Interacting with the 'Himalayan Ummah'

The case of Xidaotang, a Chinese Muslim Community from Lintan

Abstract

This short essay discusses whether Xidaotang, a Chinese Muslim community, may be considered as belonging to the ‘Himalayan ummah’. Historically and until today, especially via trade, this community has been in close contact with the Himalayan region, understood as the mountainous zone of the Tibetan Plateau. By analyzing these trading interactions and the sociability they induce, it is possible to investigate to what extent Xidaotang members, with their own cultural background, religious practices and social experiences, have contributed to diversify the Islamic landscape in the Himalayan region, to which Amdo belongs.