Situ Jiarong in China

The Situ Jiarong have only been reported in China
Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Introduction / History

Until 1949 the Jiarong were divided into 18 small kingdoms. They kept the Chinese military at bay for ten years during the eighteenth century. The Jiarong languages suggest that they may have originally been part of the Qiang group who, after many generations of contact with Tibetans, became a distinct people.

The name Situ "refers to the traditional territory of the four chieftaincies of Zhuokeji, Suomo, Songgang and Dangba in the heartland of Jiarong country. The term is adopted since it is now a widely used local label for this language." The several Jiarong groups in China have been officially counted under the Tibetan nationality by the Chinese authorities. The Jiarong, however, speak their own distinct languages and believe they are ethnically and historically different from the Tibetans. They have been listed as one of the people groups in China that "need further investigation."

The classification of Jiarong has baffled Chinese scholars. "The languages of the Jiarong who live in Aba and Garze areas of Sichuan are a puzzle. Their language is different from Tibetan in terms of grammar, and akin to the Qiang and Pumi languages. They are considered the 'language bridge' between Tibetan and Burmese." Differences in the five Jiarong languages are great.


What Are Their Lives Like?

The majority of Situ Jiarong are farmers, herding livestock and growing crops along the river basins in central Sichuan. A number of urban Jiarong are merchants and shop owners.


What Are Their Beliefs?

Almost all Jiarong farther to the west are Tibetan Buddhists, but many of the Situ Jiarong have adopted the polytheistic practices of the Qiang.

The Jiarong were first focused on in the early 1900s by the American Baptists - who had a mission base at Ya'an - and by the Border Mission of the Church of Christ in China in the 1910s. One writer summarized their efforts: "In the early half of this century some missionaries stationed in areas relatively close to the Jiarong took some trips into Jiarong territory. This led to the translation of some tracts. It was not until the 1930s that an effort to specifically learn and analyze the Jiarong language got underway. A draft translation of the book of Jonah was in progress when the invasion of the Red Army in 1936 made work impossible. All materials were lost in the war.


What Are Their Needs?

Without the guidance of Christ, these people will be lost in this life and the life to come. They need Christ-bearers to go to them.


Prayer Points

Pray for ministers and missionaries to be called to serve the Situ Jiarong, so that the Kingdom of God continues to expand extensively within this people group.
Pray for a movement of Christ to arise, so may the Situ Jiarong already have softened hearts to receive the invitation of God’s truth.
Pray for the Lord to provide for their needs as a testimony of his power and love.
Pray that the Situ Jiarong people will have a spiritual hunger that will open their hearts to the King of kings.


Scripture Prayers for the Jiarong, Situ in China.


References

Operation China, Asia Harvest, Copyrighted © Used with permission.


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Jiarong, Situ
People Name in Country Jiarong, Situ
Natural Name Situ Jiarong
Pronunciation See-too Gee-ah-rong
Alternate Names Chiajung; Eastern Jiarong; Eastern Jyarung; Gyarong; Jyarung; Rgyarong; Situ
Population this Country 206,000
Population all Countries 206,000
Total Countries 1
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
GSEC 1  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 4
People ID 18511
ROP3 Code 114123
ROP25 Code 303378
ROP25 Name Jiarong
Country China
Region Asia, Northeast
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 19  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country A 1993 study listed a total of 139,000 Situ Jiarong people in Sichuan Province. They are the dominant Jiarong group in China. The Situ, also known as the Eastern Jiarong, inhabit parts of Li, Wenchuan, and Xiaojin counties in central Sichuan, as well as sections of Barkam (Ma'erkang) and Jinchuan counties. Many Situ Jiarong live in a Vshaped valley between the Zagunao River - which originates in the Zhegu Mountains - and the upper section of the Min River.   Source:  Operation China, 2000
Country China
Region Asia, Northeast
Continent Asia
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 19  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country A 1993 study listed a total of 139,000 Situ Jiarong people in Sichuan Province. They are the dominant Jiarong group in China. The Situ, also known as the Eastern Jiarong, inhabit parts of Li, Wenchuan, and Xiaojin counties in central Sichuan, as well as sections of Barkam (Ma'erkang) and Jinchuan counties. Many Situ Jiarong live in a Vshaped valley between the Zagunao River - which originates in the Zhegu Mountains - and the upper section of the Min River..   Source:  Operation China, 2000
Map of Jiarong, Situ in China Ethnolinguistic map or other map

Primary Religion: Buddhism
Religion Subdivision: Tibetan
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
90.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.03 %)
0.03 %
Ethnic Religions
8.97 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
1.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Jiarong (206,000 speakers)
Language Code jya   Ethnologue Listing
Primary Dialect Situ
Dialect Code 11146   Global Recordings Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Jiarong (206,000 speakers)
Language Code jya   Ethnologue Listing
Primary Dialect Situ
Dialect Code 11146   Global Recordings Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Jiarong

Primary Language:  Jiarong

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1932)
Bible-New Testament No
Bible-Complete No
Possible Print Bibles
Amazon
World Bibles
Forum Bible Agencies
National Bible Societies
World Bible Finder
Virtual Storehouse
Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
Photo Source Copyrighted © 2024  Operation China, Asia Harvest  All rights reserved.  Used with permission
Map Source People Group location: IMB. Map geography: ESRI / GMI. Map design: Joshua Project.  
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.



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