Islam in China and the challenge of sinicization of religion—past and present

• Main Author: Bakar, Osman
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre 2020
• Subjects: BL Religion; BP1 Islam; BP50 History
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/86980/1/86980_Islam%20in%20China%20and%20the%20challenge%20of%20sinicization.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/86980/; https://themuslim500.com/
• Institution: Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia

Introduction: As a government policy, Sinicization of foreign religions has been promulgated and enforced during several different periods of China’s history. From China’s traditional perspective, only two of its religions are acknowledged as indigenous, namely Taoism and Confucianism.1 These two religions were born in China, Taoism in the sixth century BC founded by Lao Tzu (b. c. 604 BC) and Confucianism in the same century founded by Confucius (551 BC – 479 BC).2 The other major Chinese religions – Buddhism, Islam and Christianity – are all foreign in the sense they originated from outside the country. Buddhism, which originated from India, entered China in the first century CE, mainly via the Silk Route. Islam, which originated from the Arabian Peninsula, came to China in the seventh century during the Tang dynasty (618 – 907) through trade and diplomatic missions. Christianity came to China from the West in the early seventeenth century through Jesuit missionaries, although the religion itself was of Middle Eastern origin.3 From China’s own historical experience, it is possible for a foreign religion to be accepted as a “national teaching” upon having gone through a long historical process of Sinicization as were the cases with Buddhism and Islam. Following its Sinicization during the late Ming dynasty (1368 – 1644), its first ever, Islam in China came to be officially recognised as the fourth national teaching coming after Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism.