The Chantuu people are a group of

Uyghurs The Uyghurs,. alternatively spelled Uighurs, Uygurs or Uigurs, are a Turkic peoples, Turkic ethnic group originating from and culturally affiliated with the general region of Central Asia and East Asia. The Uyghurs are recognized as the ti ...

residing in Hovd province,

Mongolia Mongolia is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south and southeast. It covers an area of , with a population of 3.5 million, making it the world's List of countries and dependencies by po ...

. Unlike the

Khotons The Khoton or Qotung people are a Mongolian-speaking ethnic group in (Outer) Mongolia and Inner Mongolia. Most Mongolian Khotons live in Uvs Province in western Mongolia. In China, the Khotons (often called Qotungs) live in Inner Mongolia, con ...

, the Chantuu arrived in Mongolia later, alongside the

Kazakhs The Kazakhs (Kazakh language, Kazakh: , , , ) are a Turkic peoples, Turkic ethnic group native to Central Asia and Eastern Europe. They share a common Culture of Kazakhstan, culture, Kazakh language, language and History of Kazakhstan, history ...

during their migrations to the region. This distinction underscores the Chantuu's closer historical and cultural ties to Uyghurs. Their name derives from the term ''Chantou'' (), historically used to describe certain

Turkic peoples Turkic peoples are a collection of diverse ethnic groups of West Asia, West, Central Asia, Central, East Asia, East, and North Asia as well as parts of Europe, who speak Turkic languages.. "Turkic peoples, any of various peoples whose members ...

in Central Asia. The Chantuu people predominantly practice

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

, aligning with their Uyghur heritage and cultural traditions. While small in number, with 132 individuals recorded in the 2010 Mongolian census, they have maintained their distinct cultural and religious identity. Unlike the

, who adopted

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

and

Tengrist Tengrism (also known as Tengriism, Tengerism, or Tengrianism) is a belief-system originating in the Eurasian Steppe, Eurasian steppes, based on shamanism and animism. It generally involves the titular sky god Tengri. According to some scholars, ...

practices, the Chantuu have preserved their Islamic traditions.

References

Uyghurs Mongol peoples Mongols Ethnic groups in Mongolia Oirats Dzungar Khanate {{Asia-ethno-group-stub

See also

References