Khotons


The Khoton people are a Turkic ethnic group in Mongolia. Most live in Uvs Province, especially in Tarialan, Naranbulag and Ulaangom. While the Khotons spoke a Turkic language until the 19th century, most now speak the Dörbet dialect of the Oirat people. Khotons often avoid mainstream Mongolian written culture.
There were officially about 6,100 Khotons in 1989.

History and culture

Khoton or Khotong was originally a Mongol term for Muslim Uyghur and Hui people, or Chinese language-speaking Muslims.
The Khotons were settled in Mongolia by the Oirats when the latter conquered Xinjiang and took their city-dwelling ancestors to Mongolia. According to another version, they settled in Mongolia after 1753, when their leader, the Dörbet Prince Tseren Ubashi, surrendered to the Qing Dynasty. Sanders states that the Khotons are Mongolized Uyghurs as a result.
Unlike most Mongolians, Khotons follow a syncretic form of Islam that incorporates Buddhist and traditional elements. They traditionally avoid intermarriage with other ethnic groups.

Language

The language the Khotons originally spoke was a Turkic language. It was spoken up until the nineteenth century. Once settled in Mongolia, the Khotons adopted the Dörbet or northern dialect of Oirat.