Finding the ‘Epic of Jangar’: the literary construction of an early Oirat epic in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region

ABSTRACT

During the early reform period in China beginning in 1978, intellectuals and government agencies expended significant resources collecting, ‘revising’, and publishing folk literature in collaboration with local folk artists and amateur collectors. While folk artists were encouraged to re-engage with past folk practices, academics were required to analyze and preserve this ‘folk culture’ ‘scientifically’, ‘objectively’, and ‘correctly’. This paper utilizes oral narratives of surviving agents and related materials to follow the politicized process of collection, ‘revision’, and publication of what would be called the ‘Epic of Jangar’ of Xinjiang’s Oirat Mongols. Through this process, a unified narrative began to emerge that assisted in the construction of a unique ‘excellent’ Mongol – but above all Chinese-Mongol – culture. Through textualization, historical ritualized socializing performances were systematically decontextualized and simultaneously recontextualized as a great contribution to Chinese national literature.

KEYWORDS:

• China
• Xinjiang
• Epic of Jangar
• folklore
• Oirat Mongols
• Chinese Communist Party Ideology

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1. An and Yang, “Chinese Folklore,” 274–275.

2. Tuohy, “The Sonic Dimensions of Nationalism,” 50.

3. Hung, Going to the People, 176.

4. Zhong, Minjian wenxue gailun, preface.

5. Atwood, Encyclopedia of Mongolia, 260.

6. See China ICH Office, Jangar.

7. See, for example, Latour and Wolgar, Laboratory Life; and Latour, “Postmodern? No, Simply Amodern.”

8. See, for example, Bauman, A World of Others’ Words, 151.

9. Bendix, In Search of Authenticity, 127.

10. I have translated ‘minzu’ as nationality to distinguish it from nation (guojia) and ethnicity (zuqun).

11. Renqindaoerji, “Xu,” 1.

12. Chao, “Mongolian Oral Epic Poetry,” 323; Pegg and Yamaeva, “Sensing ‘place’,” 299; and Poppe, Mongolische epen V, 5.

13. Bergmann, Benjamin Bergmann’s Nomadische Streifereien, 205, 214.

14. Renqindaoerji, ”Ping “jiangge’er” li,” 91, 96.

15. Jia, Zhongguo minjian wenxue gaiyao, 14; and Reqindoaerji, ”Xu,” 1–2.

16. For a similar discussion on Kirghiz folkloric construction in post-Reform XUAR, see Prior, Patron, Party, Patrimony.

17. Interview, workgroup member.

18. Bata, “Shouji diaocha “jiangge’er” gongzuo baogao,” 7, 9–10.

19. The ‘ideological education’ of folk singers is discussed in essays in Jiangge’er lunwenji.

20. See note 5 above..

21. Bata, “Shouji diaocha “jiangge’er” gongzuo baogao,” 7–8; Jiamucha, Shishi ‘jiangge’er’ tanyuan, 359–360; and Renqindaoerji, ‘Jiangge’er’ lun, 43.

22. Sum is a Mongol administrative unit; although no longer officially recognized in Xinjiang, it remains an important unofficial local identifier.

23. Written statement by Natsag.

24. Interview with workgroup member.

25. See Renqindaoerji, ‘Jiangge’er’ lun, 42–51; and Jiamucha, Shishi ‘jiangge’er’ tanyuan, 338–43.

26. Law, After Method, 36.

27. Zhou, “Zai wenyi gongzuo zuotanhui,” 337; see also, Mackerras, The Performing Arts, 68–9.

28. “Tuanjie qilai.”

29. Deng, “Zai zhongguo wenxue yishu gongzuozhe,” 179–86.

30. Yin, “Zizhiqu shouci ‘jiangge’er’xueshu taolunhui,” 3.

31. Ibid.

32. Tuohy, “The Sonic Dimensions of Nationalism,” 114.

33. Law, After Method, 5.

34. Wang, “Qianlun minjian wenxue de kexue jiazhi,” 59–60.

35. Ibid.

36. Jia, Zhongguo minjian wenxue gaiyao, 3–4.

37. Wolfgram, “Science Talk and Scientific Reference,” 34.

38. Tuohy, “Cultural Metaphors and Reasoning,’ 195.

39. See, for example, Seligman et al., Ritual and its Consequences.

40. Jia, Zhongguo minjian wenxue gaiyao, 8–9.

41. Sayintana, “Dagur Folktales,” 73.

42. Zhongguo minjian gushi jicheng, 16.

43. Pegg, “Ritual, Religion and Magic,” 97.

44. Renqindaoerji, ‘Jiangge’er’ lun, 110.

45. Ibid.

46. Ibid., 111.

47. Ibid.

48. Turino, “Nationalism and Latin American Music,” 175.

49. Holm, Art and Ideology.

50. Marsh, The Horse-head Fiddle, 135.

51. Law, After Method, 36–8.

52. Mosse, Adventures in Aidland, 22.

53. Kuipers, “Evidence and Authority.”

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Notes on contributors

Michael D. R. Long

Michael D. R. Long earned a Master’s and Ph.D. in Social Anthropology from the University of Cambridge and a Master’s in International Politics from Fudan University, School of International Relations and Public Affairs (SIRPA). His research centers on Chinese culture politics and policy in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, PRC.