Sogwo Arig in China

The Sogwo Arig have only been reported in China
Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Buddhism (Tibetan)
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Introduction / History

The Sogwo Arig are a Mongolian tribe living in the midst of countless small Tibetan clans in one of the most remote locations in the world. Over the course of many centuries, the Sogwo Arig language and culture have gradually assimilated to the Tibetan. Still today, however, Tibetans in the area know the Sogwo Arig are of Mongol ancestry and view them as a separate people.

The Sogwo Arig claim to have been the Mongol rulers of Hunan Province. This fact was discovered by a surprised French explorer in 1906, when the Sogwo Arig prince signed a letter with the title of "King of Hunan." Vicomte d'Ollone explains, "When the Mongols were expelled from China, the dynasty of the kings of Ho-Nan [Hunan] - kings without a kingdom - retired to their steppes; and when in their turn the Manchus seized the empire [1644] they utilized the Mongols for the purpose of holding the Tibetans in check, for which reason a horde was sent to establish itself in this region." The Sogwo Arig continued to have a succession of kings until the 1950s, when communist authorities stripped the Sogwo Arig royal family of its authority, at least as far as appearances are concerned.


What Are Their Lives Like?

Today one of the few remaining Sogwo Arig cultural features is their Mongolian style of yurt. Sogwo Arig men will not leave their homes without being armed with their rifle. When they go on hunting expeditions, they take wooden tripods for resting their weapons on when firing.


What Are Their Beliefs?

All Sogwo Arig are followers of either Tibetan Buddhism or Bon. They worship at crude sacrificial altars, constructed of yak dung piled about three feet high, upon which they regularly offer animal sacrifices to various gods and demons.

Hidden away in communities virtually inaccessible to the outside world, the Sogwo Arig are untouched by Christianity. Intrepid evangelists will need to overcome severe weather, rugged terrain, linguistic and cultural barriers, and fierce packs of dogs which the Sogwo Arig have trained to attack strangers.


What Are Their Needs?

The Sogwo Arig people need to accept the warm embrace of the only Savior so they can enjoy spiritually meaningful lives.


Prayer Points

Pray for the authority of Christ to bind hindering spiritual forces to lead them from darkness to light.

Pray for signs and wonders to happen among them and for great breakthroughs with a rapid multiplication of disciples and house churches.

Pray for bold workers who are driven by the love of the Holy Spirit to go to them.

Pray for an unstoppable movement to Christ among them.


Scripture Prayers for the Sogwo Arig in China.


References

Operation China, Asia Harvest, Copyrighted © Used with permission


Profile Source:   Joshua Project  

The Amdo Tibetans

Source:  Asia Harvest      Download

People Name General Sogwo Arig
People Name in Country Sogwo Arig
Pronunciation Sog-wo-Ah-rig
Alternate Names Alike; A-li-k'oa; Arig Tibetan; Sogwo Arik; Sohkwo; Sokwo Arik; Tatze
Population this Country 49,000
Population all Countries 49,000
Total Countries 1
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
GSEC 1  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed 1
PeopleID3 18683
ROP3 Code 114310
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 Approximately 37,000 members of the Sogwo Arig tribe live in Tsanggar Gonpa, a district within Tongde County in the Hainan Golog Prefecture; and in parts of neighboring He'nan County. Tongde lies to the east of the Yellow River in Qinghai Province. The Qinghai Plateau - at a minimum elevation of 3,500 meters (11,500 ft.) above sea level - is snowbound nine months of the year, and turns into a muddy bog the other three months. The area is home to the Darakar Tredzong (White Monkey Fortress), considered one of the three most sacred sites in all of the Amdo Tibetan areas.   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 Approximately 37,000 members of the Sogwo Arig tribe live in Tsanggar Gonpa, a district within Tongde County in the Hainan Golog Prefecture; and in parts of neighboring He'nan County. Tongde lies to the east of the Yellow River in Qinghai Province. The Qinghai Plateau - at a minimum elevation of 3,500 meters (11,500 ft.) above sea level - is snowbound nine months of the year, and turns into a muddy bog the other three months. The area is home to the Darakar Tredzong (White Monkey Fortress), considered one of the three most sacred sites in all of the Amdo Tibetan areas..   Source:  Operation China, 2000
Map of Sogwo Arig in China Ethnolinguistic map or other map

Primary Religion: Buddhism (Tibetan)
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
97.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 0.00 %)
0.00 %
Ethnic Religions
3.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
0.00 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Tibetan, Amdo (49,000 speakers)
Language Code adx   Ethnologue Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Tibetan, Amdo (49,000 speakers)
Language Code adx   Ethnologue Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Tibetan, Amdo
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.  
Video Source Asia Harvest
Profile Source Joshua Project 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.


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