Uyghur Nation: Reform and Revolution on the Russia-China Frontier

by David Brophy

The meeting of the Russian and Qing empires in the nineteenth century had dramatic consequences for Central Asia’s Muslim communities. Along this frontier, a new political space emerged, shaped by competing imperial and spiritual loyalties, cross-border economic and social ties, and the revolutions that engulfed Russia and China in the early twentieth century. David Brophy explores how a community of Central Asian Muslims responded to these historic changes by reinventing themselves as the modern Uyghur nation.As exiles and émigrés, traders and seasonal laborers, a diverse diaspora of Muslims from China’s northwest province of Xinjiang spread to Russian territory, where they became enmeshed in political and intellectual currents among Russia’s Muslims. From the many national and transnational discourses of identity that circulated in this mixed community, the rhetoric of Uyghur nationhood emerged as a rallying point in the tumult of the Bolshevik Revolution and Russian Civil War. Working both with and against Soviet policy, a shifting alliance of constituencies invoked the idea of a Uyghur nation to secure a place for itself in Soviet Central Asia and to spread the revolution to Xinjiang. Although its existence was contested in the fractious politics of the 1920s, in the 1930s the Uyghur nation achieved official recognition in the Soviet Union and China.Grounded in a wealth of little-known archives from across Eurasia, Uyghur Nation offers a bottom-up perspective on nation-building in the Soviet Union and China and provides crucial background to the ongoing contest for the history and identity of Xinjiang.

Genres: China, History, Russia, Politics, Nonfiction, Government, Soviet Union

364 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 4, 2016

About the author

David Brophy is a senior lecturer in Modern Chinese History at the University of Sydney

Reviews

[Shangwei · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book talks about the construction of the Uyghur nation between the late 19th century and 1930s. Synthesizing both Chinese and Russian perspectives, this book sheds light on many blind spots Han Chinese people tend to have. It is hard for those Han Chinese readers who are not born and raised in Xinjiang to imagine the cross-border mobility experienced by Uyghur people in daily scenarios, as well as the long-lasting connection Xinjiang has with Russia and Turkey. In the 19th century, the archaeological findings of the ancient Uyghur Khaganate provided important discursive resources for the construction of the Uyghur nation. A Han reader like me is unlikely to know that the two different words in Han Chinese, Huihu (the khaganate) and Weiwuer (the Uyghur nation/ethnicity), are the same word (Uyghur) in Turkic languages. Regarding the construction of the Uyghur nation, many steps took place in the former Soviet Union, where Kashgaris and Taranchis, who had Chinese roots, actively reacted to the Soviet nationalities policy. In this long process, different thoughts and values clashed. The ideological stands of "Uyghur" pioneers were never monolithic, as one can see the influence of pan-Islamism, pan-Turkism, pan-Asianism, and communism. This reminds us that the Xinjiang issue should never be reduced to a religious or national/ethnic issue. Nor should we assume that all (or most) Uyghur people have the same political vision: an independent nation-state characterized by the Islamic faith.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting book on the Uyghur Nation.

Why This Book?
Having recently discovered how the UN declared that there's nothing going on in Xinjiang, I wanted to delve into it more and see for myself.

I discovered an amazing interactive BBC website that detailed exactly what "is going on" from some leaked documentation:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/extra/85qi...

It is unsettling and humbling.

So I got this book to learn more about this nation in China.

This was a good read.

3.9/5

[Gabit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent research on the evolution of Uyghur national identity and perseverance of its people. Throughout history Uyghurs have overcome many obstacles and have always emerged strong. With cultural ties to other Turkic-speaking Muslims of the region, Uyghurs will continue to play an important role in advancing entrepreneurship and education.

[Sao Niseiy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book delves deeply into the intricacies of the identity issues faced by Turkic Muslims in Xinjiang, tracing their development through interactions with various empires, including Russia, the Chinese Qing Dynasty, and, to some extent, the Ottoman Empire. Brophy skillfully juxtaposes this identity challenge against the backdrop of these empires, examining the social forces and political aspirations of Turkic Muslims during the 19th and 20th centuries.

Drawing from diverse archival sources in multiple languages, the book comprises eight chapters and a meticulously crafted conclusion. Brophy begins by shedding light on the emergence of Uyghur nationality, connected to the historical narrative of earlier Uyghur people in Central Asia. This narrative aligns well with the nationalistic aspirations of Turkic Muslims.

Brophy also explores the key actors behind the resurrection of Uyghur identity and the concept of ethnogenesis, particularly the roles played by ethnic Taranchi, Kashgari, and Dungan diasporas. These individuals, as Qing subjects, resided, worked, and actively influenced the conflict and competition between Imperial Russia and China.

What makes this book's analysis of Uyghur Identity stand out is the author's use of a large array of sources from over10 archives in six countries, as well as manuscripts, travel reports, and other information outside Xinjiang. This fantastic monograph demonstrates that linguistic ability can make a significant difference in writing history, as efficiently piecing together different archival documents in different languages can allow authors to unpack and solve historical puzzles, offering distinctive aspects of history that have been buried or otherwise overlooked or disregarded.