(English follows)
“Qayghuluq Eslimiler” namliq bu kitap, 20-esir Uyghur tarixida alahide orun tutqan 10 neper muhim shexsning hayati we ijadiyetige béghishlanghan eslimilerdin terkib tapqan. Yeni bu kitapta Abduxaliq Uyghur (1901-1933), Lutpulla Mutellip (1922-1945), Nimshéhit (1904-1971), Zunun Qadiri (1911-1989), Ehmet Ziya’i (1913-1989), Emet Ömer (1916-1987), Zikri Elpetta (1915-1986), Tiyipjan Hadi (1923-1989), Abdukérim Xoja (1928-1988), Tiyipjan Éliyop (1930-1989) qatarliq Uyghur hazirqi zaman edebiyat-sen’et sahesidiki wekillik xaraktérigha ige meshhur shexslerning hayat héjayiliri we ijadiyet jeryanliri tonushturulghan.
Bu kitap 1996-yili Shinjang Xelq Neshriyati teripidin neshir qilin’ghan. Mezkur eslimiler toplimigha kirgüzülgen 47 parche eslimide 20-esir Uyghur medeniyet tarixida yétekchi orun tutqan 10 neper shair, yazghuchi, muzikant we komédiye artisining éghir bedellerge tolghan hayati hemde egri-toqay ijadiyet jeryanliri ularning zamandashliri, qelemkesh dostliri, perzentliri hem meslekdashlirining közidin yorutulghan.
Bu eslimilerning köp qismi 1980-yillarning axirliridin 1990-yillarning bashlirighiche bolghan jeryanda yézilghan bolup, bu mezgilde 20-esir Uyghur edebiyat-sen’et sahesidiki aldinqi ewlad yétekchi serxillar arqa-arqidin alemdin ötken idi. Ularning japa-musheqqetke we tinimsiz küresh rohigha tolghan ijadiyet musapisi 1930- hem 1940-yillardiki Sherqiy Türkistan milliy azadliq inqilabi mezgilide bashlan’ghan idi; Ular shu yillarda özlirining yalqunluq edebiyat-sen’et eserliri arqiliq, Uyghur xelqining hörlükke we milliy azadliqqa bolghan intilishlirini esk-esttürüshke, öz xelqining ijtima’iy idéologiyesini yéteklep méngishqa tirishqan idi; Halbuki, 1949-yilidiki Kommunist Xitay istilasi we uningdin kéyinki bir qatar siyasiy heriketler ularning kéyinki shexsiy hayati, ijadiyet yoli we dunya qarishigha zor xirislarni élip kelgen idi. 1950-yillarning axirliridiki “Yerlik Milletchilikke qarshi heriket”, uning arqisidin ulinip kelgen “Sowét Riwiziyonistlirigha qarshi küresh” we Medeniyet Inqilabi jeryanida ularning köp qismi oylap baqmighan éghir bedellerni töleshke mejbur bolghan idi. Ashu yillarda ular ijadiyet bilen shoghullinish erkinlikidin mehrum bolghan, siyasiy teqipning qurbanlirigha aylininip hayatining newqiran waqitlirini türme we emgek bilen özgertish lagérlirida ötküzgen idi. 1970-yillarning axirliri Maw dewri axirliship, Xitayda islahat dewri bashlanghan yillarda, ularning hayat qalghanliri chachliri aqarghan, belliri mükcheygen boway-momaylargha aylanghan idi. Ular Kommunist Xitayning milletler siyasiti nisbeten yumshighan 1980-yillarda wujudidiki eng axiriqi énirgiyesini toplap, hayatining axiriqi yillirini yézish we eslime qaldurush bilen ötküzgen idi.
