The Äynu (also Ainu, Abdal and Aini) are
Turkic people native to the
Xinjiang
Xinjiang, SASM/GNC: ''Xinjang''; zh, c=, p=Xīnjiāng; formerly romanized as Sinkiang (, ), officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China (PRC), located in the northwes ...
region of
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...
, where they are
unrecognized ethnic group as part of the
Uyghurs. They speak the
Äynu language and mainly adhere to
Alevism.
There are estimated to be around 30,000 to 50,000 Äynu people, mostly located on the fringe of the
Taklamakan Desert.
History
The origins of the Äynu people are disputed. Some historians theorize that the ancestors of the Äynu were an Iranian-related nomadic people who came from
Persia
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
several hundred years ago or more,
while others conclude that the
Persian vocabulary of the
Äynu language is a result of Iranian languages being once the major trade languages of the region or Persian traders intermarrying with local women.
The Äynu at some point converted to Islam in tandem with the Uyghurs. Tension with the Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples of the area resulted in them being pushed out to the less fertile region of the
Tarim Basin near the
Taklamakan Desert.
The Äynu joined the rebellion of
Yakub Beg
Muhammad Yaqub Bek (محمد یعقوب بیگ; uz, Яъқуб-бек, ''Ya’qub-bek''; ; 182030 May 1877) was a Khoqandi ruler of Yettishar (Kashgaria) during his invasion of Xinjiang from 1865 to 1877. He held the title of Atalik Ghazi ("C ...
around 1864 against
Qing rule. In the 1930s, the Äynu joined the
Kumul rebellion. After the
establishment of the Communist state in 1949, certain ethnic groups were given recognition by the state and allowed more cultural freedom. The Äynu applied to be recognized as a distinct ethnic group but were rejected and the state chose to count them as Uyghurs instead.
Language
The Äynu people's native language is Äynu, a
Turkic language with a strong influence from
Persian.
Äynu is usually only spoken at home, while
Uyghur is spoken in public, by Äynu men and women alike.
Culture
Livelihood
The Äynu people engage mostly in agriculture, animal husbandry or work in the construction industry in the cities. A few also fish or hunt. In the past some were peddlers, circumcisers or beggars.
Discrimination
There is a tradition of discrimination against the Äynu by their neighbors, who identify the Äynu as ''Abdal,'' a name which carries a derogatory meaning.
Intermarriage with their neighbors the
Uyghur people
The Uyghurs; ; ; ; zh, s=, t=, p=Wéiwú'ěr, IPA: ( ), alternatively spelled Uighurs, Uygurs or Uigurs, are a Turkic ethnic group originating from and culturally affiliated with the general region of Central and East Asia. The Uyghu ...
is uncommon.
The Chinese government counts the Äynu people as Uyghur.
Religion
The predominant religion of Äynu people is
Alevi branch of
Shia Islam
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, mos ...
,
although a few profess
Sunni Islam
Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disag ...
.
References
Turkic peoples of Asia
Ethnic groups in Xinjiang
Muslim communities of China
Alevism
Uyghur sub-ethnic groups
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