the lives of the Uyghur's. Since way back when, the Uyghur's have been known for their extraordinary music & their ethnic dances. Music is played at every event that is hosted whether it be a party, a wedding, a festival, or just a holiday. Not only is there music, but of course there is dancing as well!
The most well known genre of music is the Muqam. Muqam is a compilation of songs, dances, and folk/classical music. Some songs are solo while others are in unison. There are groups and duets. It is characterized by its diversity of not only content but also the instruments used as well as the dance styles and the musical morphology. The Muqam genre of music is associated with a variety of aspects such as mood, style, smell, pitch, tone of voice, time/place, and also the person. It tends to be known for the variations and the continuity of musical patterns. The songs are reflective among proverbs, poetry, folk narrative, love, and other popular topics.
Muqam can be broken down into four different categories. These categories include Twelve Muqam, Dolan Muqam, Turfan Muqam, and Qumul Muquam. The "mother of music" is Twelve Muquam. It is based around the concept of wisdom. It also is based around the talent of the Uyghur people regarding music.
Uyghur dance is very optimistic. It represents bravery and openness. It is characterized by its distinct wrist movements and head movements. The dances, as a whole, represent the character of the Uyghur's and it expresses their feelings. They have great coordination. They involve a specific posture which usually includes a tilted head, a chest thrust, and an ejected waist. Some folk dances include a shivering movement of the knees.

Props are involved in some folk dances. They are popular but they include great skill and talent. With this being said, they are generally performed by professionals. Some of these dances include the Plate dance, Sapayi dance, and Stone-Beating dance. The plate dance is when a bowl is placed on top of the head and a plate is held and beaten with chopsticks. Sapayi is a folk instrument. Stone-beating is holding two stones in separate hands and hitting them together to produce sound.

Sanam is the most popular folk dance. It is often performed at weddings or festivals. Dolan dance is much like hunting or a battle. Sama dance is usually done to bring in the New Year. It can be considered a ritual that turns into a group celebration.

Uyghur Cultural Survival

Uyghur’s face many obstacles. A main obstacle they come across is being accused of being terrorist. This is something they have to deal with everyday and learn to overcome. They also have to face their ongoing war with the Chinese for their freedom. Separatism is a big issue for them. They are accused of having links to Central Asian and Pakistani Islamist militants, and of carrying out attacks to establish an independent state called East Turkistan.

Currently, the Uyghur’s are facing the link between them and the missing Malaysian airplane.

Movement of the Uyghur’s from rural areas to towns has had a major imact on the ethnic identity but they still manage to maintain it by keeping their traditions the same and practicing their religion. In a way the movement actually strengthens their identity. Keeping their language unique to them also is something that maintains their identity as well. To do this, they stay inside their own region and they have strong social groups.

Interview

Uyghur Migrations and Diaspora

Xijiang is the homeland of the Uyghur's because China encourages internal migration into that province to increase the non-Uyghur population elsewhere. Most of the Uyghur's that reside outside of China are in Central Asia and the population has also spread throughout Eastern Asia as well. These minorities are mostly in Kazakhstan but some are also in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikstan. As a whole, the Uyghur diaspora numbers at around 550-650,000.
The Uyghur's generally migrated from China in waves. This was due to the deteriorating conditions following the collapse of the dynasties. Uyghur diaspora communities have formed associations aimed at preserving Uyghur collective identity such as the language and the culture.

