Chinese dynasties and Islam

Author: Yu Zengui
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1996-11-01
Features: The book "Chinese Dynasties and Islam" is the final outcome of the national "Eighth Five-Year Plan" philosophy and social sciences research project undertaken by Yu Zengui of the Ningxia Academy of Social Sciences—"Research on the Governance Strategies of Chinese Dynasties Regarding Islamic Affairs." The book chronologically explores Islam's relationship with politics from the Tang Dynasty to the pre-Republic era, highlighting the close ties between Islam and social stability in the northwest region, especially from the late Ming to the early Qing dynasties.
In terms of research methodology, the book has four key characteristics:
1. It focuses on analyzing and evaluating the governance strategies and actual effects of Chinese dynasties in handling Islamic affairs, revealing the significant role of Islam in the social and political development of China.
2. Given the historically close relationship between Islam and Islamic minority groups such as the Hui and Uyghurs, the book integrates the study of Islam and these minority communities. When examining the policies of dynasties toward Islam, it simultaneously analyzes their attitudes toward Islamic minorities and the responses of these groups.
3. To provide a clearer and more comprehensive outline and evaluation of the formation and evolution of Islamic policies of dynasties, the book delves into the motivations and social impacts of these policies, as well as the ethnic and religious ideologies of the dynasties, their perceptions and attitudes toward Islamic minorities, and the political, economic, ethnic, ideological, and cultural contexts in which these policies were formulated, along with the social reactions of each era.
4. By conducting vertical studies of Islamic policies of different dynasties across different periods and horizontal comparisons of policies within the same period, the book reflects the tortuous development of Islam in Chinese history.
Reviewing the entire book, it is evident that the author has made new breakthroughs in academic research. For example, for the first time, the book systematically examines the Islamic policies of dynasties from the perspective of the overall development of Chinese history, offering original insights based on historical facts and exploring issues rarely discussed by predecessors, such as Islamic policies during the Republican era.
Given the author's broad cultural background and multi-angle, multi-level analysis of the intrinsic logical relationship between Islamic policies of dynasties and the overall social development, the publication of this book holds the following significance:
1. By understanding the environment, motivations, content, measures, and effects of Islamic policies formulated by dynasties, readers can gain a deeper appreciation of the significant role of Islam in China's political life since the Tang and Song dynasties, understand the historical relationship and mutual influence between Islam and Islamic minorities, and thereby enhance policy-making capabilities in handling Islamic affairs while fostering mutual understanding among ethnic groups.
2. By reviewing and summarizing the successes and failures of dynasties in governing Islamic affairs and Muslim issues, readers can recognize that correctly addressing and managing Islamic issues is a crucial component of building socialism with Chinese characteristics. This will provide references for implementing the Party's ethnic and religious policies in the new era, promoting the adaptation of Islam to socialist society, stabilizing and developing the northwest frontier, and advancing the construction of material and spiritual civilization in areas inhabited by Islamic minorities.
3. By exploring the responses of Chinese Islam and Islamic minorities to policies implemented by dynasties, readers can gain new insights into the deeper reasons for the development of Islam in China, understand the political, economic, ethnic, and other foundational conditions that allowed it to adapt to successive societies, and thus make certain predictions about the future development and potential transformations of Chinese Islam.
4. The progress of this research has, to some extent, expanded the scope of studies on Chinese Islam, providing references for compiling the history of Chinese Islam, the history of Chinese politics, and the histories of Islamic minority groups in China.