Lagman and ancient customs. All about the East Famous Dungans

⁰

To be continued.

Dungan - immigrants from the northwestern provinces of Inner China, mainly Gan-su and Shen-si. According to legend, they first appeared in the region with the armies of Emperor Qian-Lun as merchants and suppliers with them, that is, 150 years ago. They live almost exclusively in Gulja and Suidine - in total in the region they number up to 3½ thousand men.

City of Ghulja. Early 1890s.

The question of the origin of the Dungans is controversial and obscure, despite the interest aroused by this people with their famous uprising. This question, as too special, cannot, of course, be dealt with here - for the sake of completeness, however, the opinions of some authors who have researched this matter are given: G. Gaines. (On the uprising of the Muslim population, or Dungen, in Western China / Military collection, 1866, VIII) considers the Dungans to be descendants of the Uighurs. He considers the word “hoi-hoi” itself to be a modified “ui-gur”, which is partly confirmed by the fact that there is no special sign for depicting the name “hoi-hoi” in Chinese writing that can explain the origin of this word, which proves that the word “hoi-hoi” is borrowed from another language [according to Reclus, under the common name hoi-hoi they usually mix all Chinese Mohammedans; before this name was applied to the Uighurs. (P. 316, Vol. VII)].

A. N. Kuropatkin (Kashgaria, p. 128) mentions the legends relating the origin of the Dungans to the era of Alexander the Great, then Genghis Khan, then Tamerlane. Most attention, in his opinion, deserves the legend that the Dungans are the Muslims of East Turkestan, who remained in China after the conquest of Beijing by Genghis Khan and were part of his troops. [Reclus points out that the name "Dungan" is of Mohammedan origin, and that its meaning is usually translated by the word "stragglers" or "excluded" (warriors); however, this name is used only to refer to the Muslims of Northern and Northwestern China. Reclus says with certainty that the Muslims of China do not form a homogeneous ethnographic group. Uighurs, Tatars and various other northern peoples who professed western religion, converted to Mohammedanism, probably in the era of Tamerlane, and it was precisely the descendants of the Nestorians, called the Dungans, who instilled fear in the Chinese and endangered the integrity of the empire. (P. 324, Vol. VII)].

N. N. Pantusov (War of Muslims against the Chinese, appendices, p. 41) cites the legend that the Dungans descended from marriages with Chinese women of the warriors of Alexander the Great, who undertook a campaign to Beijing from Samarkand, as a result of which Alexander the Great himself married the daughter of a bogdykhan and lived in China for three years.

F. V. Poyarkov, who devoted himself to the study of the Dungans (Semir. Region Ved., 1901, No. 55), referring to the opinions of famous sinologists prof. Vasiliev and Archimandrite Pallady, considers the Dungans to be the same Chinese who have changed spiritually and physically due to the adoption of the Muslim religion.

It would also be appropriate to mention the opinion of the late Chuguchak consul, Mr. Borneman, who explained the word "Dungan" by the name of the place of their settlement Dun-Gan, i.e. Eastern Gan, or the eastern part of the Gansu province. [I heard, however, from missionaries who lived for a long time in the provinces of Gansu and Shanxi, that there are almost no Dungans in the eastern part of the former. The densest Dungan settlements are located near the city of He-zhou and the Salar area in the western part of Gansu and the city of Xi-an-fu in the southern part of Shensi].

G. E. Grum-Grzhimailo (Description of travels to Western China, II vol., p. 65. 1897) sees in the Dungans the descendants of craftsmen and artists who were forcibly relocated to China and Mongolia, mainly under Genghis Khan, from Samarkand, Bukhara and other cities of the conquered Turano-Iranian West.

In conclusion, let me add that, personally observing the Dungans in the Ili region and talking with missionaries who lived for a long time in the prov. Gan-su came away with the impression that, judging by their appearance, there is an admixture of blood foreign to the Chinese in the Dungans - it is difficult to say, of course, which one, since history indicates numerous cases when the Chinese could mix with various nations who professed Islam.