Bu kitapqa kirgüzülgen eslimiler Kommunist Xitay hökümitining milletler siyasiti yol qoyghan cheklik imkanlar ichide, yeni 1996-yili Xitay Kompartyesi Merkiziy Komitétining “Shinjang toghriliq 7-nomurluq höjjiti” chiqirilish harpisida yoruqluqqa chiqqan. Kitaptiki eslimilerning köpinchisi Uyghur jem’iyitide zor tesirge ige yazghuchilar, shairlar, bilim igiliri we sen’etkarlar teripidin yézilghan. Bu eslimilerde 20-esir Uyghur medeniyet tarixida zor tesirge ige 10 neper muhim shexsning hayatidiki éytilmighan hékayiler shahitlarning közidin bayan qilinghan. Yeni ularning hayatining oxshimighan mezgilliride béshidin ötküzgen achchiq kechürmishliri, tartqan azab-oqibetliri, milliy wijdan bilen siyasiy bésim tangghan mejburiyet otturisidiki toqunushlar, ijadiyet jeryanidiki egri-toqay we murekkeplikke tolghan kechmishler hékaye sheklide bayginan qilin’ghan.
Bu kitab gerche Xitayning hökümet neshriyati teripidin siyasiy sénzor we qatmu-qat tekshürüshlerdin ötüp neshir qilin’ghan bolsimu, emma uningda Uyghur hazirqi zaman edebiyat-sen’et sahesidiki wekillik xarakterige ige 10 neper muhim shexsning hayati we ijadiyitige da’ir muhim eslimiler yer alghan. Bu eslimiler Uyghur ziyaliylirining 20-esirde bésip ötken murekkep hem egri-toqay musapisi, ularning éghir bedellerge tolghan ijadiyet jeryanliri, shundaqla Kommunist Xitayning hökümranliqi astidiki az sanliq millet serxillirining tragédiyege tolghan teqdirini chüshinishte muhim qimmetke ige.
English starts here
This memoir collection, published in 1996 by Xinjiang People’s Publishing House, stands as a significant contribution to the documentation of 20th-century Uyghur cultural history.
Dedicated to the lives and works of ten individuals who played pivotal roles in modern and contemporary Uyghur literature and arts, this volume provides an in-depth look at the personal and creative trajectories of figures such as Abdukhalik Uyghur (1901–1933), Lutpulla Mutellip (1922–1945), Nimshehit (1904–1971), Zunun Qadiri (1911–1989), Ehmet Ziya’i (1913–1989), Emet Ömer (1916–1987), Zikri Elpetta (1915–1986), Teyipjan Hadi (1923–1989), Abdukerim Khoja (1928–1988), and Teyipjan Eliyop (1930–1989).
Comprising 47 short memoirs over 550 pages, the collection captures the turbulent lives and complex creative journeys of these poets, writers, musicians, and dramatists through the eyes of contemporaries, close friends, literary colleagues, children, and collaborators. Most memoirs were written in the late 1980s to early 1990s, a period marked by the passing of many pioneering figures in Uyghur arts. The narratives trace the beginnings of their creative paths through the 1930s and 1940s, during the East Turkestan national independence movement, a time when their works passionately reflected the Uyghur people's longing for freedom and national liberation, and sought to shape the ideological direction of their nation.
However, the establishment of Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) rule in East Turkestan at the end of 1949 and subsequent political campaigns, profoundly impacted these individuals’ destinies, creative development, and worldviews. The late 1950s witnessed the onset of the CCP's Anti-Local Nationalism campaign in Xinjiang, followed by the Anti-Soviet Revisionism Movement and the Cultural Revolution. During these tumultuous decades, many of the featured intellectuals endured severe suffering, loss of creative freedom, and became victims of political repression, with some spending the darkest years of their lives in prisons and labor camps.
By the late 1970s, following the end of the Mao era and the initiation of China’s reform and opening-up policies, the survivors had reached old age. Despite their frailty, they continued to write during the relatively more relaxed ethnic policies of the 1980s, contributing to Uyghur cultural life even in their twilight years.
The memoirs in Melancholic Memories were published within the limits set by the CCP’s ethnic policies, just before the release of the "Document No. 7 on Xinjiang" by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in 1996. This document sharply curtailed what little autonomy existed in Xinjiang, intensifying control over religious activity, and reinforcing military and security preparedness.
