A Literature Review of the Development of Islam in China: Historical, Social, and Political Dynamics

Abstract

This article is a Literature Study (literature review) that aims to comprehensively map the history, social dynamics, and political conformity of the development of Islam in China. Through a synthesis of various historical documents and reputable scholarly literature, this article constructs how Muslim communities negotiate their religious identity amid Han cultural dominance and state authority. The review results show that Islam in China is not a singular entity, but rather a dynamic mosaic. Socio-political distinctions are clearly seen between the Hui ethnicity, which chooses an accommodative-flexible integration path through the assimilation of language, physical traits, and the acculturation of ancient mosque architecture in the form of pagodas (such as the Xi'an Great Mosque), and the Uyghur ethnicity, which maintains transnational cultural ties with Central Asia. The historical timeline shows that the scope of Muslim religiosity has experienced radical fluctuations, ranging from phases of privilege and maritime expansion during the Ming Dynasty under Admiral Zheng He, to phases of armed stagnation during the Qing Dynasty and modern political securitization. This article concludes that the political tolerance of rulers tends to be selective, where cultural flexibility and localization without diminishing essential doctrine become the main keys to the resilience of the Muslim community in China for more than a thousand years.