Show The Mohammedans In limo Chinese Army The Chinese army which is reported to be opposing tho advance of the combined forces sent by the powers to relieve the embassies blockaded In Peking I comprises several regiments from the western provinces of Kan sun and Shensl which arc largely composed of Mohammedans They form some of the best fighting regi ments in the Chinese regular army and are distinguished for their hos I tility toward foreigners In time I province of tfansuh and Yunnan more than half thc population is Mo hammedan and the number of Chinese professing that creed throughout tho empire is stated at between 20000 000 and SO000000 The religion entered China by caravans in thc north and by sea In the south The first mosque in north China was built at Ilsian Fu In Shensl in 712 From Shensi it made Its way Into Kansuh and later Mogol conquests rcsulipd In a great immi gration of Mussulmans from Syria Arabia and Persia into the western parts of thc empire The immigrants gradually lost their racial peculiarities by marriages with Chinese women Tradition gays that Mussulmans first came to Canton in thc sixth year of thc Hegira early in the seventh century under time leadership of a malrrnal uncle of Mohammed whose tomb Is still an Object of reverence for Chinese Mussulmans In 753 their numbers were Increased by some u 4000 Arabs who came to assist In quelling nn Insurrection and then like the Manchus declined lo withdraw Their increase since then has been mainly duo lo time ordinary causes and the purchase of poor children In time of famine and their numbers today would probably have been larger thap they are had It not been for their numerous rebellions notably that known as the Panthus rebellion that lasted from 1855 to 1875 and In which more than 2000000 of them perished Preserving the military spirit they have been by turns of use and a danger to thc Government and dynasts hut at present they find themselves In accord with the rest of their countrymen In their common antipathy to the foreigner |