According to the legend of the local Dungans, heard personally, they come from the mixing of Turkic tribes with the Chinese by marrying Chinese women. Part of the Dungans, as it were, descended from the soldiers of Tamerlane, who, as is known, made a campaign in China in 1404, remained in it to live. Hence the explanation of the word "Dungan" as the Turkic word "turgan" - "remaining" corrupted by the Chinese; this legend agrees quite well with the news of N. M. Przhevalsky, who led the Dungans from Samarkand under the leadership of Imam Rabban at the beginning of the 15th century and considered their new homeland the city of Sining. In general, Samarkand plays a significant role in the legends of the Dungans. The other part of the Dungans (Salar [Salar is a locality on the right bank of the Yellow River below the Gui-duy / prov. Gansu /. - Grum-Grzhimailo, p. 131]) and He-Chou) allegedly descended from the fathers of the Turks (probably Uighurs). The name Dungan is actually used Turkic peoples Central Asia and is not known to either the Dungans or the Chinese - both of them use the word "hoy-hoy", that is, a Muslim, to designate the nationality in question.

By religion, the Dungans belong to strictly devout Sunni Muslims. They are not fanatics unless their religion is persecuted. Their akhuns and mullahs in mosques read the Koran in Arabic, although most of the worshipers do not understand the meaning of what is being read, the learned mullahs expound the interpretation of the Koran in Chinese. The Dungans speak Chinese and retain Chinese manners and customs. In addition to Muslim names, there are also Chinese ones.

Dungan family. Kulja, late XIX V.

In appearance, they can be distinguished from the Chinese: they are stronger, more muscular, their cheekbones do not protrude, their forehead is convex, their teeth are healthy, their eyes are often slightly bulging. The face is more round than oblong. Chest circumference is 6 mm more than half of the height, weight and muscle strength is much greater than that of the Chinese. They shave their hair and wear mustaches and beards. Their clothes, with the exception of the cap, are the same as those of the Chinese, but much neater. In general, these are prominent people, with a courageous posture. Women's clothing is also similar to Chinese, Dungan women do not have a custom to disfigure their legs.

Dungans. Kulja, late 19th century

Dungan food is similar to Chinese food, but the cooking method is somewhat different; for the poor class vegetables make up main view food; as Muslims they do not eat pork, but they have several national dishes. Favorite food is noodles. Tea is drunk as often as the Chinese. Opium and tobacco are not smoked, they do not drink vodka. They are clean, they go to the bathhouse, they keep the houses neat.

By nature, the Dungans are very brave, resolute, quick-tempered and vindictive, extremely prone to quarrels, both with others and among themselves; the Chinese call them evil. At the slightest provocation, they grab the knives they carry since childhood. Dungans are distinguished by their remarkable ability to endure pain; they endured terrible torture Chinese without saying a single word.

Marriages among the Dungans are concluded at the choice of parents and at the age of 18 for a man, 15 for a woman. Marriages are not allowed between relatives up to the 3rd degree. They don’t marry their daughters to non-Muslims, they themselves willingly marry Chinese women, but they raise their children in Islam. wedding ceremony, like all Muslims, is done by the mullahs. For the bride, bride price is paid: in the Ili region from 400-1000 rubles. In general, a wedding costs from 500 to 3000 rubles. Polygamy is allowed; Divorces are quite rare and have a good reason. The position of a woman, in general, is quite free and honorable, Dungan women walk with open faces. The Dungans are distinguished by the severity of family morals and for crimes against them they are avenged by death.

Circumcision is performed according to Muslim customs in the 5th year.

Among the Dungans, literacy is very developed, not only boys, but also girls study. School classes are similar to Chinese, they also study Muslim spiritual books and the Arabic alphabet. The main basis of education is submission and obedience to the parental will. Dungans do not like to single out children and live big families. The eldest in the family is the main person.

The funeral is performed according to the Muslim rite. Mourning is worn for 40 days. The mourning color is white, like the Chinese. Dungans strictly observe the rules of their faith, and the mullah enjoys great honor and influence.

Dungans are engaged for the most part, arable farming: almost exclusively they cultivate rice; are also famous as excellent gardeners, butchers and cooks. A lot of Dungans are engaged in trade and carting.

In comparison with other peoples, the Dungans are less sick and more durable, which is facilitated by a relatively hygienic environment, better food, healthy activities and a simple lifestyle. The most common disease among them is swamp fever from rice cultivation.

Dungan, Dungan (Turkic), Lohui, Lohuihui, Hui (self-name), people in Kazakhstan (30.2 thousand people), Kyrgyzstan (36.9 thousand), a small part in Uzbekistan (1106 people). There are 635 people in Russia. The total number is over 69.3 thousand people. They speak the Dungan language of the Sino-Tibetan family. Russian, Kyrgyz, Kazakh and other languages are also widespread. Writing based on the Russian alphabet. Believers are Sunni Muslims.

