On The Relationship Between The Kings Of Ming Dynasty And Islam

Ming Dynasty was an important period for the development of Chinese Islam. In this period, two major positive results were yielded. They were the shaping of Hui nationality and the deepening of the combination of Islam with Chinese characteristics. An important factor, which promoted the yielding of these results, was the kings special care to Islam and Muslims, especially their affection to Islam.Zhu Yuanzhang s Han nationality was often doubted because of his family clan and his feelings to the emperors of Yuan Dynasty. Although he put forward the slogan of 'ethnic revolution', it was mere a tactics for him to win the Hans support. Many Muslims contributed to the foundation of Ming Dynasty. In the kings palace, there were many Muslim eunuchs and they constantly built and decorated mosques. Moreover, many kings in Ming Dynasty set a high value on Islam.The kings affection was displayed in the restrictions imposed by Zhu Yuanzhang on ritual manners, official laws, monarchal decrees, customs and the style of dress and personal adornment. The blue and white porcelains with strong Islamic style used in the kings palace, and the end of Zheng he s being accredited to the West also showed the kings affection to Islam. In Ming Dynasty, the calendar for Muslims had been applied officially, the reformation of the system of 'town god' in the third year of Hongwu and the amendments of the sacrificial rites of Confucius in the ninth year of Jiajing, all reflected the kings special affection to Islam. Furthermore, Islam was officially respected and honored in Ming Dynasty, and Imam, who was in charge of a mosque, could be awarded official titles and exempted from corv6e. Meanwhile, the tributary trade system, which stressed giving not receiving, attracted many Muslims from the Western Regions to Chinese interior land. With the coming of the Muslims from Western Regions and their settling in different places, Hui nationality was finally shaped and the pattern of Huis scattering in general but amassing on small scales was finally established.Owing to the special relationship between the kings and Islam, Chinese Islam had evolved from a foreign religion to a native religion, and Islamic philosophy and doctrine had exchanged or partly integrated with Chinese Confucianism. Thus Islamic culture has become an indispensable part of Chinese civilization.