Most of the book’s contributions came from writers, poets and artists who held considerable influence in Uyghur society. Through the perspectives of these witnesses, the memoirs reveal the untold stories of ten influential figures in 20th-century Uyghur cultural history: their painful experiences across different life stages, the suffering they endured, the conflicts between national conscience and political oppression, and the twists and complexities of their creative journeys.
Despite being published by an official Chinese press and subject to political censorship and strict reviews, the memoirs nevertheless possess significant historical and cultural value. They provide rare, first-hand accounts of the suffering experienced by Uyghur intellectuals in various historical periods, the dilemmas between national conscience and political choices, and the challenges and resilience involved in their creative endeavors.
In sum, Melancholic Memories is an indispensable resource for understanding the complex and often tragic experiences of 20th-century Uyghur intellectuals, their arduous artistic trajectories, and the fate of minority elites under CCP rule. The collection offers scholars and readers alike an essential window into the lived realities of Uyghur cultural figures, illuminating the broader narrative of Uyghur history and identity in modern China.
“Qayghuluq Eslimiler” namliq bu kitap, 20-esir Uyghur tarixida alahide orun tutqan 10 neper muhim shexsning hayati we ijadiyetige béghishlanghan eslimilerdin terkib tapqan. Yeni bu kitapta Abduxaliq Uyghur (1901-1933), Lutpulla Mutellip (1922-1945), Nimshéhit (1904-1971), Zunun Qadiri (1911-1989), Ehmet Ziya’i (1913-1989), Emet Ömer (1916-1987), Zikri Elpetta (1915-1986), Tiyipjan Hadi (1923-1989), Abdukérim Xoja (1928-1988), Tiyipjan Éliyop (1930-1989) qatarliq Uyghur hazirqi zaman edebiyat-sen’et sahesidiki wekillik xaraktérigha ige meshhur shexslerning hayat héjayiliri we ijadiyet jeryanliri tonushturulghan.
Bu kitap 1996-yili Shinjang Xelq Neshriyati teripidin neshir qilin’ghan. Mezkur eslimiler toplimigha kirgüzülgen 47 parche eslimide 20-esir Uyghur medeniyet tarixida yétekchi orun tutqan 10 neper shair, yazghuchi, muzikant we komédiye artisining éghir bedellerge tolghan hayati hemde egri-toqay ijadiyet jeryanliri ularning zamandashliri, qelemkesh dostliri, perzentliri hem meslekdashlirining közidin yorutulghan.
Bu eslimilerning köp qismi 1980-yillarning axirliridin 1990-yillarning bashlirighiche bolghan jeryanda yézilghan bolup, bu mezgilde 20-esir Uyghur edebiyat-sen’et sahesidiki aldinqi ewlad yétekchi serxillar arqa-arqidin alemdin ötken idi. Ularning japa-musheqqetke we tinimsiz küresh rohigha tolghan ijadiyet musapisi 1930- hem 1940-yillardiki Sherqiy Türkistan milliy azadliq inqilabi mezgilide bashlan’ghan idi; Ular shu yillarda özlirining yalqunluq edebiyat-sen’et eserliri arqiliq, Uyghur xelqining hörlükke we milliy azadliqqa bolghan intilishlirini esk-esttürüshke, öz xelqining ijtima’iy idéologiyesini yéteklep méngishqa tirishqan idi; Halbuki, 1949-yilidiki Kommunist Xitay istilasi we uningdin kéyinki bir qatar siyasiy heriketler ularning kéyinki shexsiy hayati, ijadiyet yoli we dunya qarishigha zor xirislarni élip kelgen idi. 1950-yillarning axirliridiki “Yerlik Milletchilikke qarshi heriket”, uning arqisidin ulinip kelgen “Sowét Riwiziyonistlirigha qarshi küresh” we Medeniyet Inqilabi jeryanida ularning köp qismi oylap baqmighan éghir bedellerni töleshke mejbur bolghan idi. Ashu yillarda ular ijadiyet bilen shoghullinish erkinlikidin mehrum bolghan, siyasiy teqipning qurbanlirigha aylininip hayatining newqiran waqitlirini türme we emgek bilen özgertish lagérlirida ötküzgen idi. 1970-yillarning axirliri Maw dewri axirliship, Xitayda islahat dewri bashlanghan yillarda, ularning hayat qalghanliri chachliri aqarghan, belliri mükcheygen boway-momaylargha aylanghan idi. Ular Kommunist Xitayning milletler siyasiti nisbeten yumshighan 1980-yillarda wujudidiki eng axiriqi énirgiyesini toplap, hayatining axiriqi yillirini yézish we eslime qaldurush bilen ötküzgen idi.
