Xinjiang only seems to make the news when uyghurhan relations deteriorate to the point of violence, but the region is one of the crossroads of the world, with a fascinating geography and history. Yang jianli, kilic kanat, sean roberts and eric brown on the security and human rights situation in xinjiang, the uyghurs, and the prcs new silk road. This book explores the role it has played in the social, cultural and political development of asia and the world. Thanks to netgalley for an advanced reading copy of this book, unfortunately i found this quite hard going and uninteresting. Troubled today, chinas xinjiang has a long history. A history of xinjiang james millward columbia university press 2009 pdf. Xinjiang officially the xinjiang uyghur autonomous region xuar, is an autonomous region. The synthesis presented here organizes the data into 10 archaeological cultures, defined on the basis of ceramics, burials, small finds, and architecture. Xinjiang uyghur autonomous region in northwestern china. They were renamed xinjiang in 1884, meaning new frontier, when both regions were reconquered by the chinese qing. The prc official line is that xinjiang has been a part of china for two millennia and that the uighurs are not autochthonous. A striking feature of the riots unfolding in the farwestern province of xinjiang this week is.
Eurasian crossroads is the first comprehensive history of xinjiang, the vast central eurasian region bordering india, pakistan, afghanistan, tajikistan, kyrgyzstan, kazakhstan, russia, and mongolia. The chinese claim, however, that anyone possessed the territory as a coherent unit before the eighteenth century. To grasp xinjiang, begin with the regions two principal groups. The history of the region is marked by many influences due to its central place between several civilizations. It is three times the size of france and larger than california, oregon, washington, nevada, montana, arizona, and idaho combined. Experiences of uyghur migration to turkey and the united states brill. Ethnic conflict in xinjiang matthew moneyhon the problematic progress of integration in the chinese states approach to xinjiang, 17592005 michael clarke purpose. Nov 24, 2006 eurasian crossroads is the first comprehensive history of xinjiang, the vast central eurasian region bordering india, pakistan, afghanistan, tajikistan, kyrgyzstan, kazakhstan, russia, and mongolia. Forming onesixth of the peoples republic of china prc, xinjiang stands at the crossroads between china, india, the mediterranean, and russia. Millwardeurasian crossroads a history of xinjiangcolumbia university press new york. The uyghur people residing in xinjiang, a territory located in the far west. The xinjiang problem 2 the xinjiang project was conceived as a twopart exercise. Here is a look at one of the most complex and fascinating historical narratives in asia.
The problems of writing a history of chinas arid westernmost and largest province begin with what to what to call it. The movement of people and capital has been heavily subsidized in order to tap into xinjiangs abundance of oil, natural gas and cotton. That this is the first book of its kind is testament. Beijing the information office of the state council, or chinas cabinet, issued a white paper on the history and development of the xinjiang production and construction corps sunday. The ili revolutionaries and the gelaohui were then suppressed by yang. Yang appointed ma fuxing as military commander of 2,000 chinese muslim troops, to crush yangs rivals. Han nationalist imperatives and uyghur discontent the modern political history of the region today known as xinjiang has been tumultuous and often violent. Turkic uighur and kirghiz forces led by the uighur timur beg had been attacking chinese muslim villages and pillaging. Xinjiang cotton at crossroads of chinas new silk road. History, transition and crossborder interaction into the 21st century routledge contemporary china series.
