The influence of Islam on Hui camel transport
Author/Sun Shuheng
One
The famous writer Deng Jiugang said, "The Dailin brothers are a treasure trove, dig it well." ”
Mr. Dai Lin is a Hui nationality, an expert in Inner Mongolia literature and history, a famous scholar, his father and grandfather are camel workers, he has an indescribable complex for Hui camel transport, he has interviewed more than 100 Hui camel workers and camel households, and restored history in an oral way, for which he edited "Hui Camel Transport" (Inner Mongolia People's Publishing House 2019 edition), and also edited "Da Sheng Kui Wenjianlu" (Inner Mongolia People's Publishing House 2011 edition) with Ma Jing is also an oral information to meet the public.
I have repeatedly read "Hui Camel Transport" and written several reading notes, which have attracted everyone's attention. Mr. Li Jinkui, Deputy Director of the China International Urbanization Development Strategy Research Committee and Chief Coach of the Tsinghua University-Harvard University "China City Operators" Two-way Exchange Program, was deeply moved and wrote to WeChat, "Mr. Sun, thank you!" I was looking for this book, and I received a kind kind from you and Mr. Dai Lin. I read Mr. Dai Lin's "Da Sheng Kui Wen Jian Lu", I very much agree with his value judgment on oral history, and I admire him very much for showing the original appearance of the interview in the 60s, which is a very important and irreplaceable supplement to the book "Da Sheng Kui of Mongolian Business", and Mr. Sun's video also reminds me of many years ago when Jewish friends came to Shenzhen to do business, no matter how late they had to go back to Hong Kong to eat. It is much more difficult for the Hui compatriots to do business and start a business than the Han people, but they have made irreplaceable contributions to the shaping of China's northern territory and the formation of the Chinese nation. Please express my deep respect to Mr. Dai Lin on my behalf. With such expectations, I carefully studied "Hui Camel Transport", and according to the historical data in the book, it can be proved that the influence of Islam on Hui camel transport is far-reaching.
Two
The Hui have a special affection for camels, and they regard raising camels as a "holy nah". They studied the saints of Islam and were known for their hardships and hard work.
Pulling camels is a "clean money" for a living, so a considerable number of Muslims are engaged in the camel transportation industry. As the modern scholar foolishly said, "In China, most of the camel people are Hui people, and this kind of camel Hui people, who sleep in the suburbs all year round, have brown skin and strong muscles, and must travel in the wilderness in September." For example, Kulun, Uriya Sutai, Beger, Xining and other places, bring tents, food, utensils, utensils, and utensils, and eat and lodging anywhere. However, in the summer, the camel hair is not born, it is temporarily suspended, and in March of the calendar, the camel hair is reborn, and the trip is the same. ”
At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, with the prosperity of the camel road, Hohhot, as an important node connecting the Central Plains and the Mongolian Plateau, gradually highlighted its commercial status. It is based on this background that the rise of Hui camel transport has become an important mode of transportation connecting the Central Plains with the frontier, at home and abroad.
Hohhot's Hui camel transport industry already existed in the early Qing Dynasty, but it was initially mainly used for short-distance transportation, mainly serving nearby areas. Although this initial mode of transportation was small in scale, it played an important role in the local economic life of the Hui people. With the rise of camel roads, the Hui camel transport industry in Hohhot has gradually integrated into this vast trade network. Although not the main force of trade at first, Hui camel workers occupied an important position in the larger number of camel caravans. They worked tirelessly on the camel road.
The heyday of Hohhot's Hui camel transport industry originated from the opening of the Pingsui Railway in the twenties and thirties of the twentieth century, which greatly promoted the economic ties between Hohhot and the hinterland, such as Pingjin and other places. As an important channel and distribution center for goods from the mainland to Xinjiang and from Xinjiang to the mainland, Hohhot's economic status has become increasingly prominent. This convenience of transportation provides a broad market space for the Hui camel transport industry. During this period, the volume of goods transported from Xinjiang, Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai and other places into Hohhot, and then transferred to the interior of Pingjin was very huge. The circulation of leather, alpaca hair, wool and various medicinal materials not only meets the market demand, but also promotes the rapid development of the Hui camel transportation industry.
Since the transportation of goods between the mainland and Hohhot mainly relies on trains, and the transportation of goods from Hohhot to the northwest mainly relies on camels. Therefore, after the closure of the main Mongolian merchant "Dashengkui", the Hui camel households in Hohhot City took on the important task of transporting goods to the northwest.