Bu kitapqa kirgüzülgen eslimiler Kommunist Xitay hökümitining milletler siyasiti yol qoyghan cheklik imkanlar ichide, yeni 1996-yili Xitay Kompartyesi Merkiziy Komitétining “Shinjang toghriliq 7-nomurluq höjjiti” chiqirilish harpisida yoruqluqqa chiqqan. Kitaptiki eslimilerning köpinchisi Uyghur jem’iyitide zor tesirge ige yazghuchilar, shairlar, bilim igiliri we sen’etkarlar teripidin yézilghan. Bu eslimilerde 20-esir Uyghur medeniyet tarixida zor tesirge ige 10 neper muhim shexsning hayatidiki éytilmighan hékayiler shahitlarning közidin bayan qilinghan. Yeni ularning hayatining oxshimighan mezgilliride béshidin ötküzgen achchiq kechürmishliri, tartqan azab-oqibetliri, milliy wijdan bilen siyasiy bésim tangghan mejburiyet otturisidiki toqunushlar, ijadiyet jeryanidiki egri-toqay we murekkeplikke tolghan kechmishler hékaye sheklide bayginan qilin’ghan.
Bu kitab gerche Xitayning hökümet neshriyati teripidin siyasiy sénzor we qatmu-qat tekshürüshlerdin ötüp neshir qilin’ghan bolsimu, emma uningda Uyghur hazirqi zaman edebiyat-sen’et sahesidiki wekillik xarakterige ige 10 neper muhim shexsning hayati we ijadiyitige da’ir muhim eslimiler yer alghan. Bu eslimiler Uyghur ziyaliylirining 20-esirde bésip ötken murekkep hem egri-toqay musapisi, ularning éghir bedellerge tolghan ijadiyet jeryanliri, shundaqla Kommunist Xitayning hökümranliqi astidiki az sanliq millet serxillirining tragédiyege tolghan teqdirini chüshinishte muhim qimmetke ige.
English starts here
This memoir collection, published in 1996 by Xinjiang People’s Publishing House, stands as a significant contribution to the documentation of 20th-century Uyghur cultural history.
Dedicated to the lives and works of ten individuals who played pivotal roles in modern and contemporary Uyghur literature and arts, this volume provides an in-depth look at the personal and creative trajectories of figures such as Abdukhalik Uyghur (1901–1933), Lutpulla Mutellip (1922–1945), Nimshehit (1904–1971), Zunun Qadiri (1911–1989), Ehmet Ziya’i (1913–1989), Emet Ömer (1916–1987), Zikri Elpetta (1915–1986), Teyipjan Hadi (1923–1989), Abdukerim Khoja (1928–1988), and Teyipjan Eliyop (1930–1989).
Comprising 47 short memoirs over 550 pages, the collection captures the turbulent lives and complex creative journeys of these poets, writers, musicians, and dramatists through the eyes of contemporaries, close friends, literary colleagues, children, and collaborators. Most memoirs were written in the late 1980s to early 1990s, a period marked by the passing of many pioneering figures in Uyghur arts. The narratives trace the beginnings of their creative paths through the 1930s and 1940s, during the East Turkestan national independence movement, a time when their works passionately reflected the Uyghur people's longing for freedom and national liberation, and sought to shape the ideological direction of their nation.
However, the establishment of Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) rule in East Turkestan at the end of 1949 and subsequent political campaigns, profoundly impacted these individuals’ destinies, creative development, and worldviews. The late 1950s witnessed the onset of the CCP's Anti-Local Nationalism campaign in Xinjiang, followed by the Anti-Soviet Revisionism Movement and the Cultural Revolution. During these tumultuous decades, many of the featured intellectuals endured severe suffering, loss of creative freedom, and became victims of political repression, with some spending the darkest years of their lives in prisons and labor camps.
By the late 1970s, following the end of the Mao era and the initiation of China’s reform and opening-up policies, the survivors had reached old age. Despite their frailty, they continued to write during the relatively more relaxed ethnic policies of the 1980s, contributing to Uyghur cultural life even in their twilight years.
The memoirs in Melancholic Memories were published within the limits set by the CCP’s ethnic policies, just before the release of the "Document No. 7 on Xinjiang" by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in 1996. This document sharply curtailed what little autonomy existed in Xinjiang, intensifying control over religious activity, and reinforcing military and security preparedness.
Most of the book’s contributions came from writers, poets and artists who held considerable influence in Uyghur society. Through the perspectives of these witnesses, the memoirs reveal the untold stories of ten influential figures in 20th-century Uyghur cultural history: their painful experiences across different life stages, the suffering they endured, the conflicts between national conscience and political oppression, and the twists and complexities of their creative journeys.
Despite being published by an official Chinese press and subject to political censorship and strict reviews, the memoirs nevertheless possess significant historical and cultural value. They provide rare, first-hand accounts of the suffering experienced by Uyghur intellectuals in various historical periods, the dilemmas between national conscience and political choices, and the challenges and resilience involved in their creative endeavors.
In sum, Melancholic Memories is an indispensable resource for understanding the complex and often tragic experiences of 20th-century Uyghur intellectuals, their arduous artistic trajectories, and the fate of minority elites under CCP rule. The collection offers scholars and readers alike an essential window into the lived realities of Uyghur cultural figures, illuminating the broader narrative of Uyghur history and identity in modern China.
- Title
-
Qayghuluq Eslimiler/Melancholic Memories
- Description
-
(English follows)
“Qayghuluq Eslimiler” namliq bu kitap, 20-esir Uyghur tarixida alahide orun tutqan 10 neper muhim shexsning hayati we ijadiyetige béghishlanghan eslimilerdin terkib tapqan. Yeni bu kitapta Abduxaliq Uyghur (1901-1933), Lutpulla Mutellip (1922-1945), Nimshéhit (1904-1971), Zunun Qadiri (1911-1989), Ehmet Ziya’i (1913-1989), Emet Ömer (1916-1987), Zikri Elpetta (1915-1986), Tiyipjan Hadi (1923-1989), Abdukérim Xoja (1928-1988), Tiyipjan Éliyop (1930-1989) qatarliq Uyghur hazirqi zaman edebiyat-sen’et sahesidiki wekillik xaraktérigha ige meshhur shexslerning hayat héjayiliri we ijadiyet jeryanliri tonushturulghan.
Bu kitap 1996-yili Shinjang Xelq Neshriyati teripidin neshir qilin’ghan. Mezkur eslimiler toplimigha kirgüzülgen 47 parche eslimide 20-esir Uyghur medeniyet tarixida yétekchi orun tutqan 10 neper shair, yazghuchi, muzikant we komédiye artisining éghir bedellerge tolghan hayati hemde egri-toqay ijadiyet jeryanliri ularning zamandashliri, qelemkesh dostliri, perzentliri hem meslekdashlirining közidin yorutulghan.