China itself is a fascinating subject and i bad high hopes for this book but soon found myself confused by its overuse of unexplained acronyms and overly technical descriptions, to market itself as a popular factual book it really needs more stories about the actual. Forming onesixth of the peoples republic of china prc, xinjiang stands at the crossroads between china, india, the mediterranean, and russia and has, since the bronze age, played a pivotal role. Pdf genetic history of xinjiangs uyghurs suggests bronze. Genetic history of xinjiangs uyghurs suggests bronze age multipleway contacts in eurasia. Gender and development in the xinjiang uyghur autonomous. Millward alludes to the idea that although eurasian crossroads. Jan 15, 2014 chinas investment in xinjiang over the last twenty years has created the most dramatic transformation for the province in its entire 250 year history of being under chinese rule. China bases its claim to xinjiang on history and an argument that says the territory has been an inalienable part of china from early dynastic times. This book provides an account of how chinas evolving integrationist policies in xinjiang have influenced its foreign policy in central asia. Central asia and xinjiang the far northwestern province of china are of increasing international importance. Today, in the prc it is required that works on xinjiangs history, official documents and media reports reiterate the point that xinjiang is an integral part of china. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Recent research by chinese archaeologists has identified many late prehistoric 2000400 b. Ma zhancang signed a secret agreement with the daotai of kashgar, ma shaowu, and his chinese muslim troops joined the han chinese garrison inside the yamen in kashgar and helped them repulse uighur and kirghiz attacks led by abdullah bughra.
History, transition and crossborder interaction into the 21st century routledge contemporary china series mackerras, colin, clarke, michael on. The peoples republic of china insists on xinjiang, the chinese name the manchu. Jan romgard, ancient human settlements in xinjiang and the early silk road trade sinoplatonic papers, 185 november, 2008 6 insights into other peoples history and their cultural backgrounds, we can better understand and deal with what is happening today. Eurasian crossroads is the first comprehensive history of xinjiang, the vast central eurasian region bordering india, pakistan, afghanistan, tajikistan, kyrg. But the renewed spate of public protests and deadly clashes in the region over the last quarter century are not simply contemporary manifestations of an enduring. Grose abstract in 2000, the chinese communist party established the xinjiang class xinjiang neidi gaozhong ban, a program that funds middle schoolaged students from xinjiang, mostly ethnic uyghur, to attend school in predominately han populated cities located throughout. Jan 12, 2016 xinjiang cotton at crossroads of chinas new silk road. Out west in china is xinjiang where you can still travel the crisscrossing ancient trade and caravans routes and believe it or not you can discover buried ruins just by following the famous ancient silk road, starting in europe from rome through the mediterranean at constantinople istanbul, turkey the ancient caravans traveled. Chinas integration of xinjiang with central asia the china and eurasia forum quarterly may 2008 91 integration concerns, the manner and degree to which parts of a social system its individuals, groups and organs interact and complement each other. Chinas investment in xinjiang over the last twenty years has created the most dramatic transformation for the province in its entire 250 year history of being under chinese rule. Xinjiang history, history of xinjiang, xinjiang travel. Reviewed by morgan liu published on hsoyuz october, 2008 commissioned by johanna k.
The book traces the development of xinjiang from the collapse of the qing empire in the early twentieth century to the present and argues that there is a largely complementary relationship between chinas xinjiang, central asia and grand strategyderived interests. Diverse religions coexist and spread in xinjiang part 2 as the main passageway and hub for economic and cultural exchanges between the east and the west in ancient times, xinjiang has always been a region where a number of religions exist side by side. Troubled today, chinas xinjiang has a long history the. Azizan, is probably one case where greater skepticism is warranted. Apr 25, 2017 yang jianli, kilic kanat, sean roberts and eric brown on the security and human rights situation in xinjiang, the uyghurs, and the prcs new silk road. The sensational story that afaq khwaja met with the dalai lama p. College of asia and the pacific, the australian national university australian national university eurasian crossroads. The uighur language, written in arabic script, has been steadily phased out of higher education, having been once deemed by xinjiang s communist leader to be unsuitable for chinas scientific development. Historical narratives and uyghur marginalization in chinas. Xinjiang province workforce development saber country report 2014 dimensions status 1.
Xinjiang and chinas rise in central asia a history. In eurasian crossroads millward traces this from prehistory, through struggles between chinese and turks and arabs, islamisation, and incorporation. Chinese repression and uyghur militancy at eurasias. Jul 26, 2010 millward alludes to the idea that although eurasian crossroads. The recent conflict between indigenous uyghurs and han chinese demonstrates that xinjiang is a major trouble spot for china, with uyghur demands for increased autonomy, and where beijings policy is to more firmly integrate the province within china. The uighur language, written in arabic script, has been steadily phased out of higher education, having been once deemed by xinjiangs communist leader to be unsuitable for chinas scientific development. Coordination in setting and implementing wfd policy is aided by clearly defined roles and.