The Dungans are the descendants of the Hui who moved to Kazakhstan and Central Asia in the late 70s and early 80s. XIX century from the Chinese provinces of Shaanxi, Gansu and Xinjiang, fleeing the persecution of the Manchu-Chinese authorities after the suppression of the liberation uprising of 1862-77. On the new lands, the Dungans settled in compact groups according to the compatriot principle: in Kazakhstan, in the villages of Karakanuz and Shortyube, the Shaanxi (immigrants from the Shaanxi province), in Kyrgyzstan, in the village of Yrdyk, the Gansu (Gansu province), in the village of Aleksandrovka on the Sokuluk River, the Xinjiang. Initially, there was almost no communication between them; regional differences in culture and endogamy persisted for a long time. By the 30s. In the 20th century, a literary language was formed.

The main occupations are agriculture (irrigated rice growing, vegetables), animal husbandry (mainly large cattle), poultry farming, part of the Dungans is engaged in trade and industry. Dungans beneficial effect on the development of agriculture among the neighboring Turkic peoples.

The family is small, but traditions are strong big family, kinship and compatriot ties. In the past there was polygamy.

Settlements of a regular layout. traditional dwelling frame-pillar construction (walls made of raw brick or stone) or adobe, multi-chamber, with access from the rooms to a covered outdoor gallery. A characteristic feature was a heated couch (kan) in the bedroom. They slept on it, ate, sitting at a low table.

Traditional men's and women's clothing is similar in cut: a swing jacket, fastened on the right side, and wide trousers. Women's clothing is decorated with embroidery. Cloth shoes.

Food - mainly flour (long flour and starch noodles, rice porridge, etc.) and vegetables with seasonings from meat (beef, lamb, chicken). For frying, vegetable oils are most often used. Numerous snacks and sweet dishes. Many types of food are steamed, boiled is preferred. Meals begin with tea, dinner ends with soup. They eat with chopsticks. They consume a lot of pepper, garlic, onion, vinegar, etc.

Traditional medicine, rich folklore (traditions, fairy tales) have been preserved.

In the 20th century, ties with other peoples grew significantly. Forms have received significant distribution modern culture which is reflected in the transformation of housing, clothing, food, family organization. National literature and intelligentsia were formed.

A. M. Reshetov

Peoples and religions of the world. Encyclopedia. M., 2000, p. 165-166.

Modern area of settlement and population

Total: 110000
Kyrgyzstan: 58409 () , 59994 ()

Kazakhstan: 51577 ()

Russia: 1651 ()

Language Religion Related peoples

Dungan

China

traditional Chinese:

東干族

Simplified Chinese:

东干族

Dunganese name

Dungan:

Huizu

Xiao"erjing:

حُوِ ذَو

Romanization:

Hueyzw

Hanzi:

回族

Dungan- people living in Kyrgyzstan, southern Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. There are also over 9.8 million Chinese-speaking Huizu Muslims in the PRC, who are often referred to as the same nationality. Dungans are descendants huizu, some of whom, like the more numerous Uighurs, moved to the territory of the Russian Empire in the 1880s after the defeat of the anti-Qing Dungan uprising in northwestern China. Dungan self-name in the modern Dungan Cyrillic script - huihui(cf. Chinese 回回), Huiming(Chinese 回民) "Hui people", lohuihui(Chinese 老回回) “venerable huihui" or җun-yan zhyn(Chinese 中原人, "People of the Central Plain"). Their language (see Dungan language) they call, respectively, "the language of the people hui"(dung. huizu yuyang; cf. whale. 回族语言) or "language of the Central Plains" ( Yun-yang hua, cf. whale. 中原话). In the USSR, during the process of national-state demarcation in Central Asia, initiated in 1924, the ethnonym "Dungan", which had been used earlier in Russian literature, was chosen as the official name for Chinese-speaking Muslims. In inner China, this word was not known. In Xinjiang, it began to be used by the surrounding peoples as a name (but not a self-name) of those huizu, who were massively resettled from the provinces of Gansu and Shaanxi as military settlers - mainly in 1871 during the formation of the Ili Governor General with the center in Ghulja. According to one version, the word "Dungan" is of Turkic origin. According to another, recently proposed by Xinjiang University professor Hai Feng, the word dungan goes back to the Chinese word tunken(屯垦) - "military settlements of border lands", widespread in Xinjiang during its development by Qing China. In Chinese literature, words dongganren(东干人） "Dungan", dongganzu东干族 "nationality dungan» is used only in relation to the Dungans of the USSR / CIS countries.

One of the many restaurants in the Dordoi market in Bishkek advertising "Dungan cuisine"

Currently, the Dungans are most widely represented in the population of the Dzhambul region of Kazakhstan (about 40 thousand people; 36.9 thousand in all of Kazakhstan according to the 1999 census), as well as in northern Kyrgyzstan, where this people has approximately 55 thousand or 1.2% of the population of the republic (51,766 according to the 1999 census) In Russia, according to the 2002 census, lives 800 Dungans.

In the village of Milyanfan

Dungan in Kyrgyzstan

Notable Dungans

Masanchi, Magazy - member revolutionary movement, civil war, the struggle to establish Soviet power in Central Asia and Kazakhstan.
Vanahoon, Manzus - participant of the Great Patriotic War. Hero of the Soviet Union
Maneza, Maya
Shivaza, Yasyr Dzhumazovich - Dungan Soviet writer
Chinshanlo, Zulfiya - Kazakhstani weightlifter, world and Olympic champion

Faces of Russia. "Living Together, Being Different"

The multimedia project "Faces of Russia" exists since 2006, talking about Russian civilization, the most important feature which is the ability to live together, remaining different - such a motto is especially relevant for the countries of the entire post-Soviet space. From 2006 to 2012, within the framework of the project, we created 60 documentaries about representatives of different Russian ethnic groups. Also, 2 cycles of radio programs "Music and songs of the peoples of Russia" were created - more than 40 programs. Illustrated almanacs have been released to support the first series of films. Now we are halfway to creating a unique multimedia encyclopedia of the peoples of our country, a picture that will allow the inhabitants of Russia to recognize themselves and leave a picture of what they were like for posterity.

~~~~~~~~~~~

DUNG'AN, Dungan (Turkic), Lohui, Lohuihui, Hui (self-name), people in Kazakhstan (30.2 thousand people), Kyrgyzstan (36.9 thousand), a small part in Uzbekistan (1106 people). In Russia, Ingushetia, 635 people. The total number is over 69.3 thousand people. They speak the Dungan language of the Sino-Tibetan family. Russian, Kyrgyz, Kazakh and other languages are also widespread. Writing based on the Russian alphabet. Believers are Sunni Muslims.

According to the 2002 census, the number of Dungans living in Russia is 1 thousand people. Number in Russia according to the 2010 census. - 1 thousand 651 people.

The Dungans are descendants of the Hui who migrated to Kazakhstan and Central Asia in the late 70s and early 80s of the 19th century from the Chinese provinces of Shaanxi, Gansu and Xinjiang, fleeing the persecution of the Manchu-Chinese authorities after the suppression of the liberation uprising of 1862-77. On the new lands, the Dungans settled in compact groups according to the compatriot principle: in Kazakhstan, in the villages of Karakanuz and Shortyube, the Shenxi (immigrants from the Shaanxi province), in Kyrgyzstan, in the village of Yrdyk, the Gansu (Gansu province), in the village of Aleksandrovka on the Sokuluk River, the Xinjiang. Initially, there was almost no communication between them; regional differences in culture and endogamy persisted for a long time. By the 30s of the 20th century, a literary language was formed.

The main occupations are agriculture (irrigated rice growing, vegetables), animal husbandry (mainly cattle), poultry farming, part of the Dungan is engaged in trade and industry. The Dungans had a beneficial effect on the development of agriculture among the neighboring Turkic peoples.

The family is small, but the traditions of a large family, kinship and compatriot ties are strong. In the past there was polygamy.

Settlements of a regular layout. A traditional dwelling of a frame-and-pillar structure (walls made of mud brick or stone) or adobe, multi-chambered, with access from the rooms to a covered outdoor gallery. characteristic feature there was a heated couch (kan) in the bedroom. They slept on it, ate, sitting at a low table.

Traditional men's and women's clothing is similar in cut: a swing jacket, fastened on the right side, and wide trousers. Women's clothing is decorated with embroidery. Cloth shoes.

Traditional medicine, rich folklore (traditions, fairy tales) have been preserved.

In the 20th century, ties with other peoples grew significantly. The forms of modern culture have received significant distribution, which is reflected in the transformation of housing, clothing, food, and family organization. Formed national literature, intelligentsia.

A.M. Reshetov

Essays

Under big tree there is always sickness

Is it possible to start acquaintance with a whole people not from songs, fairy tales, myths and legends, but from something else? For example, from the kitchen, that is, from the art of cooking.

Of course it is possible. After all, it is not by chance that someone said: show me how you cook food, and I will tell you who you are.

So, Dungans cook food in a separate room called "Juefon"

(translated from Dungan: fire-room). Crockery, utensils, each item has its own specific place. Starting cooking, the hostess should put on an apron, a scarf on her head, and wash her hands thoroughly.

