Kazakhs in China


are a Turkic ethnic group, called Hāsàkè Zú in Chinese, and are among 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China.
During the fall of the Dzungar Khanate, the Manchus massacred the native Dzungar Oirat Mongols of Dzungaria in the Dzungar genocide and filled in the depopulated area with immigrants from many parts of their empire. Kazakhs from the Kazakh Khanates were among the peoples who moved into the depopulated Dzungaria. Dzungaria was subjected to mass Kazakh settlement after the defeat of the Dzungars. In the 19th century, the advance of the Russian Empire troops pushed Kazakhs to neighboring countries. In China there is one Kazakh autonomous prefecture, the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, three Kazakh autonomous counties, Aksai Kazakh Autonomous County in Gansu, Barkol Kazakh Autonomous County and Mori Kazakh Autonomous County in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
Russians originally referred to Kazakhs as Kirghiz.
In the 19th century, Russian settlers on traditional Kirghiz land drove many Kirghiz over the border to China, causing their population to increase in China. Compared to Russian-controlled areas, more benefits were given to the Kirghiz on the Chinese controlled areas. Russian settlers fought against the nomadic Kirghiz, which led the Russians to believe that the Kirghiz would be a liability in any conflict against China. The Muslim Kirghiz were certain that in an upcoming war China would defeat Russia.
To escape Russians slaughtering them in 1916, Kazakhs escaped to China. Xinjiang became a sanctuary for fleeing Kazakhs escaping the Russians after the Muslims faced conscription by the Russian government.
Soviet persecution of Kazakhs led to Kazakhs from Soviet Kazakhstan moving to Xinjiang.
An estimate of 65,000 Kirghiz, 92,000 Hui, 326,000 Kazakh, 187,000 Han, and 2,984,000 Uyghur adding up to a total population of 3,730,000 in all of Xinjiang in 1941 was estimated by Toops, and 4,334,000 people lived in Xinjiang according to Hoppe in 1949.
The Kazakhs had settled in the Dzungaria area of Xinjiang after the Dzungar genocide by the Manchus wiped out most of the native Dzungar Oirats and fleeing from Soviet engineered famines against the Kazakhs like the Kazakh famine of 1919–1922 and Kazakhstan famine of 1932-1933. The Kazakhs had defected to the Republic of China and fought against the Soviet Communist backed Uyghur Second East Turkestan Republic in the Ili Rebellion.

Kazakh exodus

In 1936, after Sheng Shicai expelled 30,000 Kazakhs from Xinjiang to Qinghai, Hui led by General Ma Bufang massacred their fellow Muslim Kazakhs, until there were 135 of them left.
From Northern Xinjiang over 7,000 Kazakhs fled to the Tibetan-Qinghai plateau region via Gansu and were wreaking massive havoc so Ma Bufang solved the problem by relegating the Kazakhs into designated pastureland in Qinghai, but Hui, Tibetans, and Kazakhs in the region continued to clash against each other.
Tibetans attacked and fought against the Kazakhs as they entered Tibet via Gansu and Qinghai.
In northern Tibet Kazakhs clashed with Tibetan soldiers and then the Kazakhs were sent to Ladakh.
Tibetan troops robbed and killed Kazakhs 400 miles east of Lhasa at Chamdo when the Kazakhs were entering Tibet.
The Kazakhs migrated to Qinghai and lived peacefully with the local Mongolians and Tibetans. In 1938, in order to strengthen the rule of the people of all ethnic groups in the pastoral area, Ma Bufang took a provocative approach and proclaimed: "Hui and Kazakhism, the Mongolians are outsiders." Shot guns at the Kazakhs to incite them to rob the Mongolian livestock; However, he threatened: "Hui and Mongolia are natives of Qinghai, and the Kazakhs are foreign." Guns were fired at the Mongolians, inciting the Mongolians to grab Kazakh livestock, and creating hatred among the ethnic groups. There were more than 3,500 Mongolian people in Keligou. After Ma Bufang provoked the Kazakhs to plunder, there were only 2,000 people. Large animals consisted of more than 200,000 heads, and only 20,000 heads were left. Taiji was originally 1800 people and was massacred. More than 1200 people. More than 200,000 heads of animals. The remaining Mongolians are in exile in southern Xinjiang and the Hexi Corridor. In turn, the Mongolians hated and killed the Kazakhs. The mutual hatred between the ethnic groups made the Kazakhs unable to survive. In August 1939, about 300 households moved to Dapaba, Gonghe County. The remaining about 1,000 households are planning to enter Tibet. Due to the lack of animals to transport and transport animals, more than 10,000 camels were captured in the tea card camel farm set up by Ma Bufang. However, because the livestock were still insufficient for transportation, only about 900 households went west as planned, and about 100 households rushed to Duranxiligou to hide. When about nine hundred households moved westward to the Alton Quker area, Ma Bufang drove more than 1,000 Mongolian and Tibetan militiamen as pioneers, attacked the Kazakhs, and surrounded the blankets of the 900 Kazakhs. As the Kazakh people lacked food along the way, 400 young people hunted wild beasts near Kunlun Mountain. Ma Bufang's forces feared that this young armed force would fight back, and did not dare to slay the poisoned hands of the migrating Kazakh people. The youth returned to Baotu so that they could be wiped out. These young people were aware of the conspiracy of the Ma Jun, and resolutely refused to return, and asked the Ma Jun to release the family they had been encased in, otherwise they would be determined to fight. The deception was not completed, and Ma Bufang sent another Islamic imam from Xining to trick the Kazakh people back into the tea card in the name of religion, and promised friendly treatment in the future. Under the guise of religion, four hundred young people of Kazakh nationality carried guns down the mountain to meet with the elders, and they were escorted back to Dulan tea card by Ma Jun. When passing through Barong and Zongjia, they were surrounded by Ma Bufang's pre-arranged army and disarmed. More than 800 young and middle-aged Kazakhs led by Hujiahan, Engelbayi, and others, desperately desperately, one night, with a spade, head, Axe and wooden sticks were used as weapons, and Ma Bufang's troops were escorted and attacked. The captive young Kazakh women also seized battle knives, cut the ropes in the tent, and closed them inside and out. Over 300 officers and soldiers of Ma Bu were killed overnight, and the commander of Ma Bufang and the imam who seduced the Kazakh people did not leak. The next day Ma Bufang's troops arrived to massacre Kazakh herdsmen. About 100 households were slaughtered, and more than 600 people were killed or injured. More than 300 women were taken away by Ma Jiafang, and all their properties were obtained by Ma Bufang. Someone has done statistics on Ma Bufang inciting more than 30,000 religious feuds. The enemies between nations weakened the power of various nations and could not join forces to oppose Ma Bufang's feudal rule, and all the tribes' property also entered Ma Bufang's pockets. In 1940, the feud between the Kazakhs and the Mongolians, Ma Bufang fished more than 20,000 sheep, 550 cattle, 1,000 camels, and 300 horses. In addition, there are many gold and silver treasures. Kazakhs plundered from the Mongolian and Tibetan people, but changed hands, but was owned by Ma Bufang. From 1934, there were 1,700 and 800 Kazakhs who gradually moved into Qinghai. By 1949, there were only about 600 and 1,000 people.|url=https://user.guancha.cn/main/content?id=172711|
In 1934, 1935, 1936-1938 from Qumil Eliqsan led the Kerey Kazakhs to migrate to Gansu and the amount was estimated at 18,000, and they entered Gansu and Qinghai.

