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In light of the ongoing crackdowns in Xinjiang, this special episode explores the history of Islam in China. Pushing back against some of the narratives that imagine Islam as a foreign threat, we look at the premodern history of Islam and how it arrived in China. We talk about the early connections between the Rashidun Caliphate and the Tang Dynasty. We explore how Islam was localized over several centuries, the impact on Chinese society, and in turn how Islam itself was shaped by merchants and traders in China. We talk about the cultural renaissance under the Yuan dynasty and how the premodern history complicates the contemporary politics.
Recommended Books:
Peterson, Kristian. Interpreting Islam in China: Pilgrimage, Scripture, and Language in Han Kitab. Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2017.
Thum, Rian. The Sacred Routes of Uyghur History. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2014.