Wash your hands up to the elbows

From this action, often repeated, apparently, the Dungan proverb was born: “Schi shu shchido zhu”, which means “Wash your hands up to the elbows”.

The kitchen is constantly kept clean and tidy. For a Dungan woman, it is an insult if she is called untidy and inept in cooking.

Previously, when choosing a bride for her son, the mother first of all learned about the girl's ability to cook. Only after making sure that the future daughter-in-law knows how to cook well, matchmakers were sent to her.

Dungans never leave unwashed dishes overnight. They compare it to a dead man lying at home, not buried.

To get rid of insects, Dungans do not resort to conventional chemicals. To do this, they use various spices and aromatic substances. For example, the smell of fresh celery repels flies. They also do not sit on meat if it is anointed with cottonseed oil.

Food in Dungan families is taken at a low square table around which eight people can be accommodated. Mandatory table setting items are chopsticks - cuezes (instead of spoons and forks), a tea bowl, as well as condiment appliances. After the end of the meal, the table is placed on the edge with its front side to the wall. Cooking usually begins with the preparation and primary processing of products.

Primary processing includes: selection, cleaning, washing and cutting. Products are cut into thin strips, slices, cubes, squares, plastics, small pieces. According to Dungan culinary specialists, products that are unevenly cut in thickness and length will either overcook during heat treatment or will not be brought to readiness. Such a dish, of course, will not be tasty and nutritious.

Some types of products require additional processing. For example, to remove bitterness, celery stalks are poured with boiling water, cooled, cut, and only then fried. When cutting products, there should be as little waste as possible. An experienced hostess will always accurately determine the right amount of products for preparing the dish she has chosen.

Dungan food is predominantly flour (long flour and starch noodles, rice porridge) and vegetables seasoned with meat (beef, lamb, chicken). For frying, vegetable oils are most often used. Numerous snacks and sweet dishes. Many types of food are steamed. Dungans prefer boiled. Meals begin with tea, dinner ends with soup. They eat with chopsticks. Cakes are broken by hands.

From an ethnographic point of view, the study of traditional nutrition, which is the most stable element material culture, opens up the possibility of giving more complete description people and restore many pictures of the culture of the past, including traditional activities, religious beliefs, interethnic ties and much more.

The Dungans are primordial farmers and are known as wonderful gardeners, rice growers and grain growers. The Dungan tradition of growing horticultural crops continues to this day.

Dungans plant traditional vegetables, spices and spices, hot and sweet peppers, eggplants, radishes, carrots, onions, garlic, tomatoes, large red radishes (retaining their taste for up to one week), kohlrabi, celery, various varieties of legumes and beans, cabbage, tomatoes and much more. Germinated soybeans - du-lauz - can also be attributed to vegetables.

Modern medicine has proven that germinated beans, like wheat, contribute to the rejuvenation of the body, prolong youth and life. Dungans also grow pumpkins, watermelons, melons, including small Dungan melons - liguase. The list of spices is also impressive: sesame, dill, cumin, coriander, cloves.

I wonder how the theme of food, getting food, was reflected in fairy tales or legends? Or, even more broadly, the topic of making money for a living. It turns out that even such a non-fairytale topic is explored in detail in the fairy tale "Precious Stone".

Everyone knew the lumberjack boy

There once lived a poor woman with her only son. The boy was fifteen years old. Every day he went to the forest for firewood. He will chop, load on his back as much as he can carry, and go to the market. He sells firewood, buys food and every little thing with the proceeds, and returns home. So they lived with their mother. Everyone knew the lumberjack boy.

One day the boy, as usual, went to the forest to cut wood. Suddenly he sees that some outlandish stone lies on the ground. The boy had never seen anything like it. He picked up the stone and put it in his pocket. Then he chopped a large bundle of firewood, took it to the market, sold it, bought some food and returned home. He pulled out a stone from his pocket and threw it into the chest where they kept the flour. There was very little flour - at the bottom. The boy had supper and went to bed.

In the morning my mother got ready to knead the dough. She opened the chest and gasped. The chest was filled to the brim with flour, and some strange stone lay on top. Mother says:

- Hey, son, when did you manage to bring so much flour?

The son replied: - I brought quite a bit, just enough to eat once.

The mother says again: “How about once, if the box is filled to the top with flour?”

