Volume 2 · Issue 5 (2025)
Confucian Thought and the Localization of Islamic Civilization in MilāGhākh
Jianjie Ma
Department of Chinese Language and Literature, Northwest Minzu University, Lanzhou, China
Abstract: The Dongxiang epic MilāGhākh is rooted in the ethnic group's ancient oral traditions—including legends, stories, and folk songs—and has been continuously enriched throughout history. Its formation was profoundly influenced by Confucian thought, while the introduction of Islam and the intellectual practice of "interpreting the classics through Confucianism" laid a cultural foundation for its dissemination in the Dongxiang region. This epic not embodies the Dongxiang people's pursuit of freedom, eternity, and Islamic truth, but also stands as an outstanding example of the localization of Islam in China and the fusion of civilizations.
Keywords: Confucian thought; Interpreting the classics through Confucianism; Localization
References
[1]
Quan Wei. (2009) A Study of Dongxiang Ethnic Group's Poetry [Master's thesis]. Shaanxi Normal University.
[2]
(Qing) Liu Zhi, Ma Yonggang (ed.) (2017) Tianfang Dianli Jieshi [Interpretation of the Rites of Islam]. Siji Publishing House, p.10.
[3]
Man Ke. T (2013) he Sacred, the Secular, and Gender Relations: An Ethnographic Study of the Dongxiang People in Gansu Province, China. China Social Sciences Press, p17.
[4]
Ma Qiang. (2016) Timely Localization: An Anthropological Interpretation of the Sinicization of Islam. Hui Studies.
[5]
Bai Xiaorong. (2010)"The Spiritual History" of the Sarta People: An Analysis of the Dongxiang Folk Narrative Poem MilāGhākh, Popular Literature, p. 124-125.
[6]
Ma Tong. (1986) Tracing the Origins of Islamic Sects and Menhuan in China. Ningxia People’s Publishing House.
[7]
Chen Yuanlong. (2015) The Written Language of the Dongxiang Ethnic Group: Xiaojing Script." Journal of Northwestern Ethnic Studies, p. 61-68.
[8]
Ding Shiren, Luo Xiaofang (2012) An Introduction to The Noble and Great Scripture of Arabia:The Earliest Known General Xiaojing, Chinese Translation of the Quran in China. Studies in World Religionsp. 128-134.
Download PDF