THE TADJIK RACE OF SINKIANG

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000600030430-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 1, 2011
• Sequence Number: 430
• Publication Date: January 19, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/14: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600030430-1
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
to g 5nki a; The Tadjik rase of Sinkiang is also referred to, both
__ a_s_ _. that -"Fm nne_ ^^ TYfik.
tgey numorod 8,867, r. .light ---- --- population has dooliuids in part
Sinkiang. In the last century the Tadjik because of slave-hunting raids oorduated by peoples from northern India
before and after tcs tim: of Tikub E_? (1st1875).
-t.esv of the Races The Tadjiks are said to be Arran descendents of the
pre-historie,indigeacus, peoples who once inhabited Iran and southwestern
"
Central Asia, They were the early inhabitants of'Ehoten (Notion) who left
documents dating back to the an Dynasty (202.618) in the Bah language, a
now extinct Indo-Iranian tongue. In these documents they ass spoken of as
one of the eight tribes of the l ekoraw. Tsang Dynasty (616,907) records
likewise describe the Tedjiki as identical in external appearance and
language with the inhabitants of Taotan. At that time the Chinese first
conquered the region and established the:% a nSi.1tary post which marked the
extreme point of Chinese military occupation in Central Asia. The Tadjiks,
however, were not brought under the control of China until the tine of
Jengbis Shan, that 13, in the Yuen Dynasty (1279-1368), After the .at
westward spread of the enp4 a had ceased and the tide of invasion had
receded the Tadjiee regained their independence. They wised no trouble
and dwelt in perfsst harmony with China, controlling the trade-roate to
-India which hod been an important highway of comaerne ever since the time
of the Tsang Dynasty. Throughout the Ydng Dynasty (1368.1644) they were
?re arded..ns allies and good neighbors and though since that time thWhave
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/14: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600030430-1
CE L IN1ETB8BW0AGEr9CY
INFORMATION REPORT
COUNTRY China (Sinkiang)
SUBJECT The Tadjik Race of Sinkiang
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE
ACQUIRED BY
CLASSIIfACATION CONFIDEtffIWSECII&I'TY !V-OWTION
25X1
A
25X1
25X1
25X1
25X1
I
25X1
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/14: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600030430-1
CO;U'IDE;I i IAL/SECUBITY I17FORi`'ITION
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/14: CIA-RDP80-00809A000600030430-1
CONFIDL1r7AL/=URI.CY INFORMATION
2
6. ne^ ationaa he Tadjik rao. o
southwest corner of Sinkiang. They are concentrated in the Sarikol or Tash
Qurghan Valley, where they form the majority of the population and. appear,
in small numbers, in .a few secluded adjoining mountain regions of .laeaFamirs.
The aaly other peoples inhabiting this area are the Kirghiz.
and 1ee close tainous to th district pointt where.the Chinese: Sovvietnand feet
Qurghan earaleve~l is a
above
Afghan frontiers meet.
7. 9 a The Tadjiks area sedentary people wno build their ho:aes in
the most inaccessible mountain regions and who live for the most pFxt ae
cultivators, despite the fact that the Tash Qurghan Valley is tee thousand
ari feet above sea-level. Irrigation in practiced and the main crop oats,
barley and leguaec, Despito difficult oonditionc, the land is apparently
capable of supporting a larger population than it does at present.
S. ILI=: At present the settled populatior liven in close contact with the
pastoral Kirghiz, the relations between the two groups appear to be friendly.
On the other hand, the relations of the Tash Karghan population with thn
Ch-Aaccc ??A~ iriistrAtion havs deteriorated in recent years. The Tadjiks are
resentful of Chinese rule because of the burdens iliposed on them r
supplying men and an-?-nal.s, without pay or for insufficient pay, to keep
open a high mountain route between Sinkiang and India, which Is used ,,f
official travellers and to a scalier extent by traders. This di3cantantn!er.`_
might take the form of an attempt to break away from Chines9 rule, 'cut If s^,
it is not clear what other people they would prefer to join. The Taeji::s ac
a sturdy and ancient people, worthy of trust and whose. rights should
respected in ezy pacification of the border regions.
and r
found in Sinkiang, their warren are certainly among
f Sinkiang is only found in the extreme
the Alpine type, nearly pure specimen o
area sturdy people whose blood is probably the purest of all of the races
the most beautiful..
been involved in the general unrest of the frontier district, the Tadj3'ss
were never considered as hostile elements like the Kirghiz, whom in their
way of living they resemble. They have decreased in numbers, lost their
ancient power and are now concentrated in a small area of Sinkiang.
3? Wig: The Tadjiks do not speak Turkic, as do the other Alpine races
of Sinkiang, they spews the Iranian language. Culturally, they are
l without a written language.
extremely backward and are still ;.~?h...
4. During the T'ang Dynasty the Tadjiks were devout adherents of
to the
Buddhism,
Islamic sect bofthe Moslem faith which acknowledges the Agha Khan in adhere Bombay
as its head.
5. p v ie Chnraoterigtias: Tadjiks are said to be the most representative of
f the so-called "homo alpinue". They