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Nov 10, 616
Muslim Traders Bring Islam to China
During this time, Arab and Muslim businessmen travelled to China in an endless stream. Most of them were concentrated in the southeast coast of China in the cities of Guangzhou, Quanzhou, Yangzhou, Hangzhou, Ningbo, and mainland Chang'an and Kaifeng. They sold spices, ivory, jewelry, and medicines. Some Muslim businessmen from the Arab Empire lived or settled in China, and as a result, Islam was introduced, although this was not an organized effort. -
Nov 10, 627
First Mosque Built in China
Sahabas who were preaching starting in 616 were noticed by Emperor Wu-De by 618 C.E. As a result, the Huaisheng Mosque was constructed in 627, being one of the oldest mosques in the world. -
Nov 10, 650
"Seek Knowledge Even if You Have to go to China."
After triumphing over the Byzantine Romans and the Persians, 'Uthman ibn Affan, the third caliph, dispatched a deputation to China in 650 C.E. This was 18 years after the Prophet Muhammed's death. The leader of the dispatch invited the Chinese emperor to embrace Islam. This event was known as the official start of Islam in China. -
Nov 10, 1070
Muslims Play a Major Role in the Song Dynasty
By the time of the Song Dynasty, Muslims had come to play a major role in the import/export industry. The office of Director General of Shipping was consistently held by a Muslim during this period. In 1070, the Song emperor Shenzong invited 5,300 Muslim men from Bukhara, to settle in China in order to create a buffer zone between the Chinese and the Liao empire in the northeast. Later on these men were settled between the Sung capital of Kaifeng and Yenching (modern day Beijing). -
Nov 11, 1271
Muslims Gain Power During Mongol Expansion
As the Mongols expanded west into China, they gave foreign immigrants, such as Muslims, an elevated status over the native Han Chinese as part of their governing strategy, thus giving Muslims a heavy influence. The Mongols recruited and forcibly relocated thousands of Muslim immigrants from western and central Asia to help them administer their rapidly expanding empire. As a result, Muslims became the head of many corporations in China. -
Nov 11, 1300
Muslims, Jews, and Han Chinese Rebel Against Mongols
Kublai Khan and his successors forbade Islamic practices like halal butchering, as well as other restrictions. Muslims had to slaughter sheep in secret. Khan outright called Muslims and Jews "slaves", and demanded that they follow the Mongol method of eating rather than the halal method.Towards the end of the Yuan Dynasty, corruption and persecution became so severe that Muslim generals joined the Han Chinese in rebelling against the Mongols, whom they defeated in combat. -
Nov 11, 1357
Ispah Rebellion
Under Mongol rule, the number of Arab and Persian Muslims residing in the Chinese port city of Quanzhou was greatly boosted. In 1357, an army of predominantly Muslims led by two Quanzhou Muslims, Sayf ad-Din and Amir ad-Din, revolted against the Yuan dynasty. In defiance of imperial forces, the army seized hold of Quanzhou. In 1362, the Ispah army collapsed into internal conflict and was eventually crushed in 1366 by the Han Chinese commander Chen Youding. -
Nov 11, 1368
The "Golden Age" of Islam in China
The Ming Dynasty was considered to be the "Golden Age" os Islam in China. Muslims in Ming dynasty Beijing were given relative freedom by the Chinese, with no restrictions placed on their religious practices or freedom of worship, and being normal citizens in Beijing. In contrast to the freedom granted to Muslims, followers of Tibetan Buddhism and Catholicism suffered from restrictions and censure in Beijing.The Hongwu Emperor decreed the building of multiple mosques throughout China. -
Nov 11, 1368
Hongwu Emperor Writes a Hundred-Word Eulogy of Islam
The Hundred-Word Eulogy is a 100-character praise of Islam and the Islamic prophet Muhammad written by the Hongwu Emperor of China. His Majesty also ordered to have mosques built in the capital cities of Xijing and Nanjing, and in southern Yunnan, Fujian and Guangdong. -
Qing Dynasty Filled With Revolts
Muslim Ming loyalists led a revolt in an attempt to throw over the Qing dynasty. The Confucian Hui Muslim scholar Ma Zhu served with the southern Ming loyalists against the Qing. In Guangzhou, the national monuments known as "The Muslim's Loyal Trio" are the tombs of Ming loyalist Muslims who were martyred while fighting in battle against the Qing in the Manchu conquest of China in Guangzhou. -
Dungan Revolt of 1895
In 1895, the Dungan Revolt broke out and loyalist Muslims like Dong Fuxiang, Ma Anliang, Ma Guoliang, Ma Fulu, and Ma Fuxiang suppressed and massacred the rebel Muslims led by Ma Dahan, Ma Yonglin, and Ma Wanfu. The revolt originated because of a violent dispute between two Sufi orders of the same sect. The Wahhabi inspired Yihewani organization then joined in and encouraged the revolt, which was crushed by loyalist Muslims. -
Republic of China and the Second Sino-Japanese War
During the Second Sino-Japanese war, the Japanese persecuted, killed, and raped Hui Muslims. Mosques were destroyed and in many provinces Hui were slaughtered by Japanese troops or bombed. During the Rape of Nanking the Mosques in Nanjing were flowing with dead bodies after the Japanese slaughters. Japanese smeared Hui Mosques with pork fat, forcing Hui girls to serve as sex slaves and destroyed the cemeteries of the Hui. -
Muslims Persecuted During Chinese Cultural Revolution
During the Cultural Revolution, mosques along with other religious buildings were often defaced, destroyed or closed and copies of the Quran were destroyed along with temples, churches, Buddhist and Daoist monasteries, and cemeteries by the Red Guards. During that time, the government also constantly accused Muslims and other religious groups of holding "superstitious beliefs" and promoting "anti-socialist trends". The government began to relax its policies towards Muslims in 1978. -
Islamic Private Schools Supported By China
Since the 1980s Islamic private schools have been supported and permitted by the Chinese government among Muslim areas, only specifically excluding Xinjiang from allowing these schools because of separatist sentiment there. Although religious education for children is officially forbidden by law in China, the Communist party allows Hui Muslims to violate this law and have their children educated in religion and attend Mosques while the law is enforced on Uyghurs. -
Islam in China Today
Today, Islam is experiencing a modest revival and there are now many mosques in China. There has been an upsurge in Islamic expression and many nationwide Islamic associations have been organized to co-ordinate inter-ethnic activities among Muslims. China currently has a population of approximately 23 million Muslims.
