Elena Vasilievna Karpenko,
Candidate of Historical Sciences, Federal Research Center “Krasnoyarsk Science Center of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences”, Krasnoyarsk, Russia; Siberian Federal University, Krasnoyarsk, Russiae-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The Migration Society of Qing Xinjiang (Based on Chinese Research)
DOI: 10.31518/2618-9100-2025-5-1
The article presents the results of the analysis of Chinese studies of the tuntian settlement system. Chinese historians distinguish five types of settlements, including military and civilian settlements. Military settlements were the first to appear on the territory of Xinjiang; over time, their numbers decreased, and the lands were transferred to the status of civilian. Civilian settlements include settlers from the provinces of Inner China, Muslim settlements. The formation of civilian settlements occurred through targeted recruitment and was under strict government control. Since the end of the 18th century, organized migration gradually gave way to spontaneous independent migration. In addition to voluntary migration, there was forced migration − the exile of criminals. The categories of settlements differed in the procedures for obtaining the right to reside, the amount of state support, and the degree of mobility of settlers. Migration to Xinjiang was encouraged by the government: settlers were assisted in moving, provided with seeds, agricultural equipment, and livestock. The land transferred for plowing was not taxed for the first years after its receipt. In addition, the settlers could count on a loan to purchase housing and livestock. A heterogeneous society was formed in the region. The management of settlements varied. The lijia system was applied to settlers from the provinces of Inner China. Uyghur settlements were managed with the involvement of the local tribal elite − beks of different ranks. Thanks to the analysis of the works of Chinese historians, it was possible to reconstruct the historical picture of the settler society of Qing Xinjiang. The Qing resettlement policy sought to overcome the demographic crisis in the region, solve the problem of food supply for the army, and promoted the development of trade and cities.
Publishing: 28/10/2025
The article has been received by the editor on 30/06/2025
How to cite: Karpenko E.V. The Migration Society of Qing Xinjiang (Based on Chinese Research) // Historical Courier, 2025, No. 5 (43), pp. 9–17. [Available online: http://istkurier.ru/data/2025/ISTKURIER-2025-5-01.pdf]
Links: Issue 5 2025
Keywords: “tuntian”; Xinjiang; Qing Empire; colonization; settler society