The Uyghurs: Strangers in Their Own Land

by Gardner Bovingdon

Overview

For more than half a century many Uyghurs, members of a Muslim minority in northwestern China, have sought to achieve greater autonomy or outright independence. Yet the Chinese government has consistently resisted these efforts, countering with repression and a sophisticated strategy of state-sanctioned propaganda emphasizing interethnic harmony and Chinese nationalism. After decades of struggle, Uyghurs remain passionate about establishing and expanding their power within government, and China's leaders continue to push back, refusing to concede any physical or political ground.

Beginning with the history of Xinjiang and its unique population of Chinese Muslims, Gardner Bovingdon follows fifty years of Uyghur discontent, particularly the development of individual and collective acts of resistance since 1949, as well as the role of various transnational organizations in cultivating dissent. Bovingdon's work provides fresh insight into the practices of nation building and nation challenging, not only in relation to Xinjiang but also in reference to other regions of conflict. His work highlights the influence of international institutions on growing regional autonomy and underscores the role of representation in nationalist politics, as well as the local, regional, and global implications of the "war on terror" on antistate movements. While both the Chinese state and foreign analysts have portrayed Uyghur activists as Muslim terrorists, situating them within global terrorist networks, Bovingdon argues that these assumptions are flawed, drawing a clear line between Islamist ideology and Uyghur nationhood.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780231147583
Publisher:	Columbia University Press
Publication date:	08/06/2010
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Gardner Bovingdon is an assistant professor in the Department of Central Eurasian Studies at Indiana University.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Note on Romanization
Abbreviations
Introduction
1. Using the Past to Serve the Present
2. Heteronomy and Its Discontents
3. Everyday Resistance: Guerrilla Actions in the Battle over Public Opinion
4. Collective Action and Violence
5. Uyghur Transnational Organizations
Conclusion
Epilogue: Ürümci's "Hot Summer" of 2009
Appendix: Organized Protests and Violent Events in Xinjiang, 1949–2005
Notes
References
Index

What People are Saying About This

James Millward

Gardner Bovingdon brings to this project fluency in both Uyghur and Chinese languages, a deep knowledge of Han and Uyghur society and the PRC political system, and a comparative perspective enriched by wide reading in social science literature on identity and nationalism. Though he focuses on political questions, Bovingdon displays a humanist's concern for his subjects as individuals and eschews social science jargon for elegantly turned phrases that crystallize the issues in a memorable way.

— James Millward, Georgetown University, author of Eurasian Crossroads: A History of Xinjiang

Suisheng Zhao

The Uyghurs is an-depth case study of the failure of the Chinese government to integrate the Uyghurs, one of China's fifty-six nationalities, into the so-called great family of the nation. The book offers a unique perspective to understand the difficult and on-going process of Chinese nation-state building efforts. It is a must read for anyone who is interested in China's nationality issues and the rise of ethnic nationalism in the post-Cold War world.

— Suisheng Zhao, University of Denver, author of A Nation-State by Construction: Dynamics of Modern Chinese Nationalism

Peter C. Perdue

The Uyghurs is an original and significant contribution to the study of ethnic relations within the People's Republic of China. Very few foreign scholars have been able to study Xinjiang in such detail. Gardner Bovingdon's thoughtful discussion and comprehensive coverage make this must reading for anyone interested in contemporary China.

— Peter C. Perdue, Yale University, author of China Marches West: The Qing Conquest of Central Eurasia

Editorial Reviews

A fascinating book, delving into the historical identity of the Uyghurs and their position within the modern Chinese state.

— Andrew Galbraith

China Economic Review

The Uyghurs: Strangers in Their Own Land adds substantially to the comprehension of the wider implications of contentious politics in Xinjiang.

— Henryk Szadziewski

Asia Sentinel

The Uyghurs: Strangers in Their Own Land adds substantially to the comprehension of the wider implications of contentious politics in Xinjiang.

Asia Sentinel - Henryk Szadziewski

...the book is strongly recommended to anyone interested in nationalism, ethnic identities and inter-ethnic relations in China and Central Asia.

China Journal

A fascinating book, delving into the historical identity of the Uyghurs and their position within the modern Chinese state.

China Economic Review - Andrew Galbraith