At that time, there were more than 5,000 camels among the Hui camel households in Hohhot. Some camel households are self-operated goods to the northwest, and some are specially for merchants to pull their feet. It has formed a number of main distribution areas of camel households, such as North Gate, Kuanxiangzi, Housha, Yingfang Road, Dongsi Lane, etc., with Cao "Dehoutang", Yang "Fuxitang", Sun "He Shenggong", Ma "Fu Hengyuan", Wang "Xingshengheng", Lu "Jushengde" and other eight camel households as the leading huge organizational system. With their strong strength and good reputation, these camel owners occupy a pivotal position in the camel transportation industry.
During this period, the turnover of the camel transport industry reached 300,000 yuan, showing its strong economic strength and market influence. As an industry organization, the camel society (later established as the Guisui Camel Transport Association) has a strict organizational structure and guild system to ensure the stable and orderly development of the camel transport industry. Through the formulation of industry norms, mediation of disputes, maintenance of market order and other measures, camel cooperatives provide a strong guarantee for the prosperity and development of the camel transportation industry.
Three
Hui camel transport is an important part of the camel road.
The camel road not only stabilized China's northern Xinjiang, but also promoted economic, trade and ethnic cultural exchanges. As a key transit point, Inner Mongolia carries profound historical and cultural values. As an extension of the tea ceremony, the camel transport route is a bridge for commerce, culture, and ethnic integration, connecting the ancient and modern, showing the glory of the friendship road, and is of great significance to both history and modernity.
The first three Qianying Road, Houying Road and Kulun Road were closed after the establishment of the Mongolian People's Republic on November 26, 1924. In fact, there are three, namely Daxi Road, Xiaoxi Road, and Xinpi Road.
Daxi Road: From Guisui to Guchengzi (Qitai County, Xinjiang), there are 72 stations, the whole journey is about 5430 miles, and it enters the boundary of Outer Mongolia from Sai Eat Tier.
Xiaoxi Road goes to Hara Niudu, merges with Daxi Road, and then 34 stations, and walks the same station section as Daxi Road.
Before the establishment of the Mongolian People's Republic, Daxi Road and Xiaoxi Road had always been the camel transport channel from the mainland into Xinjiang. It basically walks along the border between Inner Mongolia and Outer Mongolia, sometimes in Inner Mongolia and sometimes in Outer Mongolia.
After the establishment of the Mongolian People's Republic in 1924, the Hui camel workers in Hohhot braved the difficulties and went through countless hardships to open up a new camel transportation route. The road starts from Darkhan, Maomingan, and Urad Banners in Inner Mongolia, passes through Ningxia and Gansu, and finally arrives in Xinjiang, with a total distance of about 7,660 miles and 74 stations.
Especially after 1931, due to the abundance of bandits, the camel merchants had to go around the southwest diagonally for 15 or 6 stations when they reached the Erlizi River, passed through the Xingxing Gorge in Suzhou and entered Xinjiang, and then traveled northwest to Hami, and finally arrived at the ancient city. From Guchengzi, go west for 4 stations to Dihua, then west to Ili, northwest to Tarbagatai, and enter the territory of Russia.
These camel routes are not only trade routes, but also bridges of cultural exchanges and links of national integration. They have witnessed the vicissitudes of history, and also carry the heavy heritage of commerce, culture, and ethnic exchanges. Today, looking back at the history of these camel routes, we should cherish peace and development all the more and continue to promote economic and trade cooperation and cultural exchanges among countries.
Four
Islam advocates business activities and emphasizes business ethics.
In the Qur'an, the classic of Islam, it is stated: "Allah permits buying and selling, but forbids heavy profit." "Business is seen as a noble profession, and the business practices of the sage Muhammad and his successors set an example for the Hui people, which profoundly influenced the career choices and lifestyle of the Hui people. They have unique insights and advantages in the business world. They transform their beliefs into spontaneous actions and abide by the essence of them, which become the correct values of their business spirit, business tradition, and business culture, which together constitute the soul of Hui business.
The first is "not to pay attention to profits", to put morality first, as the foundation of the business, to be kind to others, and to be kind to others, which has shaped their national character of "happy business".
