- Tajiks in China
Ethnic group
group= Tajiks in China
poptime=41,028 [cite web |url= http://www.china.org.cn/english/features/EthnicGroups/136950.htm|title= The Tajik Ethnic Group|accessdate=2007-12-10 |date=June 21, 2005 |publisher=China.org.cn]
popplace=Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County
langs=Persian (Farsi), Sarikoli, Wakhi
rels=Shi'ah Islam andSunni Islam
related=Pamiri, Wakhi, TajikTajiks in China (Chinese: 塔吉克族,
Pinyin : Unicode|Tǎjíkèzú) are one of the 56 nationalities officially recognized by thePeople's Republic of China .This group, with a population of 41,028 (2000), is located mainly in
China 's westernXinjiang region with 60% living inTashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County ; some researchers view them as a collection of over a dozen smallEast Iranian ethnic group s that are related to, but distinct from, theTajiks ofTajikistan .Fact|date=April 2007 The Ethnologue claims that they are actuallyShugni andWakhi . [ [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=tgk Ethnologue report for language code:tgk ] ]Aurel Stein and other writers from his time referred to them simply as "Sarikoli". [ A Journey of Geographical and Archarological Exploration in Chinese TurkestanA Stein - 1904 - [sn] ... 15,800 feet above the sea), into Chinese territory on the Taghdumbash Pamir, usingthe yaks of the Sarikoli herdsmen...] [The Heart of a Continent - Younghusband - ...an encampment belonging to a Sarikoli, who very kindly asked me to have some refreshment... (pg 242)] Some have referred to them simply as "Mountain Tajiks." [Through the Unknown Pamirs; the Second Danish Pamir Expedition 1898-99 By Ole Olufsen] Robert Shaw considered them Sarikolis and Wakhis, referring to them collectively as Ghalchah.In China, the languages of the Tajiks have no official written form. The great majority of Chinese Tajik speakers speak the
Sarikoli language and use Uyghur, Kyrgyz or Chinese to communicate with people of other nationalities in the area. A small proportion of Chinese Tajik speakers speak Wakhi.See also
*
Iranian peoples
*Iranian languages External links
* [http://www.china.org.cn/e-groups/shaoshu/shao-2-tajik.htm The Tajik ethnic minority (China)] (government website, in English)
References
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