Social Customs and Traditions of the Hui Muslims in China

(1911–1925): A Comparative Study

Abstract

This study examines the social customs and traditions of the Hui Muslim community in China during the period between 1911 and 1925, a historical phase marked by profound political and cultural transformations following the fall of the Qing Dynasty and the establishment of the Chinese Republic. The research aims to analyze the social structure of the Hui, explore their religious and cultural practices, and investigate the nature of their internal social interactions as well as their relations with other ethnic groups within Chinese society.

Employing a comparative methodology, the study identifies elements of continuity and change in the Hui’s social life across the pre-1911 and post-1911 periods, with particular attention to family structure, religious and secular education, religious rituals and communal observances, economic roles, and patterns of social communication. The research also examines the impact of governmental policies and the emerging republican order on the cultural and religious identity of the Hui, and assesses the community’s ability to maintain its distinctiveness amid shifting sociopolitical conditions.

Drawing upon a diverse range of historical and anthropological sources, this study offers an in-depth understanding of how the Hui Muslims managed to balance the preservation of their Islamic identity with their integration into the new structures of the republican state. Their experience represents a significant example of the interaction between religious identity and modern national transformations.