Qiang (self-name - sev-ts .: Rrmea , [ ʐme ], zhme - local people, in the Chinese program Chinese trad. 爾瑪 , Ex . 尔玛 , pinyin : ěrmă [1] , Chinese trad. 爾 咩 , ex. . 尔 咩 , pinyin : ěrmiē [2] ; official - Chinese reg . 羌族 , pinyin : Qiāng Zú ) - people in China , closely related to Tibetans , are among the 56 officially recognized peoples of China . They live mainly in the province of Sichuan, a small number - in the provinces of Gansu and Qinghai [3] . The number is 306,072 (2000, census).
| Qiang | |
|---|---|
| Modern self | rrmea |
| Abundance and area | |
| Total: 306 072 (2000) | |
| China ( Sichuan ) | |
| Tongue | Chinese , Tibetan , North Russian , South Korean |
| Religion | Tibetan Buddhism , Taoism , traditional beliefs |
| Enters into | Tibeto-Burmese peoples |
| Related peoples | Tibetans |
Content
Languages
They speak the northern and southern Chiang languages belonging to the Tsyan group of the Tibeto-Burmese branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family, of which 57,800 people speak North Russian and 81,300 people own the South Russian language (1999). Both languages are endangered and are used for interfamily communication between the adult and the elderly part of the population. For the North alphabet was developed alphabet on the Latin basis. Chinese or Tibetan are used as the main language. Possession of written Chinese is common.
History
The first mentions of Qiang were found on fortunetelles and date back to the 1st millennium BC. er However, it is impossible to directly relate the ancient Qiang with modern, since the first, apparently, are the ancestors of all or almost all of the Tibeto-Burmese peoples .
The divination inscriptions mention that the Qiang owned horses (多 马 羌) and participated in the royal hunt; at the same time, they were Zhou's allies, quarreling with Shang , becoming slaves and sacrificed.
Some of the ancient Qiang settled in the Sichuan region in the period of Spring and Autumn ( VIII - V centuries BC.) [3] . In turn, the culture of stone watchtowers, the carriers of which are the direct ancestors of modern Qiang, existed in the north of Sichuan from the beginning of n. e.
In the I — III centuries AD. there were wars of the Eastern Han Empire with Qiang .
Until the middle of the 20th century , Qiang maintained quasi- feudal relations.
Traditional Culture
Qiang settlements are usually small (about 10 families) and are located on the tops or slopes of mountains. The traditional house is a stone two-three storey building with thick walls and small windows and doors. The latter circumstance is due to the fact that frequent military conflicts between Chinese and Tibetans, affecting the territory of Qiang, as well as internal conflicts increased the requirements for fortification of buildings, including residential ones. On the ground floor there were rooms where cattle were kept. The second and third floors were residential, on the second floor there was a fireplace and a home altar . In the past, the village had one or several watchtowers, with smooth walls and a six or octahedral base. Sometimes the buildings were connected by underground passages. Currently, most of the watchtowers dismantled for the construction of new homes.
The main occupation is farming , cattle breeding , and gathering. In the past - also hunting . A characteristic feature is the absence of fishing . The main cultivated crops are cereals : barley zinc, wheat , millet , corn , buckwheat , rice, as well as potatoes and fruit trees ( walnut , apple, pear, etc.). Pigs, sheep, cows and horses are also raised from animals.
Crafts are developed ( weaving ).
Men's clothing included a jacket , sleeveless jacket , pants with a belt. Currently, the traditional men's suit is worn only by older people on holidays. Women's clothing included a headdress , a jacket , a skirt , an apron , and sometimes a robe decorated with embroideries. Details of women's costume, special headgear vary from village to village. Unlike men, many women in the villages still wear traditional clothing.
The Qiang believers are Buddhists ( Tibetan Buddhism ), Taoists or followers of traditional beliefs in which religious ceremonies were conducted by shamans ( pi ), and which included faith in spirits , the cult of nature, the cult of the mountains.
Famous Qiang
- Yun Duo (云朵, Yun Do), singer, was born on February 7, 1987, real name Xiè Chūnfāng (谢春芳, Xie Chunfang).
Notes
- ↑ i * i i i i bar Ch Ch i i;
- ↑ Kontsevich L.R. Chinese proper names and terms in the Russian text. M., 2002. P. 234
- ↑ 1 2 Qiang Minority - Chinese Nationalities
Literature
- The peoples of East Asia. M. - L., 1965.
- Reshetov A. M. Tsiang // Peoples and religions of the world / Chapters. ed. V.A. Tishkov . M .: Great Russian Encyclopedia, 1999. P.612.
Links
- Page about qiang in the Chinese Internet Information Center (rus.)
- Qiang in China (English)
- The Qiang Nationality Language and Culture Web Site (English)
- North language in Ethnologue. Languages of the World .
- South Korean in Ethnologue. Languages of the World .