Olot in China

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

Introduction / History

In 1758 the Qing Dynasty rulers of China conquered Jungaria in today's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Jungaria was an area controlled by Oirat tribal chiefs who proved to be a thorn in the side of the Manchu emperors. The Manchu government transferred a group of Olot to Manchuria, where they were split up and sent to the two locations they still inhabit today. One group was placed in Nonni and the other in Imin in Inner Mongolia. The Imin group gradually lost the use of their mother tongue, having been "influenced by the local Mongolic languages and dialects."

Although officially included as part of the Mongol nationality by the Chinese authorities, the Olot consider themselves to be a separate ethnic group. They speak a tribal dialect of Oirat that is unintelligible with the languages of all other surrounding communities. Oirat is the language spoken by most Mongols in northwest China on the opposite side of the country. In Xinjiang the Torgut, Olot, Korbet, and Hoshut peoples are known as the "Four Tribes of Oirat."


What Are Their Lives Like?

The national drink of Mongolians across China is a fermented mare's milk called airag or kumiss. Made the same way today as it has been, for centuries, the milk is hung in a goatskin bag and stirred with a wooden stick until it sours. The Olot have been isolated from other Mongolian groups for such a long period that their culture today appears more similar to the cultures of the Daur and Han Chinese than to that of the Mongolians.


What Are Their Beliefs?

The majority of Olot are shamanists. Tibetan Buddhism has not gained a foothold among them as it has among most other Mongol groups. Each Olot village has a shaman who mediates between the spirit world and the community. The shamans were persecuted during the 1960s but have reappeared in the 1980s and 1990s.

No Olot are known to have ever believed in Christ, although a strong Daur church has emerged in recent years and may be able to take the gospel to the neighboring Olot. For the time being the Olot remains an untouched people group.


What Are Their Needs?

Without the guidance of Christ, these people are like sheep without a shepherd. They need the good shepherd in their families and communities.


Prayer Points

Pray for the spiritual blindness and bondage to the evil one to be removed so they can understand and respond to Christ.

Pray for the Lord to provide for their physical and spiritual needs as a testimony of his power and love.

Pray that the Olot people will have a spiritual hunger that will open their hearts to the King of kings.

Pray for an unstoppable movement to Christ among them.


Scripture Prayers for the Olot in China.


References

Operation China, Asia Harvest, Copyrighted © Used with permission


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

People Name General Olot
People Name in Country Olot
Pronunciation Ooh-lut
Alternate Names Eleuth; Elyut; Heilongjiang Olot; Manchurian Olot; Mannai Olot; Olet; Oleut; Oold
Population this Country 3,200
Population all Countries 3,200
Total Countries 1
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
GSEC 1  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
People ID 18648
ROP3 Code 114269
ROP25 Code 306313
ROP25 Name Olot
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 "Less than 2,000" Olot were counted in a 1993 study. The Olot inhabit the eastern bank of the Nonni River within Fuyu County in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. Another group of Olot live in the Imin region of Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia, but they have been unable to speak their language since the early 1900s.   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 "Less than 2,000" Olot were counted in a 1993 study. The Olot inhabit the eastern bank of the Nonni River within Fuyu County in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province. Another group of Olot live in the Imin region of Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia, but they have been unable to speak their language since the early 1900s..   Source:  Operation China, 2000
Primary Religion: Buddhism
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
98.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.00 %)
0.00 %
Ethnic Religions
0.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
2.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Kalmyk-Oirat (3,200 speakers)
Language Code xal   Ethnologue Listing
Primary Dialect Olot
Dialect Code 11427   Global Recordings Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Kalmyk-Oirat (3,200 speakers)
Language Code xal   Ethnologue Listing
Primary Dialect Olot
Dialect Code 11427   Global Recordings Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Kalmyk-Oirat
Photo Source Copyrighted © 2024  Operation China, Asia Harvest  All rights reserved.  Used with permission
Map Source Joshua Project / Global Mapping International  
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.



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