Bu eslimilerning köp qismi 1980-yillarning axirliridin 1990-yillarning bashlirighiche bolghan jeryanda yézilghan bolup, bu mezgilde 20-esir Uyghur edebiyat-sen’et sahesidiki aldinqi ewlad yétekchi serxillar arqa-arqidin alemdin ötken idi. Ularning japa-musheqqetke we tinimsiz küresh rohigha tolghan ijadiyet musapisi 1930- hem 1940-yillardiki Sherqiy Türkistan milliy azadliq inqilabi mezgilide bashlan’ghan idi; Ular shu yillarda özlirining yalqunluq edebiyat-sen’et eserliri arqiliq, Uyghur xelqining hörlükke we milliy azadliqqa bolghan intilishlirini esk-esttürüshke, öz xelqining ijtima’iy idéologiyesini yéteklep méngishqa tirishqan idi; Halbuki, 1949-yilidiki Kommunist Xitay istilasi we uningdin kéyinki bir qatar siyasiy heriketler ularning kéyinki shexsiy hayati, ijadiyet yoli we dunya qarishigha zor xirislarni élip kelgen idi. 1950-yillarning axirliridiki “Yerlik Milletchilikke qarshi heriket”, uning arqisidin ulinip kelgen “Sowét Riwiziyonistlirigha qarshi küresh” we Medeniyet Inqilabi jeryanida ularning köp qismi oylap baqmighan éghir bedellerni töleshke mejbur bolghan idi. Ashu yillarda ular ijadiyet bilen shoghullinish erkinlikidin mehrum bolghan, siyasiy teqipning qurbanlirigha aylininip hayatining newqiran waqitlirini türme we emgek bilen özgertish lagérlirida ötküzgen idi. 1970-yillarning axirliri Maw dewri axirliship, Xitayda islahat dewri bashlanghan yillarda, ularning hayat qalghanliri chachliri aqarghan, belliri mükcheygen boway-momaylargha aylanghan idi. Ular Kommunist Xitayning milletler siyasiti nisbeten yumshighan 1980-yillarda wujudidiki eng axiriqi énirgiyesini toplap, hayatining axiriqi yillirini yézish we eslime qaldurush bilen ötküzgen idi.
Bu kitapqa kirgüzülgen eslimiler Kommunist Xitay hökümitining milletler siyasiti yol qoyghan cheklik imkanlar ichide, yeni 1996-yili Xitay Kompartyesi Merkiziy Komitétining “Shinjang toghriliq 7-nomurluq höjjiti” chiqirilish harpisida yoruqluqqa chiqqan. Kitaptiki eslimilerning köpinchisi Uyghur jem’iyitide zor tesirge ige yazghuchilar, shairlar, bilim igiliri we sen’etkarlar teripidin yézilghan. Bu eslimilerde 20-esir Uyghur medeniyet tarixida zor tesirge ige 10 neper muhim shexsning hayatidiki éytilmighan hékayiler shahitlarning közidin bayan qilinghan. Yeni ularning hayatining oxshimighan mezgilliride béshidin ötküzgen achchiq kechürmishliri, tartqan azab-oqibetliri, milliy wijdan bilen siyasiy bésim tangghan mejburiyet otturisidiki toqunushlar, ijadiyet jeryanidiki egri-toqay we murekkeplikke tolghan kechmishler hékaye sheklide bayginan qilin’ghan.
Bu kitab gerche Xitayning hökümet neshriyati teripidin siyasiy sénzor we qatmu-qat tekshürüshlerdin ötüp neshir qilin’ghan bolsimu, emma uningda Uyghur hazirqi zaman edebiyat-sen’et sahesidiki wekillik xarakterige ige 10 neper muhim shexsning hayati we ijadiyitige da’ir muhim eslimiler yer alghan. Bu eslimiler Uyghur ziyaliylirining 20-esirde bésip ötken murekkep hem egri-toqay musapisi, ularning éghir bedellerge tolghan ijadiyet jeryanliri, shundaqla Kommunist Xitayning hökümranliqi astidiki az sanliq millet serxillirining tragédiyege tolghan teqdirini chüshinishte muhim qimmetke ige.
