Kazakhs in China
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| (1,462,588) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Xinjiang (Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture, Aksai Kazakh Autonomous County, Barkol Kazakh Autonomous County, Mori Kazakh Autonomous County) | |
| Languages | |
| Kazakh, Chinese | |
| Religion | |
| Sunni Islam · | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Kazakhs, Turkic peoples |
Kazakhs, called Hāsàkè Zú in Chinese (; literally "Kazakh ethnic group") are among 56 ethnic groups officially recognized by the People's Republic of China. During the fall of the Dzungar Khanate, the Manchus massacred the native Dzungar Oirat Buddhists of Dzungaria in the Dzungar genocide and filled in the depopulated area with immigrants from many parts of their empire. Kazakhs from the Kazakh Khanates were among the peoples who moved into the depopulated Dzungaria. Dzungaria was subjected to mass Kazakh settlement after the defeat of the Dzungars. In the 19th century, the advance of the Russian Empire troops pushed Kazakhs to neighboring countries. In China there is one Kazakh autonomous prefecture, the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, three Kazakh autonomous counties, Aksai Kazakh Autonomous County in Gansu, Barkol Kazakh Autonomous County and Mori Kazakh Autonomous County in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
Russians originally referred to Kazakhs as Kirghiz.
In the 19th century, Russian settlers on traditional Kirghiz land drove a lot of the Kirghiz over the border to China, causing their population to increase in China. Compared to Russian controlled areas, more benefits were given to the Muslim Kirghiz on the Chinese controlled areas. Russian settlers fought against the Muslim nomadic Kirghiz, which led the Russians to believe that the Kirghiz would be a liability in any conflict against China. The Muslim Kirghiz were sure that in an upcoming war, that China would defeat Russia.
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Wikipedia