Salar Ethnic Group came from Samarkand

Unified Proper Noun Annotation Rule: Standard English Term (Chinese Name). Unified spelling: Sala nationality revised to Salar nationality (撒拉族).

Supplementary Background: The Salar people are an ethnic group with origins linked to Central Asia’s Samarkand. Their origin legends, historical records and traditional Camel Drama collectively preserve the memory of their eastward migration, serving as important carriers of the ethnic group’s history and culture.

Ethnic Appellations

The Salar people refer to themselves as Salar (撒拉). Chinese historical documents record more than ten variants of their ethnic name, most of which are different transliterations or shortened forms of "Salar", including Sala and Shala.

Ethnic Origin: Legends and Historical Research

Widely Circulated Migration Legend

Historical written records about the origin of the Salar people are very scarce, while abundant oral legends have been passed down among the ethnic group. The most influential and representative story is as follows.

A long time ago, there lived a nomadic tribe called Salur in Samarkand of Central Asia. Two brothers, Galemang and Ahemang, resided in this tribe. Diligent, benevolent, brave and wise, they won wide respect and love from fellow tribesmen. The king of the kingdom was narrow-minded and jealous of their prestige. He regarded the two brothers as a threat and intended to get rid of them.

To escape persecution, the two brothers took 18 clansmen, along with a white camel. They carried local soil, water and the Quran from their hometown, then left Samarkand and headed east in search of a new homeland. Later, another 45 people joined their journey. The group trekked across mountains, rivers, deserts and Gobi lands. They traveled through Xinjiang and finally arrived at Xunhua in Qinghai, where they chose to settle down. They lived in harmony with local Tibetans, Hui people and other ethnic groups, multiplied generation after generation, and gradually developed into the present-day Salar nationality.

Historical Research Conclusion

It is undeniable that some plots and details in the legend contain fictional elements and far-fetched associations. Based on comprehensive research into the Salar people’s language, physical characteristics, folk customs, legends and historical documents, scholars have reached a clear conclusion.

The ancestors of the Salar people were the Salur people of the Wugusi Tribe under the Western Turkic peoples. They migrated eastward from Central Asia after the Mongol campaigns in the west. Up to now, the Salar people have lived and multiplied in Xunhua for around 700 to 800 years.

Cultural Inheritance of Migration History

Cultural Carrier of Historical Memory

The Salar people have always kept in mind their distant hometown and the migration history of their ancestors. Apart from the origin legend mentioned above, Duiwei aoyina (骆驼戏，Camel Drama) was once prevalent among the Salar community, functioning as a vivid cultural record of ethnic history.

Performance Form and Cultural Function

The drama requires four performers in total. Two of them wear fur-lined jackets inside out to impersonate camels. Among the remaining two roles, one acts as Galemang, the ancestor of the Salar people. This performer wears a long gown and wraps a dasida'r (达斯达尔) around the head, while holding a stick to lead the camel. The other performer plays a local Mongolian resident.

Through antiphonal singing and conversational exchanges, the performance recounts the arduous journey from Samarkand to Qinghai, as well as what the ancestors experienced along the way. Despite its simple performing form, Camel Drama plays an irreplaceable role in recording and spreading the history and culture of the Salar nationality.