Tunghsiang

a people living in the province of Kansu in China; in the past the Tunghsiang were known in Russian historical literature as the Shirongol Mongols. The population is approximately 200,000 (1967 estimate). The language of the Tunghsiang belongs to the Mongolian language group but contains many borrowings from Chinese (up to 25-30 percent of the vocabulary) and Arabic (in religious affairs and names). Their religion is Islam. According to an existing tradition among the Tunghsiang, Genghis Khan settled them in Kansu to protect the western frontier of his domain. In 1929 they were settled in a mountain region to the east of the city of Linhsia. Their chief occupation is farming, and cattle raising is second in importance. In mode of life and culture, the Tunghsiang have much in common with the neighboring Hui peoples.