Qiangic Peoples' Homeland Left Unchallenged By Christ's Claims

In the mountains of Western Sichuan Province live 12 groups of Tibetans of whom most people have never heard. They are the Qiangic speaking Tibetans. They speak languages that are related to their Qiang ancestors. But they have adopted Tibetan culture and customs.

To the West of Sichuan lies the Tibetan Plateau. This is a huge area of mountains and high altitude grassland. It is the home of Tibetan farmers and nomads, with their herds of yaks and sheep. The main city is Lhasa, the historical center of Tibetan culture.

Lying on the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau, in Western Sichuan, is a series of steep, high mountain ranges that run north and south. Historically, these mountains formed the geographical border region between Han Chinese culture to the East and Tibetan culture to the West. Over time, various ethnic groups came to live in these mountains. Possibly they were retreating to places of safety during times of war. Researchers now call this area the "Ethnic Corridor." Over one million Tibetans live in this part of Sichuan. One third of these Tibetans do not speak Tibetan as their first language. They are Qiangic speaking Tibetans.

Shelly-add this outquote anywhere: "One third of these Tibetans do not speak Tibetan as their first language. They are Qiangic Speaking Tibetans."

Qiangic Speaking Tibetans speak dialects that are related to the Qiang language. They must learn Tibetan or Chinese in order to communicate with people outside their ethnic group. And they have adopted many aspects of Tibetan culture; they follow the Tibetan Buddhist and Bon religions. That is why they are registered as part of the Tibetan nationality.

But unlike other Tibetans, and unlike the Qiang, Qiangic speaking Tibetans are practically unknown. Many things remain to be discovered about their history, culture and languages. The Qiangic Tibetans, many of whom live in Western Sichuan Province, are the Heishui Tibetans, the Jiarong, the Ergong, the Zhaba, the Queyu, the Quiqiong, the Muya, the Ersu, the Sichuan Pumi, the Shixing, and the Namuyi. The last group is the Baima. Scholars disagree over whether or not Baima is a Qiangic language.

Each of these Qiangic Speaking Tibetan groups has its own history and customs. Each one is unique. Yet they all share some common characteristics.

What are the characteristics of Qiangic Speaking Tibetans?
Isolation Qiangic Speaking Tibetans are isolated in several ways.

Isolated by tall mountain ranges: Qiangic Tibetans have survived for possibly thousands of years because their mountain fortresses were so difficult to reach. Even today, in the age of jet planes and high-speed trains, many Qiangic Tibetan villages are only accessible by steep mountain footpaths.

Isolation because of language differences: Qiangic Tibetans speak languages that are not written. There are no newspapers or textbooks in their languages. Neither are there any schools that teach these languages. Qiangic Tibetan children need to learn a second language to go to school. They are educated in either Mandarin or Tibetan. Education for Qiangic Tibetans is harder to obtain than for people who speak Chinese as a first language. Adults need to know Sichuanese or Tibetan for communication with people outside their community. Language sets these people apart as outsiders.

Isolated from the prosperous East Coast of China: The entire Western region of China is isolated from the economic boom on the East Coast of China. The standard of living is much lower in the West of China than it is in cities such as Shanghai or Shenzhen. However, for Qiangic Tibetans, because of difficulties in travel and communication, it is even more difficult to gain access to the kind of economic advantages enjoyed by people in the larger cities or on the East Coast.

Qiangic Tibetans are rapidly becoming less isolated. Right now the roads throughout the region are being improved in order to open and develop the area. Better roads mean that it is easier for people to travel out looking for work. An emphasis on tourism is opening up new areas to development. Areas that were previously little known and rarely seen are now regular destinations for tour buses. New hotels and restaurants are transforming some of the small stone-house farming villages. In areas that have electricity, satellite TV dishes can be seen on the roofs of farmhouses. As the outside world becomes more familiar with these isolated people, they are also learning much about the world outside their valleys through television and radio programs. Although it is still difficult to travel to many of their villages, Qiangic Tibetans are more accessible now than ever before in history.

Another common characteristic of Qiangic Tibetans is that they are mostly subsistence farmers. Most Qiangic Tibetans are farmers or herders. They farm the narrow valley floors, and terrace the mountainsides that are not too steep. They graze yaks, sheep, and goats on the mountainsides and the high alpine grasslands. They grow enough to eat. In order to make money the men work at jobs such as truck driving, or building roads, or in city construction crews.

(Qiangic Speaking Tibetans are Tibetan Buddhists) Probably the most outstanding characteristic of Qiangic Speaking Tibetans, as mentioned above, is their common practice of Tibetan Buddhism. Because of their intense devotion to their religion, Tibetans have been called the most religious people in the world. Most Tibetans feel that to be Tibetan is to be a Tibetan Buddhist. Their identity is in their religion.

What do Tibetan Buddhists Believe?
Tibetan Buddhists believe that after death animals and people come back in another life form. People spend a lifetime accumulating merit in hopes of a better next life. Common ways of gaining merit are spinning prayer wheels, circling holy sites like temples, and repeating prayers. Pilgrimages to holy mountains, and to holy sites such as Lhasa are also ways to gain merit.

Qiangic Speaking Tibetan homes all have a place where they pray to the gods they believe are living in local mountains, rivers, trees, and earth. They burn incense and juniper as a way of worship. Centuries-old commitments to these gods are renewed in yearly festivals.

Tibetan Buddhist lamas are consulted for all aspects of daily life. Children are brought to lamas to be named. Lamas diagnose spiritual causes for sicknesses, and prescribe treatments like repeating certain Buddhist writings or certain Buddhist prayers. Lamas have various ways of telling the future in order to advise people in their affairs. People consult lamas on things such as when to marry, where to build a house, or how to conduct business. The lama's most important role is guiding the soul after death on the journey to the next life. For a Buddhist, the ultimate hope is to not return to life, but to escape the circle of death and rebirth, and the suffering encountered in life.

Tibetan Buddhist lamas and monks live, study, and worship in monasteries. In the past up to 20 percent of the men spent their lives in the monasteries as monks. Although many monasteries were closed during the Cultural Revolution, many are now open again and growing. Monks have the chance to devote all their time to gaining merit and to study.

What Does God Want for the Qiangic Speaking Tibetans?
Revelation 7:9 NIV says, "…There before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the throne and in front of the lamb." This is a promise that in the future there will be some from every nation, tribe, people and language that choose to worship Christ and follow him. It is a promise that people from each group of Qiangic speaking Tibetans will be part of the multitude gathered around the throne in worship.

However, at this point most of these people have never heard the name of Jesus. Most of their languages have never yet been used in prayer to the one true God. Most have no one to tell them about God. None have a local church with people from their own language. None have a Bible in their own language yet. These are people that God has promised will be represented in that great crowd of worshippers around his throne. But they still have not even heard about Jesus, who gave his life to bring them into God's family.

In Matthew 28:19,20 (NIV) Jesus told his disciples to "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I commanded you." Qiangic Speaking Tibetans will hear about Jesus when Christians leave their homes and go to them and tell them.

Romans 10:14 (NIV) "How, then can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'"

Pray that God will speed the day when His Word and His people will go out to the Qiangic peoples.