<i><b>English starts here</b></i>
This memoir collection, published in 1996 by Xinjiang People’s Publishing House, stands as a significant contribution to the documentation of 20th-century Uyghur cultural history.
Dedicated to the lives and works of ten individuals who played pivotal roles in modern and contemporary Uyghur literature and arts, this volume provides an in-depth look at the personal and creative trajectories of figures such as Abdukhalik Uyghur (1901–1933), Lutpulla Mutellip (1922–1945), Nimshehit (1904–1971), Zunun Qadiri (1911–1989), Ehmet Ziya’i (1913–1989), Emet Ömer (1916–1987), Zikri Elpetta (1915–1986), Teyipjan Hadi (1923–1989), Abdukerim Khoja (1928–1988), and Teyipjan Eliyop (1930–1989).
Comprising 47 short memoirs over 550 pages, the collection captures the turbulent lives and complex creative journeys of these poets, writers, musicians, and dramatists through the eyes of contemporaries, close friends, literary colleagues, children, and collaborators. Most memoirs were written in the late 1980s to early 1990s, a period marked by the passing of many pioneering figures in Uyghur arts. The narratives trace the beginnings of their creative paths through the 1930s and 1940s, during the East Turkestan national independence movement, a time when their works passionately reflected the Uyghur people's longing for freedom and national liberation, and sought to shape the ideological direction of their nation.
However, the establishment of Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) rule in East Turkestan at the end of 1949 and subsequent political campaigns, profoundly impacted these individuals’ destinies, creative development, and worldviews. The late 1950s witnessed the onset of the CCP's Anti-Local Nationalism campaign in Xinjiang, followed by the Anti-Soviet Revisionism Movement and the Cultural Revolution. During these tumultuous decades, many of the featured intellectuals endured severe suffering, loss of creative freedom, and became victims of political repression, with some spending the darkest years of their lives in prisons and labor camps.
By the late 1970s, following the end of the Mao era and the initiation of China’s reform and opening-up policies, the survivors had reached old age. Despite their frailty, they continued to write during the relatively more relaxed ethnic policies of the 1980s, contributing to Uyghur cultural life even in their twilight years.
The memoirs in <i>Melancholic Memories</i> were published within the limits set by the CCP’s ethnic policies, just before the release of the <a href="https://www.hrw.org/legacy/backgrounder/asia/china-bck1017.htm#:~:text=The%20cornerstone%20of%20central%20government,Control%20of%20Religion%2C%20Update%20No.">"Document No. 7 on Xinjiang" </a> by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China in 1996. This document sharply curtailed what little autonomy existed in Xinjiang, intensifying control over religious activity, and reinforcing military and security preparedness.
Most of the book’s contributions came from writers, poets and artists who held considerable influence in Uyghur society. Through the perspectives of these witnesses, the memoirs reveal the untold stories of ten influential figures in 20th-century Uyghur cultural history: their painful experiences across different life stages, the suffering they endured, the conflicts between national conscience and political oppression, and the twists and complexities of their creative journeys.
Despite being published by an official Chinese press and subject to political censorship and strict reviews, the memoirs nevertheless possess significant historical and cultural value. They provide rare, first-hand accounts of the suffering experienced by Uyghur intellectuals in various historical periods, the dilemmas between national conscience and political choices, and the challenges and resilience involved in their creative endeavors.
In sum, <i>Melancholic Memories</i> is an indispensable resource for understanding the complex and often tragic experiences of 20th-century Uyghur intellectuals, their arduous artistic trajectories, and the fate of minority elites under CCP rule. The collection offers scholars and readers alike an essential window into the lived realities of Uyghur cultural figures, illuminating the broader narrative of Uyghur history and identity in modern China.
- Release Date
-
1996
- Format
-
Book
- Era
- Creator
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Tursun Niyaz & Mahmut Muhemmet
- Category