Whether youve loved the book or not, if you give your honest and detailed thoughts then people will find new books that are right for them. The first was designed to produce a single collaborate volume that would provide educated nonspecialists in many countries with an authoritative introduction to the territory and its people, past and present. Xinjiang cotton at crossroads of chinas new silk road reuters. Strategic framework xinjiang has identified wfd as a priority and established a high degree of coherence between wfd strategy and concomitant policies. The last qing dynasty governor yuan dahua fled and handed over his resignation to yang zengxin because he could not handle fighting the revolutionaries and did not want to work for the republic of china. Aksu, china reuters the youngor cotton spinning factory is one of the biggest employers in aksu, an. Questions of ancient human settlements in xinjiang and the. Some argue that natural resource abundance can have a negative effect on democratic transition and the consolidation of democracy, the socalled natural resource curse in political aspect. The natural resource curse in xinjiang abstract natural resource abundance may have political and economic consequences. Today, in the prc it is required that works on xinjiangs history, official documents and media reports reiterate the. The movement of people and capital has been heavily subsidized in order. Uyghers of xinjiang, china placate, integrate, assimilate.
A general assessment of the roots of unrest by vladislav shchukin introduction chinese governmental repression in xinjiang against the uighur minzu, or ethnic group, constitutes a significant infringement on human rights. The peoples republic of china insists on xinjiang, the chinese name the manchu qing dynasty imposed in the mideighteenth century when it conquered the region. In his comment he speaks to those of us who carry a deeper passion for the province and its history. This edition of our ongoing series of archaeological and historical sites of asia will focus on. Eurasian crossroads a history of xinjiang pdf eurasia. Other readers will always be interested in your opinion of the books youve read.
Historical narratives and uyghur marginalization in china. Xinjiang remains one of the pivotal crossroads of china and central asia, and has only been intermittently under chinese influence and control during relatively recent times in its 3000year history. Forming onesixth of the peoples republic of china prc, xinjiang stands at the crossroads between china, india, the mediterranean, and russia and has, since the bronze age. I explore how the narratives of the women i study reflect historical conditions, as well as shape their political, ethical and cultural. I used uyghur sources in specific sections of the book, but not elsewhere, to be sure. Aksu, china reuters the youngor cotton spinning factory. This is the history of xinjiang, the vast central eurasian region bordering india, pakistan, afghanistan, tajikistan, krygyzstan, kazakhstan, russia and mongolia.
The uyghurs alternately uygurs, uighurs or uigurs, are a turkic minority ethnic group. Jul 30, 2015 troubled today, chinas xinjiang has a long history. The settled population of these cities later merged with incoming turkic people such as the uyghurs. Xinjiang, autonomous region of china, occupying the northwestern corner of the country. A history of xinjiang is comprehensive, there is still much more to learn about xinjiang. The peoples republic of china insists on xinjiang, the chinese name the. A brief history of xinjiang the xinjiang uyghur autonomous region encompasses onesixth of the land mass of the peoples republic of china. Chinese repression and uyghur militancy at eurasias crossroads. Eurasian crossroads a history of xinjiang pdf free download as pdf file.
The xinhai revolution in xinjiang refers to the fighting that took place in xinjiang during the xinhai revolution. Eurasian traders, accelerated by the breakup of the soviet union in 1991. However, as xinjiang is located in chinas northwest border, with rough natural conditions and a weak economic foundation, it is still faced with many difficulties in developing its public undertakings, such as education, culture and. The late prehistory of xinjiang in relation to its. Millward james a, eurasian crossroads, history of xinjiang, columbia university press, new york 2007. Xinjiang is now a part of the peoples republic of china, having been so since its founding year of 1949.