Distribution

By province

By county

;County-level distribution of the Kazakh
Сounty/City% KazakhKazakh popTotal pop
Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region6.741,245,02318,459,511
Aksay Kazakh autonomous county30.52,7128,891
Ürümqi city2.3448,7722,081,834
Tianshan district1.778,354471,432
Saybag district1.276,135482,235
Xinshi district1.064,005379,220
Dongshan district1.961,979100,796
Ürümqi county8.0026,278328,536
Karamay city3.679,919270,232
Dushanzi district4.242,15050,732
Karamay district3.495,079145,452
Baijiantan district3.352,15164,297
Urko district5.535399,751
Hami city8.7643,104492,096
Yizhou district2.7110,546388,714
Barkol Kazakh autonomous county34.0129,23685,964
Yiwu county19.073,32217,418
Changji Hui autonomous prefecture7.98119,9421,503,097
Changji city4.3716,919387,169
Fukang city7.8311,984152,965
Midong district1.943,515180,952
Hutubi county10.0321,118210,643
Manas county9.6216,410170,533
Qitai county10.0720,629204,796
Jimsar county8.069,501117,867
Mori Kazakh autonomous county25.4119,86678,172
Bortala Mongol autonomous prefecture9.1438,744424,040
Bole city7.1015,955224,869
Jinghe county8.2711,048133,530
Wenquan county17.8911,74165,641
Ili Kazakh autonomous prefecture1.785,077285,299
Kuytun city1.785,077285,299
Ili prefecture direct-controlled territories22.55469,6342,082,577
Ghulja city4.8117,205357,519
Ghulja county10.3039,745385,829
Qapqal Xibe autonomous county20.0032,363161,834
Huocheng county7.9626,519333,013
Gongliu county29.6945,450153,100
Xinyuan county43.43117,195269842
Zhaosu county48.4370,242145,027
Tekes county42.2556,571133,900
Nilka county45.1564,344142,513
Tacheng prefecture24.21216,020892,397
Tacheng city15.5123,144149,210
Usu city9.9318,907190,359
Emin county33.4259,586178,309
Shawan county16.2330,621188,715
Toli county68.9855,10279,882
Yumin county32.4215,60948,147
Hoboksar Mongol autonomous county22.5913,05157,775
Altay prefecture51.38288,612561,667
Altay city36.8065,693178,510
Burqin county57.3135,32461,633
Koktokay county69.6856,43380,986
Burultokay county31.8624,79377,830
Kaba county59.7943,88973,403
Qinggil county75.6140,70953,843
Jiminay county61.3921,77135,462

Culture

Some Kazakhs are nomadic herders and raise sheep, goats, cattle, and horses. These nomadic Kazakhs migrate seasonally in search of pasture for their animals. During the summer, the Kazakhs live in yurts while in winter, they are settled and live in modest houses made out of adobe or cement blocks. Others live in the urban areas and tend to be highly educated and hold much influence in integrated communities. The Islam practiced by the Kazakhs in China contains many elements of shamanism, ancestor worship, and other traditional beliefs and practices.

Notable Kazakh Chinese