The Chinese Sultanate: Islam, Ethnicity, and the Panthay Rebellion in Southwest China, 1856-1873 [Hardcover]

David Atwill (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0804751595 | ISBN-13: 978-0804751599 | Publication Date: November 30, 2005 | Edition: 1

The Muslim-led Panthay Rebellion was one of five mid-nineteenth-century rebellions to threaten the Chinese imperial court. The Chinese Sultanate begins by contrasting the views of Yunnan held by the imperial center with local and indigenous perspectives, in particular looking at the strong ties the Muslim Yunnanese had with Southeast Asia and Tibet. Traditional interpretations of the rebellion there have emphasized the political threat posed by the Muslim Yunnanese, but no prior study has sought to understand the insurrection in its broader muti-ethnic borderland context. At its core, the book delineates the escalating government support of premeditated massacres of the Hui by Han Chinese and offers the first in-depth examination of the seventeen-year-long rule of the Dali Sultanate.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"[Atwill] has exhausted all the available sources. Open-mindedly, he has not selected one of the contemporary theories about inter-ethnic strife (or border strife) and arranged the facts neatly around it... Atwill's book about the Panthay Rebellion is valuable reading for persons interested in the economic and political history of minorities in China."—H-Net

"This is a thought-provoking, sophisticated study that should stimulate discussion on numerous issues."—Journal of Asian Studies

"The book is of great help in understanding ethnic and religious revolts and violence in concrete terms in imperial as well as modern China, and for the crimes committed by the immigrant Han in China's frontier and ethnic regions in the name of state. . . . This book deserves serious attention from students of imperial Chinese history, ethnic studies, and frontier studies, as well as policymakers."—American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences

"It is a book that should be read."—Journal of Chinese Studies

"Atwill's book marks a major contribution to the historiography of nineteenth-century China and of Chinese Islam."—American Historical Review

From the Inside Flap

The Muslim-led Panthay Rebellion was one of five mid-nineteenth-century rebellions to threaten the Chinese imperial court. The Chinese Sultanate begins by contrasting the views of Yunnan held by the imperial center with local and indigenous perspectives, in particular looking at the strong ties the Muslim Yunnanese had with Southeast Asia and Tibet. Traditional interpretations of the rebellion there have emphasized the political threat posed by the Muslim Yunnanese, but no prior study has sought to understand the insurrection in its broader muti-ethnic borderland context. At its core, the book delineates the escalating government support of premeditated massacres of the Hui by Han Chinese and offers the first in-depth examination of the seventeen-year-long rule of the Dali Sultanate.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 280 pages
• Publisher: Stanford University Press; 1 edition (November 30, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804751595
• ISBN-13: 978-0804751599
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,265,246 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well Researched, October 8, 2006

By 

Munir "ahmad" (Cerritos, California USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Chinese Sultanate: Islam, Ethnicity, and the Panthay Rebellion in Southwest China, 1856-1873 (Hardcover)

Chinese Muslims? Its sometimes easy to forget about marginal populations until something catastrophic happens. This book is a scholarly analysis of one such catastrophe- the 19th century "Muslim rebellion" in the southwestern province of Yunnan. Atwill's depiction of the multiethnic nature of Yunnan, the symbiotic nature of the different groups, the origins of its Muslim (Hui) population were fascinating. The depiction of the workings of the Chinese Muslim kingdom were particularly interesting. What is most shocking is the magnitude and virulence of the anti-Muslim massacres that preceded the rebellion (which almost mirrors what happened in Bosnia- vigilante groups, official indifference, etc. ). The book does little to analyze the causes of this genocidal violence (which Atwill himself calls inexplicable) on the part of the Han Chinese settlers; just recounts it and links it as the major cause of the rebellion. The historian's task here is simply to research, and present his findings in a coherent narrative, perhaps correcting popular misnomers- admirable in itself I suppose, although no very deep interpretations of human nature or the nature of history. All in all, a detailed account of a major incident in the history of a very fascinating group of people- despite the disturbing implication such history indicates for minorities. Despite the dry, historical narrative style, the story is engaging in itself, full of characters and comic tragedy. It definitely renewed my respect for the Hui, who have suffered so horrifically for their faith.