The Muslim business of each camel should be led by faith. Every year, the Hui and other ethnic groups are given in different ways, and this tradition continues among the descendants of Muslims. They also insisted on alms given to the mosque. One of the five virtues of Muslims is the "lesson", that is, donating alms. His generosity not only brought warmth to the poor compatriots, but also set an example of generosity and generosity in the society, which had a far-reaching impact on the improvement of the atmosphere of the whole society. Camel households, such as "Xingshengheng", take care of the families of camel workers and urge them to work with peace of mind. Yang Fu combined Confucian merchants and Islamic concepts in "Fuxitang", and developed rapidly after going to Outer Mongolia, and the camel team grew. In a relatively short period of time, "Fuxitang" has more than 100 camels. After the death of Lu Wang, the first founder of the Lu family, in 1928, his son's ability to manage the family business was no less than that of his father.
The second is to repay the society and pay "zakat". Zakat is known in Arabic as zakat or zakat, a word that carries the deep meaning of "purification" and means that by paying zakat, one's possessions are purified and sanctified. In Islam, zakat is a legal almsgiving as well as a religious tax, which carries the important mission of giving to the poor and preventing the excessive accumulation of wealth. Every year in September, the month of Ramadan, the month of Ramadan, is the month of Ramadan and an important time for the payment of zakat. On this special day, Cao Tingwang will personally or ask someone to carry out a strict liquidation of his surplus property, including movable and immovable property. He then converts the property into cash according to the tax rate set by Islam for different assets, which can be used for subsequent relief activities. During Ramadan, he would send money directly or daily necessities such as rice, flour, and coal to alleviate their urgent needs, depending on the recipients. For those poor compatriots of other fraternal nationalities, Cao Tingwang will also use money other than "Zakat" to help. This measure of "Dehoutang" has been insisted on for decades, once a year, and has never stopped.
Third, we have always followed the principle of "keeping our promises" in the business field. The outstanding performance of "Jushengde" in the business field is inseparable from its consistent principle of honest management. They are well aware of the importance of "keeping their word", and they will never break their word even in the face of loss of interests, and this rare and valuable quality has won widespread respect and trust. Whether it is the daily transaction with small shopkeepers or the integration and cooperation with large merchants, "Jushengde" has won a good reputation for its fairness, integrity and business ethics. In the long-term business practice, the generational friendship between "Jushengde" and the Mongolian Shan Ba family is a vivid portrayal of its honest business philosophy. Their camels graze freely on the pastures of the Danba family, and this deep trust and cooperation is based on the mutual commitment to fairness, integrity and business ethics of both parties. What is even more commendable is that while pursuing commercial interests, "Jushengde" has never forgotten the balance of righteousness and profit, and has taken "seeking wealth without forgetting righteousness" as the moral code and basic mentality of doing business. This kind of noble business ethics not only won them an advantage in business competition, but also set a glorious example for the entire Hui merchant gang.
Third, it highlights the spiritual concept of Hui camel households and camel workers working hard and thrift. The principle of life of returning businessmen is "neither profligate nor stingy, and abide by the middle way" indeed deeply reflects their spirit of diligence and thrift. From the business philosophy and daily life of big camel households such as Cao "Dehoutang", Yang "Fuxitang", Lu "Jushengde", and Wang "Xingshengheng", we can see the extensive practice and inheritance of this virtue.
Taking the "Xingshengheng" Wang family as an example, their food life is simple and regular, not pursuing luxury, but also warm and satisfying. The family, young and old, master and servant, all share a pot of rice, and this atmosphere of equality and unity is also a manifestation of the concept of diligence and thrift. In their daily diet, the royal family pays attention to simplicity and nutrition, and rarely eats fish and meat extravagantly, but only slightly more sumptuous during specific festivals or Ramadan. During the festive season, they would give "beggars" to the poor, which not only demonstrated their generosity and kindness, but also further demonstrated the traditional virtues of being diligent and thrifty, and being benevolent.
Five
Persistence and inheritance of faith.
During the long journeys of trade, Islamic traders always held fast to their faith. According to Islamic law, Muslims are allowed to abstain from praying during long journeys, but some devout Muslims still pray. This commitment to faith not only reflects the power of Islamic culture, but also leaves a deep impression on others on the camel road.
Cao Tingwang, the founder of "Dehoutang", is a devout Muslim, who has followed the holy path of Islam all his life. Under his leadership, the Cao family formed a good tradition of Islamic homework, which has been passed down ever since. According to the "Dehoutang" Cao Family History, "a big family, a group (team), or even a larger organization, its founder, founder's thoughts, style, and established family motto have a profound impact on future generations."
