Kazakh in China


Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Islam (Sunni)
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Introduction / History

Over the centuries the various Islamic groups in northwest China have attempted to establish their own homeland. Several brutal massacres have reinforced Chinese rule and the deep hatred the Kazakhs have for the Han. At least 100,000 Kazakhs migrated into China from Russia between 1916 and 1920, after the Tsarist government imposed conscription on them. In the early 1950s the Kazakhs in China were forced into a communal society and were forbidden to enjoy the nomadic lifestyle their ancestors had enjoyed for over a thousand years. In 1962, 60,000 Kazakhs decided to cross back into the Soviet Union. The massive migration represented more than one tenth of the entire Kazakh population in China at the time.

The Kazaks are one of China's official minority groups. The name Kazak means "the breakaways" or "secessionists". Chinese publications, however, not wanting to flame the Kazakhs desire for independence, claim their name means "white swan".

Since 1980 the Kazakhs in China have used a modified Arabic script. There are two main Kazakh dialects in China: Southwestern and Northeastern Kazakh. The Southwestern variety includes the tribes of Alban and Suwen. Kazakh is a "relatively uniform language, without any major dialectal differences, so that Kazakhs from different places have no difficulty in conversing with one another."


What Are Their Lives Like?

Images of proud nomadic Kazakh horsemen have long stirred the imagination of the world. Being the rulers of vast open grasslands, they lived as they pleased and moved their livestock wherever and whenever they desired: the Kazakhs love their freedom. When a Kazakh girl goes to the altar on her wedding day, "she is carried off after the ceremony, slung over a horse and delivered to the family of her husband-to be."


Because of their nomadic pastoral lifestyle, Kazakhs kept an epic tradition of oral history.
What Are Their Beliefs?

Although the Kazakhs embraced Islam in the sixteenth century and consider themselves to be Muslims today, their practices and rituals are combined with elements of spiritism, black magic, animism, and shamanism.

Few of the Kazakhs in China—despite having the Scriptures, JESUS Film, gospel recordings, and gospel radio broadcasts available in their own language—believe in Christ. In the 1930s the Swedish Missionary Society planted one small Kazak church in Xinjiang, but persecution wiped it out. Presently there are only a handful of Kazakh Christians in China. In neighboring Kazakhstan, however, in recent years "approximately 3,500 Kazakhs have come to faith in Christ."


What Are Their Needs?

Without the guidance of Christ, these people will be lost in this life and the life to come. They need someone to go to them as Christ-bearers.


Prayer Points

Pray for the spiritual blindness and bondage to the evil one to be removed so they can understand and respond to Christ.
Pray for the Lord to provide for their physical and spiritual needs as a testimony of his power and love.
Pray that the Kazakh people will have a spiritual hunger that will open their hearts to the King of kings.
Pray for an unstoppable movement to Christ among them.


Scripture Prayers for the Kazakh in China.


References

Operation China, Asia Harvest, Copyrighted © Used with permission


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

The Kazakhs of Central Asia

Source:  Asia Harvest      Download

People Name General Kazakh
People Name in Country Kazakh
Pronunciation KAH-zahk
Alternate Names Gazaqi; Hazake; Kazax; Qazaq; Qazaqi; कॅज़ॅक
Population this Country 1,862,000
Population all Countries 16,898,000
Total Countries 24
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
GSEC 1  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 37
PeopleID3 12599
ROP3 Code 104791
Country China
Region Asia, Northeast
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 19  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country Approximately 1.1 million Kazaks were counted in the 1990 Chinese census. They are centered primarily in the Ili Prefecture in northern Xinjiang. After dark the streets of Yining are full of drunk Kazaks and Uzbeks who often use knives and other weapons to settle quarrels. A smaller number of Kazaks live in the northwest part of Gansu Province. In addition, about nine million Kazaks are scattered throughout Central Asia, Russia, and as far away as Turkey and Germany.   Source:  Operation China, 2000
Country China
Region Asia, Northeast
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 19  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country Approximately 1.1 million Kazaks were counted in the 1990 Chinese census. They are centered primarily in the Ili Prefecture in northern Xinjiang. After dark the streets of Yining are full of drunk Kazaks and Uzbeks who often use knives and other weapons to settle quarrels. A smaller number of Kazaks live in the northwest part of Gansu Province. In addition, about nine million Kazaks are scattered throughout Central Asia, Russia, and as far away as Turkey and Germany..   Source:  Operation China, 2000
Map of Kazakh in China Ethnolinguistic map or other map

Primary Religion: Islam (Sunni)
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.01 %)
0.01 %
Ethnic Religions
3.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
96.99 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Kazakh
Language Code kaz   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Kazakh
Language Code kaz   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Kazakh

Primary Language:  Kazakh

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1818-1989)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1820-2008)
Bible-Complete Yes  (1993-2014)
FCBH NT (www.bible.is) Online
YouVersion NT (www.bible.com) Online
Possible Print Bibles
Amazon
World Bibles
Forum Bible Agencies
National Bible Societies
World Bible Finder
Virtual Storehouse
Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
Film / Video God's Story video God's Story
Film / Video Indigitube.tv Video / Animation Create International
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Kazakh Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Kazakh Bible Video (Kieli Kitap 2010) General / Other
Film / Video LUMO film of Gospels Bible Media Group/LUMO
Film / Video Magdalena video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video My Last Day video, anime Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Rivka video Jesus Film Project
Film / Video Rock International: King of Glory Rock International
Film / Video Story of Jesus for Children Jesus Film Project
Film / Video World Christian Videos World Christian Videos
General Bible for Children Bible for Children
General Biblical answers to your questions Got Questions Ministry
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Four Spiritual Laws Cru
General Scripture Earth Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
General Voice of the Martyrs resources Voice of the Martyrs
General YouVersion Bible versions in text and/or audio YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Android Bible app: Kazakh YouVersion Bibles
Mobile App Android Bible app: Киелі Кітап (Kazakh Bible) General / Other
Mobile App Download audio Bible app as APK file Faith Comes by Hearing
Mobile App iOS Bible app: Kazakh YouVersion Bibles
Text / Printed Matter IBT, Russia - resources Institute for Bible Translation
Text / Printed Matter Literacy primer for Kazakh Literacy & Evangelism International
Text / Printed Matter Tools for faith conversations Cru
Photo Source Petar Milošević - Wikimedia  Creative Commons 
Map Source People Group location: IMB. Map geography: ESRI / GMI. Map design: Joshua Project.  
Video Source Asia Harvest
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.


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