Salar
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{{Infobox Ethnic group
|group=Salar
|image=<!-- image will go here -->
|poptime=104,503 (2000 census)
|popplace= [[China]]: provinces of [[Qinghai]], [[Gansu]], [[Xinjiang]]
|langs= [[Salar language|Salar]]
|rels= Predominately [[Muslim]], miniscule adherents of [[Buddhism]]
|related= other [[Turkic peoples]]
}}
{{Islam and China}}
{{otheruses}}
The '''Salar''' people ([[Salar language|Salar]]: Salar, [[Chinese language|Chinese]]: 撒拉族, [[Pinyin]]: ''Sālāzú'') are one of the [[List of Chinese ethnic groups|56 ethnic groups]] officially recognized by the [[People's Republic of China]]. They numbered 104,503 people in the last census of 2000 and live mostly in [[Qinghai]] (in [[Xunhua Salar Autonomous County]] 循化撒拉族自治縣 and Hualong Autonomous County of the [[Hui people|Hui]] Nationality 化隆回族自治縣), in [[Gansu]] (in Jishishan Autonomous County of the [[Bonan]], [[Dongxiang people|Dongxiang]] and Salar Nationalities 積石山保安族東鄉族撒拉族自治縣) and in [[Xinjiang]] (in the [[Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture]] 伊犁哈薩克自治州).
Their ancestors were migrating [[Oghuz Turks]] who intermarried with the [[Tibetans]], [[Han Chinese]], and [[Hui people|Hui]]. They are a [[patriarchal]] agricultural society and [[Muslims]].
== History ==
Their origins are uncertain but according to Salar tradition, during the fourteenth and fifthteenth centuries their ancestors, possibly from an Oghuz tribe of the Seljuk Turks, left [[Samarkand]] in present-day [[Uzbekistan]] and eventually settled in their present location in Gansu province. Over the course of their history, the ancestors of the Salar are believed to have merged with Tibetans, Han Chinese and Mongolians to form the present-day Salar.
In [[1781]], [[Qing dynasty|Qing]] armies crushed a Salar uprising with the results being disastrous for the Salar. As much as 40% of their entire population was killed in the revolt.
== Culture ==
The typical clothing of the Salar very similar to other Muslim peoples in the region. The men are commonly bearded and dress in white shirts and white or black skullcaps.
The young single women are accustomed to dressing in Chinese dress of bright colors. The married women utilize the traditional veil in white or black colors.
They have a musical instrument called the ''Kouxuan''. It is a string instrument manufactured in silver or in copper and only played by the women.
For the Salar, divorce is a very easy procedure, although it can only be requested by the husband. In order to dissolve the marriage, the man only has to tell his wife that he no longer wishes to remain married to her. The woman abandons the conjugal residence and he remains free to be married again.{{Verify source|date=July 2007}}
The Salars have been in [[Qinghai]] Province, China since the Mongol [[Yuan]] period.
For centuries they've maintained their [[Oghuz]] language remarkably similar to the [[Turkmen language]] spoken in the [[Qaraqum]].
However, culturally they have strictly conformed to the [[Naqshbandi]] ways of their Hui coreligionists. Therefore many nomadic Turkmen traditions have been lost, and Turkmen music was forbidden. More secular minded Salars have resorted to appropriating Tibetan or [[Moghol]] (a Qinghai Mongolic Muslim group) music as their own.
== Language ==
The [[Salar language]] has two large dialect groups. The divergence is due to the fact that one branch was influenced by the [[Tibetan language|Tibetan]] and [[Chinese language]]s, and the other branch by the [[Uyghur language|Uyghur]] and [[Kazakh language]]s. Only about one third of Salar speak their own language. In addition to Chinese, many Salar also speak [[Tibetan language|Tibetan]]. Salar is not a written language. There are reported similarities with [[Turkmen language|Turkmen]].
== References ==
* Tenišev, E.R: ''Stroj salarskogo âzyka'' (''The structure of the Salar language''). Moscow, [[Nauka]] 1976).
* Lin Lianyun (林莲云): 汉撒拉、撒拉汉词汇 (''Chinese-Salar Salar-Chinese lexicon''. Chengdu, People's Press of [[Sichuan]]. 1992.
== External links ==
* [http://www.china.org.cn/e-groups/shaoshu/shao-2-salar.htm The Salar ethnic minority] (Chinese government site)
* Arienne M. Dwyer: [http://www.mpi.nl/DOBES/WebpageDobes1/DOBES/teams/Salar-Monguor/SaGrammaticalSketch.pdf Salar Grammatical Sketch] (PDF)
* Ma Wei, Ma Jianzhong, and Kevin Stuart, editors. 2001. Folklore of China’s Islamic ` Nationality. Lewiston, Edwin Mellen.
* Ma Quanlin, Ma Wanxiang, and Ma Zhicheng (Kevin Stuart, editor). 1993. Salar Language Materials. Sino-Platonic Papers. Number 43.
* Ma Wei, Ma Jianzhong, and Kevin Stuart. 1999. The Xunhua Salar Wedding. Asian Folklore Studies 58:31-76.
* Ma Jianzhong and Kevin Stuart. 1996. ‘Stone Camels and Clear Springs’: The Salar’s Samarkand Origins. Asian Folklore Studies. 55:2, 287-298.
* Han Deyan (translated by Ma Jianzhong and Kevin Stuart). 1999. The Salar Khazui System. Central Asiatic Journal 43 (2): 204-214.
* Feng Lide and Kevin Stuart. 1991. Ma Xueyi and Ma Chengjun. Salazu Fengsuzhi [Records of Salar Customs]; Han Fude, general editor. Salazu Minjian Gushi [Salar Folktales]; Han Fude, general editor. Minjian Geyao [Folk Songs]; and Han Fude, general editor. Minjian Yanyu [Folk Proverbs]. Asian Folklore Studies. 50:2, 371-373.
{{CEG}}
{{Turkic topics}}
[[Category:Turkic languages]]
[[Category:Islam in China]]
[[Category:Muslim communities]]
[[ar:سالار]]
[[de:Salar]]
[[es:Salar (etnia)]]
[[fr:Salar (ethnie)]]
[[it:Salar (popolo)]]
[[mk:Саларци]]
[[ja:サラール族]]
[[pl:Salarowie]]
[[ru:Салары]]
[[fi:Salaarin kieli]]
[[zh:撒拉族]]