A Study Of The Belief In Gods In The Han Immigrant Society In Northern Xinjiang During The Qing Dynasty

In the 24th year of the Qianlong reign,the Qing court unified Xinjiang.Then,under the guidance of the Qing government’s policies and the common people’s independent choices,a large number of mainland people gradually migrated to the northern Xinjiang region,forming a diverse social group,injecting new vitality into the development and construction of the border.During this process,the Qing government and mainland immigrants built a large number of temples in the northern Xinjiang region.Various types of deity beliefs relied on material carriers such as temples and guilds,as well as temple fairs,ceremonies,and other worship activities,and were widely spread in the northern Xinjiang region.There were not only official gods with strong official colors such as Guandi(关帝),Long Wang(龙王),and General Liu Meng(刘猛将军),but also gods with strong folk colors such as the"Dingxiang King"(定湘王).In the process of dissemination and development,official and folk deity beliefs have closely integrated with local society,which has had a significant impact on the formation and development of immigrant society in the northern region of Xinjiang.At the level of national governance,the belief in gods in the northern frontier region helped the Qing government to proclaim the legitimacy and legitimacy of the central power and autocratic imperial power in the border areas of the "Western Regions",which became a powerful tool for the Qing government to build national identity and strengthen social control in the border areas.At the local social level,various deity beliefs are widely "infiltrated" into the secular social system,once becoming a spiritual bond connecting various mainland immigrants in northern Xinjiang.While promoting the internal integration of immigrant groups,it also maintains the stability and sustainable development of local society in northern Xinjiang.In short,the worship of gods by Han immigrants had a significant impact on the Northern Xinjiang region during the Qing Dynasty,and was an important factor that cannot be ignored in the formation and development of the immigrant society in the northern region.