From the Dual Perspectives of Islam and the Qing Dynasty: Menhuan Conflicts in Northwest China (17th-18th Centuries)

Abstract

This paper adopts the dual perspectives of the Islamic world and the Qing Dynasty to re-examine the menhuan conflicts in northwest China from the 17th to the 18th centuries. The study clearly concludes that menhuan conflicts were jointly triggered by multiple factors within Islam and northwest Chinese society during the Qing Dynasty, with the unique social environment of northwest China in particular playing a more crucial role. The core of menhuan conflicts lies in the struggle between different sects for spheres of influence and interests. Further analysis reveals that the terms "New Teaching" and "Old Teaching" are in fact merely simplified distinctions made by Muslims between different sects based on chronological order, with no deeper meanings.