The music and tradition of Qumul Muqam in Chinese Turkistan

Qumul Muqam, as one of the regional varieties of Uighur On Ikki Muqam (Twelve Muqam-s), is a suite-tradition in Chinese Turkistan (or Xinjiang). Since the Han period (206 B.C.-220 A.D.) Qumul has been the crossroads of Central Asian and Chinese Cultures, and the culture of Qumul is a combination of Turkic, Arabo-Persian, and Chinese civilizations. Qumul Muqam also absorbed elements of those musical traditions.; This dissertation attempts to present the Qumul Muqam of today through the investigation and discussion of its development history and performance contexts, as well as the musical analysis of repertory. It provides the geographical and historical background of the Uighurs and an overview of Uighur music and culture in general to establish a context for detailed examination of Qumul Muqam. It discusses the attitude and policy of the Chinese communist government toward the Uighur muqam, and presents the socio-cultural contexts of Qumul Muqam performance. Further, it analyzes the musical structure of Qumul Muqam and discusses musical characteristics including its texts, rhythmic patterns, modal system, modulation, and the relationship of modes to melodic formulae.