The boy was very surprised, went up to the box, looked - the box was indeed full of flour. And on the flour lies a strange stone, which he found in the forest.

The boy began to think: “Where did so much flour come from? After all, I bought quite a bit with the money that I got from selling firewood. Maybe this stone is magic? Well, I'll try it one more time!"

The boy did not say a word to his mother, took the stone and put it in his purse. The next day he opened his wallet, looks - it is full of money. Then the boy realized that the stone he found was not simple, but working miracles.

The boy ran to his mother and told her everything. The poor woman did not want to believe at first, but when she saw the purse, she no longer doubted. She took the stone and put it in the chest, where the only precious thing was kept - a golden bracelet. The next day, the woman opened the chest and gasped again - the chest was filled with gold bracelets.

From that day on, mother and son no longer knew the need and lived in abundance. They built a tall spacious house, brought horses, cows, sheep, chickens and ducks.

Soon the rumor that the lumberjack boy had become rich reached the county chief, and he lost his peace. He thought: “Maybe this boy found a magic stone somewhere or robbed someone? No, he is still young to rob, this year he turned only fifteen. Every day he went to the forest, where he probably found a magic stone and got rich with it. But why on earth would this beggar own a magic stone? The stone must belong to me!”

Deciding so, the chief took the guards with him and came to the house of the lumberjack boy. There he began to vilify him in every possible way, threatening him with death if the boy did not give up the magic stone. But the boy was not afraid and did not give the head of the stone. The chief decided to take the stone by force, then the boy quickly put it in his mouth. The chief tried to pull the stone out of his mouth, and the boy inadvertently swallowed it.

The chief was furious and ordered the guards to beat the stubborn. But no matter how much the guards beat the boy, he did not feel pain, he was only tormented by thirst. The guards beat the boy for so long that they got tired. Then the chief himself began to beat him. The mother rushed to him to protect her son, but the guard knocked her to the ground with one blow. Realizing that he could not get the magic stone, the chief with the guards returned to their residence (yamyn).

Meanwhile, the boy was becoming more and more thirsty, and he kept asking his mother for water. I drank a cup of water - I didn't get drunk. Drained the bucket - again did not get drunk. Then he ran out into the street, ran to the river, lay down on the edge of the bank and began to drink. He drank half the river and suddenly felt that his body was lengthening.

Gradually the boy turned into a dragon. The mother saw everything, weeping, she rushed to her son and clasped his leg with both hands. This leg is still human.

Suddenly it got dark, thunder boomed, lightning flashed and rain poured down. dragon boy in last time looked at his mother, soared into the sky and flew straight to where at that time the county chief, surrounded by guards, was resting. The dragon struck them all to death with lightning.

So a simple lumberjack boy turned into a dragon and took revenge on the county chief, who brought a lot of grief and suffering to poor people.

Serious story to say the least. Her moral is clear: don't conceive of someone else's, otherwise it will be worse anyway. The only pity is that the dragon, after getting even with the offenders, did not turn back into a lumberjack boy. We assume that this will happen in three or five hundred years. In the meantime, we will play or watch the games played by the Dungans.

We play with dolls, but by the rules

ABOUT national characteristics Dungans can be recognized by watching what games they play. Dungans have many different folk games both for children and adults. Many of them not only serve as entertainment, but also have an important educational value, contributing to the physical and mental development of children. Some games are in the nature of sports.

Small children, especially girls, often play with dolls (faguner, bezhajar). Dolls are made of fabric, stuffed with cotton. Interestingly, in the summer, dolls with braids are made from corn on the cob. Playing with dolls is accompanied by the arrangement of fragments of broken dishes. Thus, children depict the reception and refreshment of guests. Of course, children in such games imitate adults. In fact, they copy how adults greet guests, what words they invite to the table, how they start a treat, how they see off guests.

“Ge bynbyn” is a game of untying (drawing up) figures from threads. Both children and adults are fond of this game. What do you need to play? A thread is taken - for children up to approximately 90-100 cm long, and for adults - 150-160 cm. Its ends are connected. Several people can participate in the game, but usually only two are involved in it. The loser is the one who failed to make the desired figure.

The game starts like this. The knitted thread is wrapped on the palms of the right and left hands once, and then the winding is pulled with the middle fingers and a figure called “ma tso” is obtained - a horse feeder.
