Muslims in Amdo Tibetan Society

Muslims in Amdo Tibetan Society: Multi-Disciplinary Approaches offers nine case studies from several academic disciplines. The chapters describe the ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and religious diversity within the Muslim communities of Amdo and illustrate complex social interactions with other Amdo communities. While relations between Han Chinese and Tibetans, and between Han Chinese and Muslims in Qinghai and Gansu, have already attracted scholarly attention, this volume has a special focus on Tibetan-Muslim interactions. These are rarely discussed and if so, then mostly in the contexts of trade relations and conflicts. This volume challenges some established stereotypes of Tibetan-Muslim relations and also highlights new facets of cross-cultural contacts and religious and linguistic influences.

Muslims in Amdo Tibetan Society is a richly detailed academic examination into the position of Muslims in Eastern Tibet, examining the historical, economic, political, religious, and linguistics aspects of Tibetan, Muslim, and Chinese interactions in this borderland. Marie-Paule Hille, Bianca Horlemann and Paul K. Nietupski offers a fresh, detailed and insightful perspective into Tibetan-Muslim relations in the region, and highlight new aspects of cross-cultural contacts and religious and linguistic influences., Muslims in Amdo Tibetan Society definitely stands as a landmark in research work about Inner Asia. First, because it focuses on the interspace between China and Tibet in Amdo, the most intriguing and obscure zone of the region known today as Gansu–Qinghai. Secondly, in a unique combination of talents and expertise, an international team of nine scholars discloses a wide-ranging scope of nearly untapped archives. Through such precious material—both oral and printed, kept in Chinese, Tibetan, Turkic Salar, Arabic and even Persian—the authors shed a new light on a number of disturbing issues about Tibetan–Muslim relationship in Amdo. They scrutinize, in context, the social, political, religious as well as linguistic practices and interactions between the two communities. In particular, the essential part played by merchants and tax collectors in this borderland setting is thoroughly looked into, from the days of Chinese imperial rule until the recent labour market reform. No doubt, Muslims in Amdo Tibetan Society will soon become a standard reference work amongst scholars., Muslims in Amdo Tibetan Society opens a brilliant new chapter on Tibetan history. Shining new light on a neglected region of Tibet, the contributions to this volume demonstrate the diverse ways in which Islam intersects with Tibetan society through trade, culture and religion. Touching on a wide spectrum of topics—including Muslim warlords, Muslim traders at Labrang, and eloquent portrayals of Amdo’s Muslim Tibetan ethnographic landscape—the authors offer persuasive and fresh insights that push beyond simple stereotypes of Islamic–Buddhist religious differences.

Marie-Paule Hille is researcher at the Centre for Modern and Contemporary Chinese Studies (CECMC), School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (EHESS), Paris. Bianca Horlemann is research associate at the Central Asia Seminar of Humboldt University.Paul K. Nietupski is professor of Asian religions at John Carroll University.