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July 19, 2015

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Uzbeks a small but proud group

THE Uzbek ethnic group in China is a branch of the ancient Uzbek Khanate that still carries on many of the traditions when they dwelled in Central Asia before some settled in western China.

With a population of 10,569, the Uzbek ethnic group is scattered across a wide area of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region including Yining, Urumqi, Mulei, Titai and Tacheng in the north, as well as Jashi, Shache and Yecheng in the south. About 70 percent of Uzbeks live in Yining.

The Uzbeks are mostly city dwellers although some live in farming and pastoral areas.

The ancestors of the Uzbeks can be traced back to Central Asian aboriginal tribes like the Sute, Daxia, Dawan, Sai, and Wusun, who later became citizens of the Uzbek Khanate in the 14th century. The Khanate fell apart in the 15th century and a number of its citizens moved to the Chuhe River Valley, the remainder became known as the Uzbeks. In the 17th century some Uzbek merchants entered China along the Silk Road and settled in the cities of Xinjiang. More followed in the early 18th century.

Uzbek is how they refer to themselves and the name originated from Uzbek Khan, a ruler in the 14th century. They were addressed as Yuejibie or Yuezubo in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368).

They have their own language and script that belong to the Tujue group of the Altaic language family. The Uzbek language is similar to Uygur and Tatar. The script is an alphabetic writing based on Arabic letters, also similar to that of the Uygurs.

Young Uzbeks usually wear colored hats with bright embroidery, quite similar to that of the Uygurs. Seniors, however, only wear plain hats. Uzbek women often add scarves on top of their hats.

The traditional dress for a Uzbek man usually consists of a knee-length robe with oblique collar. It is usually tied with a triangular embroidered girdle. The dress is called tuoni in Uzbek and is similar to the qiapan of the Uygurs.

Uzbek women wear broad and pleated dresses without girdles. They prefer decorating themselves with earrings, fingerings, bracelets and necklaces.

The Uzbeks are fond of leather boots and overshoes with low-cut uppers. They usually keep the shoes outside before entering the house.

Many Uzbeks today, especially those in cities, wear modern clothes rather than their traditional outfits.

A typical Uzbek house is called an awan, which are known for their round tops like those in Central Asia. Some roofs are covered with iron sheeting to waterproof the home. The doors, windows and corridors are mostly arched.

The Uzbeks in southern Xinjiang live in oblong houses built in wood and adobe with flat-top roofs and slightly gradient slope.

In pastoral regions, many Uzbeks live in houses built with wood and adobe in the winter, but prefer yurts the rest of the year.

Uzbeks eat beef, mutton and horse. They share similar taboos with other Muslims, thus they don’t eat pork, which is considered unclean. Bread, rice and milk are staples.

Naren rice is served only during festivals or for guests. It is made of cooked ground meat, pastry pieces, onions and mixed with pepper and yogurt. It’s topped with a meat broth. Meat, potatoes, stuffed buns, noodles and green bean porridge also appear regularly on tables.

There are strict customs that are observed at meals.

The elders take the seats of honor and the youngsters are seated elsewhere at the table. Everyone keeps their hat on during dinner and no one can cough, blow their nose or speak aloud.

The ancestors of the Uzbeks used to believe in Zoroastrianism and Buddhism, but converted to Islam from the time of Uzbek Khan. All major religious activities are conducted in mosques.

Rozi Heyt and Corban are the most important festivals each year.

They follow the same tradition as other Muslims in celebrating the festivals. Singing, dancing, horse racing, chasing lambs and wrestling are always part of festival celebrations.




 

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