Because of Yang Fu's pious beliefs, he was helped by the Uygur "mullahs" to save the day, and in the camel transportation experience of Gansu, Yang Fu also experienced a similar danger to Xinjiang, but he escaped safely. Because of Yang Fu's pious belief and the help of the Uygur "mullahs", the camel transport to Xinjiang caused the "Fuxitang" to experience many thrilling and even life-threatening incidents, and also drew a thrilling end to the "Fuxitang" camel transportation industry in Xinjiang. At that time, the bandit leader also wanted to confirm whether Yang Fu was a real Muslim or a fake Muslim, so he made Yang Fu stand up and recite a Quran. Yang Fu lived in a family of meritorious Muslims, and his family had enough Islamic culture to educate him, and he stood up and recited a passage of "Fatiha" (Arabic transliteration, meaning "beginning"). The first chapter of the Qur'an consists of seven verses. Muslims must recite this verse over and over again when they pray). When the bandits saw that he was definitely a Muslim, they let him go.
Teacher Dai Lin told a story about his grandfather. Once, the camel team followed by my grandfather met "bandits with their heads" (the name of the camel workers in Guisui for Uygur and Kazakh bandits) in Xinjiang, and saw that the bandits began to rob. His grandfather had just bought a gold ring for his grandmother to wear on his hand, and when he saw that the bandits were robbing the thin and soft, he took off the ring and put it in his mouth, quickly knelt down to the west, closed his eyes tightly, and held his hands together to make Du Ayi. When the bandit leader saw a Muslim here, they rode around his grandfather a few times to make sure it was a real Muslim and walked away. After that, when he returned to Guisui, his grandfather decided not to engage in the dangerous trade of camel labor, and insisted on praying at five o'clock every day, fasting for two months every year until he returned to the truth. He had consulted several Arin face-to-face about the two-month fasting of Muslims, and their answers were not satisfactory to Dairim. In his old age, Grandpa also asked the old man about this question, but he laughed it off and never gave a positive answer. He guessed that he might have made a promise to Allah when he met the bandits, and this was a promise that he had kept with practical actions for more than thirty years. The believer keeps the word and keeps himself alone. On the arduous camel road, risks are stacked and unpredictable. However, if a person has established the belief that he will win, he will not be afraid of difficulties and dangers, and he will have the courage and spirit to overcome all difficulties and dangers.
Six
Islamic blessing rituals.
People longed for Allah's protection and peace, and when the caravans set out, various blessing ceremonies became an important event at that time.
Haji Muhammad Yusuf Jingxien, former president of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Islamic Association, said: "When our Muslim caravans leave, a small part of the caravans are set up at home, and most of the caravans scatter the camels and hold a farewell ceremony here. This farewell ceremony is equivalent to making a "Duryi", which we Muslims also call "Bunker", that is, everyone holds hands together and asks Allah the Great to bless us with a safe journey, and our people, goods, and livestock have a smooth journey. The imam and the villager talk to each other together (peace). When we finally go, we hold each other's handles (shake hands), you and I have to get a piece of our hands, and they also cry, so we say it's good, Bai Lei Kaiti (auspicious). The imam advised: Don't cry, this is a good thing, you have a safe journey, go wow.
The camel caravan is to walk on this road to the western camel road, the camel caravan set off when the crowd is boiling, the lively scene of the camel bells, has gradually passed away in people's memory, only this road can witness the joy and sorrow of thousands of camel drivers. Whether they go to the Mongolian Plateau or Xinjiang, they have to pass through thousands of miles of Gobi and desert areas, and in the depths of the grasslands, they must endure severe cold and heat, violent storms, hunger and thirst. Not only are the roads very difficult, life is extremely difficult, and they are often attacked by bandits, and even their lives are endangered, but this is precisely the embodiment of the perseverance, self-confidence, wisdom and fearlessness of the Hui Muslims.
(Author's file: Sun Shuheng, pen name Hengxin Yongzai, a native of Naiman Banner, Inner Mongolia.) Member of China Financial Writers Association, Member of China Essayists Association, Member of Inner Mongolia Writers Association, Member of Inner Mongolia Poetry Society, Member of Western Essayists Association, Deputy Secretary-General of Inner Mongolia Popular Literature and Art Research Association, Senior Researcher and Deputy Secretary-General of Inner Mongolia Poetry, Calligraphy and Painting Research Association)