Uyghur and their Neighbors

The Uyghur's have an ongoing conflict with the Chinese. Uyghur's in China face religious restrictions such as imprisonment and executions. They do not associate with them unless it is through fighting. They often are depicted to be a victim of them. They are said to be discriminated against. If they travel outside of their region they have trouble finding any kind of work and they are even afraid to speak their own language around the Chinese. There are even laws against Uyghur's marrying the Chinese. It is almost like a form of racism in a way. The Uyghur's live in fear of being labeled as a terrorist. People many times compare them to terrorists. If the Uyghur's are in the same town as the Chinese they even separate themselves by using different time! The Chinese view the Uyghur's as backwards. They say they are lazy and ungrateful. It is believed that China hates the Uyghur's so much that they try to move into their region just to overpower their population.
There as been an ongoing movement since the 1950's to separate the Uyghur's and give them freedom from China and independence. The Chinese government has fought against this. They claim the Uyghur's to be outlaws and terrorists. Most believe in peaceful acts for nationalism but some do participate in violent clashes. They have been quite a few wars or clashes between the two groups and many people have died. In 2009 there was a riot killing between 100-200 people. Not only that, but at least 800 people were injured.

Birds of the Uyghur

Around 430 bird species have been recorded in the Xijiang region. Many of these birds are European and Central Asian species. This is unlike any other part of china. Living in the autonomous region, there are 21.81 million inhabitants. The birds are scattered among four different reserve regions within. These include The Tarim Nature Reserve, Quinggeda Lake Nature Reserve, Karamaili Nature Reserve, and the Lop Nor Nature Reserve.

The Tarim Nature Reserve has 140 bird species documented in the area. It works to preserve and protect the Euphrates Poplar Forest Ecosystem. In this region, there is a river wetland that is very significant for large flocks of migratory birds. There are 41 bird species under the Sino-Japan Migratory Birds Protection Agreement and there are 13 bird species that are under the Sino-Australia Migratory Birds Protection Agreement. 

The Quinggeda Lake Nature Reserve was established specifically to protect rare bird species. This place is great for birds covering 30 square kilometers. There have been 186 bird species recorded in this area. This reserve is a breeding habitat for birds such as Whooper Swans, Great Bustards, Pallas's Fish Eagles, and also 28 other species which are protected under the National Key Protection.

The Karamaili Nature Reserve is considered to be a paradise for wildlife! It has abundant water access and not much interference concerning anthropogenic. Birds have a great food resource due to the vast amount of rodents. This reserve has documented over 200 bird species!

Lop Nor Reserve is the largest desert nature reserve in China. The vegetation is very sparse. The 96 bird species in this region have surprisingly been able to adapt to the rough nature condition in this area. There are rare and endangered bird species in this region. They include Black Stock, Tibetan Eared Pheasant, and the Dalmatian Pelican.

Uyghur Cosmos

Uyghurs have a variety of beliefs. As for religious beliefs, they have believed in Shamanism, Manicheam, Jing, Zoroastrianism, and Buddhism. Currently, most believe in and follow the islam religion. Most converted during the 11th century. Their religion influences their life greatly. There are festivals to celebrate that are related to the islam religion. These festivals include the Corban Festival, the Kaizhai Festival, and the Almsgiving festival.
When it comes to eating, Uyghurs eat all the rice they are served at every meal. If they do not it is considered insulting. Everyone must wash their hands before eating. Splashing your hands in water is unacceptable and it signifies discourtesy. The younger people must sit with the senior members of they family. Pancakes or as they call it, nang, cannot be eaten if it is upside down. Last, but not least, modest clothing is a must while eating.
As for marriage, when a woman is proposed to, after telling the family the next step is a marriage interview. A marriage interview is a way of making the relationship public and legitimate. It is also used to make sure that the groom knows everything their is to know about his future wife.
A few other beliefs are that exit doors should not face west. While sleeping, you should sleep on your back with your head facing east. When meeting, males shake hands and touch their chest with both hands. Woman also must salute.When receiving a gift it is important to use both hands or it is said to be very disrespectful.
After a death Quranic prayers are chanted.The body is then cleansed. Once the body is cleansed, it is wrapped up into white gauze.

World of the Uyghur

The Uyghur people make a living through agriculture. They are actually the largest producer of grapes throughout China. Fruit is easily grown in their region due to the suitable weather conditions. Not only that, but they also produce rice, corn, grain, and cotton in large quantities as well. There is some livestock raised as well including sheep, goats, and some cows. They are also known for having a rich trading tradition. The Uyghur's will sell the fruit and the vegetables that they grow. There are many street vendors.

Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region: Homeland of the Uyghur

The Uyghur live in the Altay Mountains located in Central Asia. Their homeland is in the Xianjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Xianjiang means "new frontier", "new land", "new domination". It got its name in 1884 during the Manchu Qing Dynasty of China. 

Because China is so large, it is broken down into 23 provinces, 5 autonomous regions, and 4 municipalities. This is one of Chinas five autonomous regions. An autonomous region in China is an area that is directly below the federal government, autonomous regions have their own local government. Actually, the autonomous regions were specifically created for the country's ethnic minority groups. The Xianjiang just so happens to be the largest of the five autonomous regions. It has an area of 640, 930 square miles.
The region borders the Tibet Autonomous Region. To the south it borders India as well as the Qinghai and Gansu provinces of China to the southeast. On the east, it is bordered by Mongolia, and Russia to the north. Lastly, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikstan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan are borders to the west.
To say the least, the area is very beautiful! It's separated into two basins. There is the Dzungarian Basin in the north and the Tarim basin in the south. This separation is due to the Tegri mountains.
There are many unique geographic features that the area holds. It has some of the world's highest mountains including the Kunlun mountains, the Tengri mountains, and the Altay mountains. It also has the Tarim Basin which is the largest inland basin. One of the largest sand deserts is also located in this region as well as hundreds of rivers and lakes. To top it all off, there are also some of the worlds most unique desert forest here.
The highest peak is Chogir Peak at 8611 meters above sea level and its lowest point is the Turfan Depression which is 155 meters below sea level. The Capital city, which is Urumchi, is 1,398 miles from the nearest ocean. This is the furthest city from an ocean in the world!
The climate is semiarid/temperate continental arid. There is a low annual rainfall and the sunshine duration during the day is fairly long. Generally, winters are very cold, while spring time is pretty windy, and summer is extremely hot! In autumn is when the temperature is the most bearable. The weather conditions make it a great place for sugar accumulation when growing fruit so the area is cultivated with fruits!

History of the Uyghur

The Uyghur people are a Turkic ethnic group from East Asia. They have their own distinct language. The language is very similar to Turkish. The Uyghur people use the persian alphabet to write out their language.
They are native to the Altay Mountains in Central Asia. Most of them live in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China. In the region, they are one of the largest ethnic groups. There are around 11-15 million Uyghur people in this specific region.
Prior to 1921, different turkic groups in Xinjiang called themselves by the oasis near where they were located. In 1921 is when they chose to mark their identity using the Uyghur name. The term Uyghur means "united" or "alliance". It is synonymous with the Turkish name "Tokuz-Oguz". That name means "nine tribes".
The Uyghur's have played a very important role involving cultural exchanges along the Silk Road. Throughout the 8th-19th centuries their empire was a dominant force in Central Asia. In the 1800's, the Manchu invasion caused the Uyghur culture to fall into decline. Communist and nationalist forces also took part in this fall.

Introduction/Index: Uyghur

During the spring 2014 semester at East Stroudsburg University I will be exploring the Uyghur culture. I will keep up on posts about their lives so I can understand them better and how they live. I intend on learning a vast amount of information and I look forward to sharing it with my classmates and everyone else of interest. I believe this blog will be a resourceful way to connect with this culture. It is important to take other peoples lives into consideration and see how other people live compared to ourselves. I highly encourage you to keep up with my journey and learn more about a culture you may not be so familiar with. Below is an index of what topics I will be covering in my blog. Take a look! 

(None of the pictures are mine, i did not take these)

• History of the Uyghur
• Homeland of the Uyghur
• World of the Uyghur
• Uyghur Cosmos
• Birds of the Uyghur
• Uyghur and their Neighbors
• Uyghur Migrations and Diaspora
• Interview
• Uyghur Cultural Survival
• Uyghur Music & Dance
• Uyghur Fashion
• Uyghur Wedding
• References