A Study On The Cultural Changes Of Mongolian In The Panchen Xiangjia Of Qinghai Province

Since the Mongols' first access to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and thriving there for nearly 800 years,they've become one of the local ethnicities in Qinghai-Tibet region,who have created their own regional ethnic culture.Panchen Xiangjia is one of the most representative group.It located in the southeast of Qaidam Basin in Qinghai province.Historically,this site is like a melting pot in which varies ethnic cultures of Qiang,Tibet,Tuyuhun,Mongol,Han and Hui have interacted and been mixed.It is a crucial traffic hub on the main road towards Tibet,as well as the transfer station where Tibetan Buddhism was spread northwardly to different Mongolian tribes.It became the important place to carry out social interaction and cultural exchange between Mongolian and Tibetan.Since it has special location and it has been influenced by regional culture,especially Tibetan culture,a unique culture—Xiangjia Mongolian culture was formed.Since the reform and opening-up,with the economic development of the society and the driving force of modernization,traditional Xiangjia featured Mongolian culture has experienced a series of transformation.To describe and interpret the cultural change phenomenon,especially to analyze,and discuss the problems that the Xiangjia Mongolian society is confronted with in its modernization process,have become the most important topics.By far,the attention brought to the topic on cultural change of Xiangjia Mongols was insufficient;the amount of research findings is still very poor.Therefore,the author is convinced that the research on cultural change of Xiangjia Mongols is able to make the holistic research on the Mongols in this area expanded and deepened.It will also bring far-reaching significance to the economic development of local Mongols.Contextualized in history of Mongols in Qinghai,this dissertation takes Xiangjia Mongols as its study object.Based on thorough arrangement of relevant studies and principally applying historical literature and field research methodologies(mainly in-depth interviews,questionnaire survey,participatory observation,case studies),the history overview of Xiangjia Mongols were depicted.Especially,changes including aspects of the political and economic systems,religions and language cultures,customs and daily routines,etc.,has been systematically analyzed and inspected.Furthermore,rooted in this solid ground,the enlightenment of ethnic cultural changes has been taken into consideration as well.Through analyzing both the interior and exterior causations of the change,it attempts to discuss the construction of the group identity of Xiangjia Mongols during the process of cultural change;based on this,some rational advices are given to tackle the problems met by Xiangjia Mongols during the process of modernization and for future development.This process will facilitate people to learn and think about research on cultural change by providing a referential field-work text.This dissertation consists of three sections—the introduction,the main body and the conclusion:In the introduction part,why this topic was chosen and the significance of it are expounded;the domestic and foreign research situation about this topic is introduced as well as the methodologies and the innovation points are briefly illustrated.Chapter 1 introduces the natural and geographical environments as well as the cultural environment.Chapter 2 introduces the historical origins of Xiangjia Mongols by application of historical and field research material.Contextualized in a macro history of Mongols in Qinghai,through the introduction of the distribution of Qinghai Mongols in history and at present,the ethnic origins of Xiangjia Mongols are illustrated in specific details.Chapter 3 mainly discusses the evolution of Xiangjia Mongols' social and political systems.According to the describing the conventional social organizations among Mongols,the theocracy during the period when Xiangjia was ruled by Panchen is analyzed,and the collapse of its traditional system as well as the reorganization of its society in the national field after the establishment of People's Republic of China.Chapter 4 focuses on clarification and introduction of the changes of social and economic systems.Changes about Xiangjia Mongols' economic life is deeply analyzed and introduced via the induction of the economic system in traditional society of Mongols.Chapter 5 talks about changes in custom cultures of Xiangjia Mongols including costumes,eating habits,marriages and families,etc.Chapter 6 analyzes and introduces historical and contemporary situations of religion beliefs among Xiangjia Mongols,their manifestation of alteration and the influence of Tibetan Buddhism on Xiangjia Mongols as well as the changes of its functions and effects after the establishment of People's Republic of China.Chapter 7 discusses the situation of the language of Xiangjia Mongols and its uniqueness,etc.Especially exemplifying with borrowed Tibetan words after the contact between cultures of Tibetans and Mongols,historical tribal language and cultural changes are analyzed deeply and thoroughly.Thus,the circumstances of usage of Mongolian in this area today,as well as the attitude towards language using is analyzed deeply and in carefully.In the conclusion part,based on the discussion and analysis of the reasons and features of cultural changes among Xiangjia Mongols,questions are raised that what kind of problems can be confronted with by culture of Xiangjia Mongols during the process of modernization and tentative,rational suggestions are provided.