Chinese Tatars

The Chinese Tatars (Chinese: 塔塔尔族; pinyin: Tâtâ'êr zú) are one of the 56 ethnic minorities officially recognized by the government of the People's Republic of China. Its population, approximately 5,000 individuals, is concentrated in the areas of the cities of Ürümqi and Tacheng, in the province of Xinjiang. They are one of the smallest nationalities of all the official ones. See also: Tatars for a global vision of all the towns that are called by this name.

Language

The Tatar language belongs to the Turkic branch of languages. However, only about 1,000 Chinese Tatars are able to speak this language. This language uses an alphabet based on the Arabic alphabet for its writing.

As a consequence of the interrelationships established by this ethnic group with other peoples, most Tatars in China are able to speak the languages of their neighbors: Uyghur and Kazakh.

History

The history of the Tatars in China dates back to the days of the Tang dynasty. In that period, the name "tartars" It was used to name various nomadic tribes given the power that this people came to achieve. Subsequently, the Tatars came under Mongol rule and his name was used in the West to refer to the Mongols themselves.

In the XIX century, during the crisis of tsarist Russia, a good number of Tatars who lived in the area near the Volga River decided to emigrate further south and ended up settling in the province of Sinkiang.

Culture

Most Tatars live in urban areas. They like to decorate their homes with brightly colored rugs that they usually keep in perfect condition. When a couple gets married, they move to a new apartment, leaving the family home.

Traditional clothing for women often includes flower headbands decorated with small silver ornaments. The skirts are colorful. The men wear white shirts over which they place vests, generally black. They usually wear black hats as well. Currently, most Tatars dress in a western way, so traditional costumes are reserved only for special occasions.

When a person dies, the body is wrapped in a white cloth on which a stone or knife is placed. The body always leaves the house head first.

Religion

Most Tatars in China are practitioners of Sunni Islam. They often share mosques with their Uyghur, Kazakh and Kyrgyz neighbors.