The second player makes a “cuesa” figure from a thread - chopsticks. Then, from the cuesa, a "dunio" is obtained - a hanging feeder. From the "melon" is made "nu nyanshchin" - the eyes of a cow. And so on.

In this game, there is also a draw. Players can repeat the same figures several times. But keep in mind that when a “shuzy” figure, which means “saw”, is formed, the game is suspended, because this figure is a sign of a draw. The game of untying figures is a favorite pastime of Dungan girls. But boys can also take part in it.

A popular game among Dungan girls is also the game of pebbles "shuazyr" (grabbing pebbles). The game requires five round pebbles no larger than a pigeon's egg. Several tricks are used in the game, for example: double grip, triple grip, three-one grip, half grip, and also grasping of scattered pebbles. And it's far from complete list all game options.

"Foot shuttlecock" is the most favorite game of Dungan boys and young men. The shuttlecock was usually made from Chinese coin with a hole for wool attachment. There are several tricks in this game. For example, giving a shuttlecock with one foot is “dan”, playing with two legs is “background”, tossing a shuttlecock with bouncing is “le”. There are also more complex techniques: “ta”, “ti” and “zhyan”.

Among the Dungans, the master of this game is the one who, without letting the shuttlecock fall to the ground, performs all the tricks. During the game, you must loudly count the number of tosses (tosses).

We launch a kite into the sky

In the spring, the Dungans usually launch a kite into the sky (fynza background). In the Dungan settlements there were great craftsmen who made kites of various shapes. So, in the village of Milyanfan in the Kant region (Kyrgyzstan) lived the venerable old man Nasyr Lokhan (he died in 1970 at the age of 101). He was known as a great craftsman. He superbly made complex wukun (centipede) kites.

Haste in creating kites was not welcome, because real craftsmen already made blanks for their air toys in the fall. Women also participated in this process: they prepared special threads from hemp.
According to the stories of Dungan old men, many craftsmen used specially made bamboo tubes to determine the time of launching a kite.

It was done like this: a bamboo tube with a length of no more than 25 cm per quarter is dug into the ground in some non-residential premises. Then they take the fluff of the bird, put it inside the tube and watch when the fluff flies out of the tube.

When she flies out, it is believed that the ground steam has overcome the winter draft and "left her embrace." Then the Dungan masters loudly notify everyone that the time has come to launch the kite.

In the past, in the Dungan villages and urban suburbs, there were specialists - craftsmen who made kites for sale, therefore early spring you could buy them. In some places, this tradition continues to this day.

The Dungans used dozens of forms of kites, for example: mynlyr, which means "door curtains", sykuar - "square", malar - "dragonfly", bagar - "parrot", huter - "butterfly", Ba won - "prince Ba with a banner on his back", vukun - "centipede", moon - "dragon".

"Fonzy" (launching a kite) was a real holiday for the Dungan peasants, entertainment and mass game on the eve of spring field work, on the eve of the working year.

But not only kites are launched by the Dungans into the sky. On the ground, many Dungans go in for sports. Before the revolution, the Dungans had a popular national wrestling, which was arranged on the occasion of some holiday. In contrast to the modern sports "outfit", according to the older Dungans, the wrestlers wore a strong short jacket tied with a belt. The lower part - harem pants with free wide short legs. Simple but tasteful!

During the competition, wrestlers have the right to take hold of the upper part of the clothing and belt, as well as clasp the limbs and torso of the opponent. Undercuts and footboards can also be used. In this regard, Dungan wrestling is very similar to freestyle wrestling, but differs from it in that wrestling is allowed only while standing.

If the body touches the ground with three points and any point of the body above the knee, then defeat is defended.

In addition to this type of wrestling, demonstration performances by masters in mastering various combat techniques (schyan gunku, wushy dechuan) were organized in the Dungan settlements. These techniques were divided into five groups: 1) possession of the head, 2) fingers, 3) fists, 4) body, 5) legs. According to the stories of the Dungans, there used to be even special people who taught children and young men various methods of self-defense and attack. Some of these techniques were kept in great secret.

Completing short story about the Dungan people, I would like to add a few more important touches to the "collective portrait". Among the Dungans you will never meet alcoholics, very few smokers. They have a strong family authority. Everyone knows everything about each other. A family clan can have up to 30 thousand people among the Dungans!

