Competing historical accounts and the importance of nationalised mythology: Han Chinese 'imaginaries' and Uighur 'realities'

Conference Publication ResearchOnline@JCU
Hayes, Anna
Abstract

[Extract] The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region is located in north-western China and was the site through which traders traversed the Silk Road. Through much of the twentieth century it was bordered by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, but since the breakup of the Soviet Union it is neighboured by Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. Xinjiang has a diverse minority nationality (shaoshu minzu) population, and is home to the Uighurs, Huis, Mongolians, Kazakhs, Xibos, Kirgiz, Uzbeks, Manchus, Tatars, Tajiks, Daghurs and Russians, along with other minority groups who have recently been migrating to the region. Its total population numbers in the vicinity of 20.5 million, of whom 60.3 percent belong to the minority nationalities. The Uighurs have long been the region's majority population and they number in the vicinity of 9.5 million. They currently account for nearly 46 percent of the region's total population. However, their majority status within the region is changing due to continued Han Chinese migration to the province. In 1949, Uyghurs accounted for 76 percent of Xinjiang's population. By 1964, this figure had dropped to 55 percent, it was 46 percent in 1986, returning to 47 percent by 1990. This demonstrates that Han migration to the region has had a significant impact on the ethnic ratios in Xinjiang. In 1949, Han Chinese constituted only 6.7 percent of the population in Xinjiang. By 1990, this figure had risen to 37.6 percent. The Han population recently reached 8.12 million and they now account for approximately 39.7 percent of the overall population in Xinjiang.

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The British World: Religion, Memory, Society, Culture: Refereed Proceedings

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978-0-9874082-1-1

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14

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Toowoomba, QLD, Australia

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University of Southern Queensland

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Toowoomba, QLD, Australia

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