| Group: | Khoton |
| Region1: |  |
| Pop1: | 10,000 (2015)[1] |
| Region2: |  |
| Pop2: | 1,200 (2004) |
| Languages: | Oirat |
| Religions: | Religious syncretism (Sunni Islam, including elements of Buddhism and Shamanism)[2] |
| Related: | Uyghurs, Huis, Dörbets |
The Khoton or Qotung people are a Mongolic ethnic group in (Outer) Mongolia and Inner Mongolia.[3] [4] Most Mongolian Khotons live in Uvs Province in western Mongolia. In China, the Khotons (often called Qotungs) live in Inner Mongolia, concentrated in Alxa League and are classified as ethnic Mongols. They speak the Dörbet or Alasha dialect of the Oirat language.[5] According to the Great Russian Encyclopedia, modern Khoton people are a part of the "Mongols — a group of peoples who speak Mongolian languages".[6]
In Mongolia, most Khotons live in Uvs Province, especially in Tarialan, Naranbulag and Ulaangom. There were officially about 6,100 Khotons in 1989.[7] In 2015, there were around 10,000 Khotons in Mongolia.[8]
The Khotons of Inner Mongolia reside in Alxa League, mainly in Alxa Left Banner and Bayannuur. A 2004 study reported that Khoton informants estimated their total population to be about 1,200.
Khoton, Khotong or Qotung was originally a Mongol term for Muslim Uyghur and Hui people, or Chinese language-speaking Muslims.[7]
The Khotons were settled in Mongolia by the Oirats when the latter conquered Xinjiang and took their city-dwelling ancestors to Mongolia. According to another version, they settled in Mongolia after 1753, when their leader, the Dörbet Prince Tseren Ubashi, surrendered to the Qing Dynasty.[7] The Khotons soon adapted and assimilated Mongolian or Oirat culture and speech. According to some scholars, the Khotons can be considered Mongolized Uyghurs as a result.[9]
The Khotons of Inner Mongolia that reside in Alxa League are considered to be descended of Turkic peoples originally from Hami, Xinjiang, who later adopted and assimilated into local Mongol culture. Most scholars believe that the ancestors of the Khotons were brought to the area around the 18th century or earlier as captives from Xinjiang after the prince of the Alasha Mongols returned from fighting the Dzungars. According to local tradition, the ancestors of the Khotons arrived in the area in the late 17th century as merchants and eventually settled and assimilated with the Alasha Mongols. Occasional later migrants from Xinjiang and some Hui from nearby regions who were incorporated into the Khotons helped to maintain and increase their community.
Unlike most Mongolians, Khotons follow a syncretic form of Islam that incorporates Buddhist and traditional elements (like Tengrism).[10] They traditionally avoid intermarriage with other ethnic groups and tend to avoid mainstream Mongolian written culture.
In Inner Mongolia, many Khotons are pastoral nomads though in recent times, an increasing amount are now settled.
Khotons speak Khoton language (a dialect of the Oirat language). Once settled in Mongolia, the Khotons adopted the Mongolian: Dörbet or northern dialect of Oirat.[11] In Inner Mongolia, the Khotons speak the Alasha dialect of Oirat.