Dungans have a great future. Families are healthy, all men are athletes, many have higher education. In the third millennium, we will hear more than once about the Dungans. About their victories and achievements. Now there are about 25 million Dungans in the world who are healthy in soul, mind and body.

The question of the origin of the Dungans is controversial and obscure, despite the interest aroused by this people. This question, as too special, cannot, of course, be dealt with here - for the sake of completeness, however, the opinions of some authors who have researched this matter are given: G. Gaines. (On the uprising of the Muslim population, or Dungen, in Western China / Military collection, 1866, VIII) considers the Dungans to be descendants of the Uighurs. He considers the word “hoi-hoi” itself to be a modified “ui-gur”, which is partly confirmed by the fact that there is no special sign for depicting the name “hoi-hoi” in Chinese writing that can explain the origin of this word, which proves that the word “hoi-hoi” is borrowed from another language [according to Reclus, under the common name hoi-hoi they usually mix all Chinese Mohammedans; before this name was applied to the Uighurs. (P. 316, Vol. VII)].

A. N. Kuropatkin (Kashgaria, p. 128) mentions the legends relating the origin of the Dungans to the era of Alexander the Great, then Genghis Khan, then Tamerlane. Most attention, in his opinion, deserves the legend that the Dungans are the Muslims of East Turkestan, who remained in China after the conquest of Beijing by Genghis Khan and were part of his troops. [Reclus points out that the name "Dungan" is of Mohammedan origin, and that its meaning is usually translated by the word "stragglers" or "excluded" (warriors); however, this name is used only to refer to the Muslims of Northern and Northwestern China. Reclus says with confidence that the Muslims of China do not constitute a homogeneous ethnographic group. The Uigurs, Tatars and various other northern peoples who professed a Western religion converted to Mohammedanism, probably in the era of Tamerlane, and it was precisely the descendants of the Nestorians, called the Dungans, who instilled fear in the Chinese and endangered the integrity of the empire. (P. 324, Vol. VII)].

In conclusion, let me add that, personally observing the Dungans in the Ili region and talking with missionaries who lived for a long time in the prov. Gan-su endured the impression that in the Dungans, judging by their appearance, there is an admixture of blood foreign to the Chinese - it is difficult to say, of course, which one, since history indicates numerous cases when the Chinese could mix with various peoples who professed Islam.

According to the legend of the local Dungans, heard personally, they come from the mixing of Turkic tribes with the Chinese by marrying Chinese women. Part of the Dungans, as it were, descended from the soldiers of Tamerlane, who, as is known, made a campaign in China in 1404, remained in it to live. Hence the explanation of the word "Dungan" as the Turkic word "turgan" - "remaining" corrupted by the Chinese; this legend agrees quite well with the news of N. M. Przhevalsky, who led the Dungans from Samarkand under the leadership of Imam Rabban at the beginning of the 15th century and considered their new homeland the city of Sining. In general, the Dungan plays a significant role in the legends. The other part of the Dungans (Salar [Salar is a locality on the right bank of the Yellow River below the Gui-duy / prov. Gansu /. - Grum-Grzhimailo, p. 131]) and He-Chou) allegedly descended from the fathers of the Turks (probably Uighurs). The name Dungan is used by the Turkic peoples of Central Asia proper and is not known to either the Dungans or the Chinese - both of them use the word "hoy-hoy", i.e. Muslim, to designate the nationality in question.

By religion, the Dungans belong to strictly devout Sunni Muslims. They are not fanatics unless their religion is persecuted. Their akhuns and mullahs in mosques read the Koran in Arabic, although most of the worshipers do not understand the meaning of what they read, the learned mullahs expound the interpretation of the Koran in Chinese. The Dungans speak Chinese and retain Chinese manners and customs. In addition to Muslim names, there are also Chinese ones.

Dungan family. Kulja, late 19th century

Dungans. Kulja, late 19th century

Dungan food is similar to Chinese food, but the cooking method is somewhat different; for the poor class, vegetables constitute the chief form of food; as Muslims they do not eat pork, but they have several national dishes. Favorite food is noodles. Tea is drunk as often as the Chinese. Opium and tobacco are not smoked, they do not drink vodka. They are clean, they go to the bathhouse, they keep the houses neat.

By nature, the Dungans are very brave, resolute, quick-tempered and vindictive, extremely prone to quarrels, both with others and among themselves; the Chinese call them evil. At the slightest provocation, they grab the knives they carry since childhood. Dungans are distinguished by their remarkable ability to endure pain; they withstood the terrible torture of the Chinese without uttering a single word.