Islam in China

James Frankel's book explores the history of Muslims in China from the Tang dynasty to the present day, highlighting their diversity and integration into society. It examines the paradoxical situation of Chinese Muslims as both insiders and outsiders to Chinese society and state, and explores the reasons behind their stigmatization.

Format: Hardback
Length: 208 pages
Publication date: 15 July 2021
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

China is home to a significant Muslim population, with up to 25 million Muslims residing in the country, representing over 1200 years of Chinese-Islamic relations. However, there is limited knowledge about the historical and contemporary geopolitical relations between China and the Muslim world, as well as the situation of the diverse Muslim communities living in China today. In his book, James Frankel explores the rich and dynamic history of Muslims in China from the Tang dynasty (618-907) to the present day. Frankel demonstrates that Muslims in China remain a diverse population, separated geographically, ethnically, linguistically, economically, educationally, and along sectarian and kinship lines. Despite these differences, Islam in China is recognizable as the same religious tradition practiced by approximately 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide. The book traces 1200 years of history, highlighting the changes that Muslim communities in China have undergone due to the forces of Chinese history, the development of Islamic traditions outside China, and geopolitics. It also examines the paradoxical situation in which Chinese Muslims find themselves - living as both insiders and outsiders to Chinese society and state - and explores why they are still stigmatized by their perceived alien origins. The book follows the 'yin and yang of compatibility and difference and the connections and ruptures between two great civilisations.'

Weight: 466g
Dimension: 240 x 163 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781784539801