I understand that during the yuan dynasty, Uighurs were given large authoritarian roles in the Empire which may likely have led to them living in Qinglong, but I can't find any less loose link. Does anybody know? Thank you
Answers (1)
Shanghai's earliest Mosque is Songjiang Mosque from the Yuan dynasty. In this dynasty, Muslims moved from West to East China for Government administrative jobs, en masse. As the most populous ethnic group of Muslims in the Western region (at that time and now), the Mosque was almost certainly used by Uighur people (as well as maybe also the populous but not-as-populous Hui people too) in the Yuan Dynasty, when they likely came over as part of this Government transfer of Muslims for administrative roles that coincides with the Mosque's creation.
There are no known earlier mentions of Muslims in Shanghai before this Mosque so, as far as current knowledge concerns, it is accurate to say Uighurs first came to Shanghai in the Yuan Dynasty, as you thought.
I forgot to importantly mention we know the Songjiang Mosque was used by Muslims working for the administration because the Muslims that were being transferred would have been being transferred to near that location (in Shanghai) because Shanghai has been an administrative region all throughout the Yuan dynasty.