Khotons
 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(September 2014) |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
 Mongolia | 10,000 (2015)[1] |
 China | 1,200 (2004) |
| Languages | |
| Oirat | |
| Religion | |
| Religious syncretism(Sunni Islam,including elements ofBuddhismandShamanism)[2] | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Uyghurs,Huis,Dörbets | |
TheKhotonorQotungpeople are aMongolicethnic group in (Outer)MongoliaandInner Mongolia.[3][4]Most Mongolian Khotons live inUvs Provincein western Mongolia. In China, the Khotons (often called Qotungs) live in Inner Mongolia, concentrated inAlxa Leagueand are classified asethnic Mongols.They speak theDörbetorAlashadialect of theOirat language.[5]According to theGreat Russian Encyclopedia,modern Khoton people are a part of the "Mongols— a group of peoples who speakMongolian languages".[6]
Demography
[edit]In Mongolia, most Khotons live inUvs Province,especially inTarialan,NaranbulagandUlaangom.There were officially about 6,100 Khotons in 1989.[7]In 2015, there were around 10,000 Khotons in Mongolia.[8]
The Khotons of Inner Mongolia reside inAlxa League,mainly inAlxa Left Banner.Some also live inBayannuur.A 2004 study reported that Khoton informants estimated their total population to be about 1,200.[4]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1956 | 2,603 | — |
| 1963 | 2,874 | +10.4% |
| 1969 | 4,056 | +41.1% |
| 1979 | 4,380 | +8.0% |
| 1989 | 6,076 | +38.7% |
| 2000 | 9,014 | +48.4% |
| 2010 | 11,304 | +25.4% |
| 2020 | 12,057 | +6.7% |
| Source: National Statistical Office of Mongolia | ||
History
[edit]Khoton,KhotongorQotungwas originally a Mongol term forMuslimUyghur andHui people,orChinese language-speaking Muslims.[7]
The Khotons were settled in Mongolia by theOiratswhen the latter conquered Xinjiang and took their city-dwelling ancestors to Mongolia. According to another version, they settled in Mongolia after 1753, when their leader, theDörbetPrince Tseren Ubashi, surrendered to theQing Dynasty.[7]The Khotons soon adapted and assimilated Mongolian or Oirat culture and speech.[7]According to some scholars, the Khotons can be considered MongolizedUyghursas a result.[9]
The Khotons of Inner Mongolia that reside in Alxa League are considered to be descended of Turkic peoples originally fromHami, Xinjiang,who later adopted and assimilated into local Mongol culture.[4]Most scholars believe that the ancestors of the Khotons were brought to the area around the 18th century or earlier as captives from Xinjiang after the prince of theAlasha Mongolsreturned from fighting theDzungars.[10]According to local tradition, the ancestors of the Khotons arrived in the area in the late 17th century as merchants and eventually settled and assimilated with the Alasha Mongols.[4]Occasional later migrants from Xinjiang and someHuifrom nearby regions who were incorporated into the Khotons helped to maintain and increase their community.[4][10]
Culture
[edit]Unlike most Mongolians, Khotons follow a syncretic form ofIslamthat incorporates Buddhist and traditional elements (likeTengrism).[11][7]They traditionally avoid intermarriage with other ethnic groups and tend to avoid mainstreamMongolian written culture.[7]
In Inner Mongolia, many Khotons arepastoral nomadsthough in recent times, an increasing amount are now settled.[4]
Language
[edit]Khotons used to speak theKhoton language(a dialect of theUyghurlanguage). The language became extinct around the 19th century.[12]Once settled in Mongolia, the Khotons adopted theDörbetor northern dialect ofOirat.[13][11][7]In Inner Mongolia, the Khotons speak theAlasha dialectof Oirat.[4]
Bibliography
[edit]- Fosse, Magdalena (1979).The Khotons of Western Mongolia.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^"Монгол улсын ястангуудын тоо, байршилд гарч буй өөрчлөлтуудийн асуудалд" М.Баянтөр, Г.Нямдаваа, З.Баярмаа pp.57-709
- ^Донгак А. С. (2019)."Культ умерших предков в традиционной обрядности хотонов Западной Монголии"(in Russian) (Тенгрианство и эпическое наследие народов Евразии: истоки и современность ed.): 105–108.
{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^James Stuart Olson, (1998),An Ethnohistorical Dictionary of China,p. 179
- ^abcdefgHaiying, Yang (2004)."Between Islam and Mongols: The Qotung People in Inner Mongolia, China".Inner Asia.6(1): 5–22.doi:10.1163/146481704793647252.ISSN1464-8172.
- ^Finke, Peter (1999). "The Kazaks of western Mongolia". In Svanberg, Ingvar (ed.).Contemporary Kazaks: Cultural and Social Perspectives.London: Curzon. p. 109.ISBN0-7007-1115-5.
- ^"Монголы • Большая российская энциклопедия - электронная версия".bigenc.ru(in Russian). Archived fromthe originalon 2020-07-16.Retrieved2021-02-02.
- ^abcdefgChristopher AtwoodEncyclopedia of Mongolia and the Mongol Empire,c. 2004Khotong was originally the Mongol designation for Muslim oases dwellers and in Inner Mongolia designates the Hui or Chinese-speaking Muslims.
- ^Монгол улсын ястангуудын тоо, байршилд гарч буй өөрчлөлтуудийн асуудалд "М.Баянтөр, Г.Нямдаваа, З.Баярмаа pp.57-709.
- ^Sanders, Alan J.K. (2010).Historical Dictionary of Mongolia(3rd ed.). Scarecrow Press. p. 386.ISBN9780810874527.
- ^abWhite, Thomas (2021),"Religion, Nationality, and" Camel Culture "among the Muslim Mongol Pastoralists of Inner Mongolia",Ethnographies of Islam in China,University of Hawaii Press, pp. 75–77,ISBN978-0-8248-8643-1,retrieved2024-06-01
- ^abCope, Tim (2013).On the Trail of Genghis Khan: An Epic Journey Through the Lands of the Nomads.Bloomsbury. p. 72.ISBN9781608190720.
- ^Finke, Peter (1999). "The Kazaks of western Mongolia". In Svanberg, Ingvar (ed.).Contemporary Kazaks: Cultural and Social Perspectives.London: Curzon. p. 109.ISBN0-7007-1115-5.
- ^Wurm, Stephen A.; Muhlhausler, Peter, eds. (2011).Atlas of Languages of Intercultural Communication in the Pacific, Asia, and the Americas.Walter de Gruyter. p. 910.ISBN9783110819724.
 | This article about an ethnic group in Asia is astub.You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |