The Tajik People 塔吉克族

Overview

Chinese Name: 塔吉克族
English Name: The Tajik People
Languages: Tajik language 塔吉克语, Chinese 汉语
Total population: 5.11*10⁴ (China mainland 2022)
Distribution: Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County

Brief introduction

The Tajik People 塔吉克族 is one of the 55 ethnic minorities in China with a relatively small number, mainly distributed inTaxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County 塔什库尔干塔吉克自治县. The origins of the Tajiks can be traced back to the Pamirs in the centuries BC. These tribes were distributed in many places south of the Tian Shan 天山 in China at a very early time.

The history of the Tajik People

Historically, the Tajiks who have lived in the vast areas of Xinjiang 新疆 since ancient times, and the Tajiks who migrated eastward from the western Pamirs 帕米尔高原 in different periods, are the ancestors of the Chinese Tajiks. More than 2,000 years ago, when Zhang Qian 张骞 communicated with the Western Regions, the tribes in the eastern Pamirs established an administrative subordination relationship with the Chinese feudal dynasty. This laid a solid foundation for the Tajiks to later become one of the ethnic minorities in China.

The religion of the Tajik People

Historically, the Tajiks believed in Zoroastrianism 拜火教, Buddhism and other religions. These two religious cultures are still preserved among the Tajiks to this day. Around the 10th century, the Tajiks began to believe in Islam 伊斯兰教. In the 11th century AD, the Tajiks began to follow a sect of Shia Islam什叶派伊斯兰教, the Ismaili sect. The Tajiks have fewer religious activities and few mosques. Some elderly people pray at home twice a day, while the general public only prays on festivals.

The Cultures of the Tajik People

The costumes of the Tajik People 塔吉克人的服饰

The clothing of the Tajiks is mainly cotton-padded clothes and jackets without any obvious changes of clothing in the four seasons. Adult men generally wear a black velvet round high hat with several fine patterns and a lace embroidered on the hat. The hat is sewn with high-quality black lambskin, and the lower brim of the hat is rolled up to reveal the fur. Teenagers wear the same white hat.

Women usually wear dresses and trousers, a vest over the skirt in summer, and a cotton jacket in winter. They will choose different dresses based on their status and age. For example, elderly women usually wear blue and green dresses, while young women and girls wear red and yellow dresses. For the sake of beauty and protection, married women often wear colourful aprons behind their waists.

The “Kulta” hat is an important feature and symbol that distinguishes Tajik women from women of other ethnic groups. Among the Tajik women, almost everyone has one or more of these thick dome hats with ear circumferences. The top and all sides of the hats are made of white cloth. The hats are embroidered with the favourite patterns of Tajik women and are rich in colour. More impressively, there is a thick curtain hanging at the back of the hat, covering the back of the head and ears. When females hang out, the hat is covered with a large square head scarf, usually white, red for brides, and yellow for the young lady.

The diet of the Tajik People 塔吉克人的饮食

The diet of Tajik herders is based on dairy, meat and pasta, and farmers usually rely on pasta. In addition, herdsmen are good at making dairy products, such as ghee, yoghurt, and milk pimples. Since the Tajiks love to drink black tea, after the tea is boiled, they are happy to add fresh milk to the tea to make milk tea.

The architecture of the Tajik People 塔吉克人的建筑

In Tajik villages, most of them are houses with square flat roofs and wooden and stone structures. The walls are mostly made of stones and turf, which are thick and strong. Due to the windy and snowy plateau, the interior is relatively spacious but low, with Kang 炕 built around, elders, guests and juniors living side by side, and the ground Kang 土炕 is covered with felt for sitting and sleeping.

The family of the Tajik People 塔吉克人的家庭

The traditional Tajik family form is the patriarchal extended family. The male elder is the head of the family, and the production activities and life of family members are arranged by the parents. Respecting parents is a traditional moral concept and social fashion of the Tajik people. When the parents are alive, the son will be rebuked by public opinion if the son splits up.

In Tajik families, the birth of a baby is a big event. When a boy is born, a gun should be fired three times or shouted three times, wishing him to be brave and successful when he grows up. When relatives and friends hear the news, they come together to congratulate and sprinkle some flour on the baby to show good luck.

The rituals of the Tajik People 塔吉克人的礼节

The Tajiks have a fine tradition of respecting women. When invited to be a guest at a friend’s house, the host will regard the oldest woman as the most honoured guest, and invite her to be the first to enter the house, while the others will enter in the order of women first, men first, and children first. If the sheep are slaughtered for the guests, the plate with the delicious sheep’s head and tail should be placed in front of the oldest female guest first to show respect.

The festivals of the Tajik People 塔吉克人的节日

In addition to the three major festivals of the Tajik people, the Eid al-Adha, Rozi Festival and Shengji Festival, there are also unique Spring Festival celebrations. During this festival, every family has to clean up and sprinkle beautiful patterns on the walls with flour to express blessings. Moreover, the women dressed in beautiful and generous clothes, waiting in front of the house, sprinkled white flour on the left shoulder of the visitor to show good luck. During the festival, every household prepares sumptuous food for the guests; young people sing and dance, and hold activities such as horse racing, sheep holding and wrestling. After the festival, people begin to prepare for spring ploughing.