DAGHUR

also spelled Daghor, or Dagur, Manchu Dahur, Russian Daur, Chinese (Wade-Giles) Ta-wo-erh, or (Pinyin) Dawoer, or Daur Mongol people living mainly in the northeastern portion of Inner Mongolia autonomous region and western Heilungkiang province of China and estimated to number about 121,000. Their language, once thought to be Tungusic or a mixture of Mongolian and Tungus, is now known to be an archaic Mongolian dialect preserving features found in 13th-century documents. Their own name for themselves is Daghur; the Russian form Daur occurs in the name of the Daur mountain range. Russian settlers in the 17th century found the Daghur well established in eastern Transbaikalia and the Amur region, and the Orthodox church sent missionaries to them in 1682. The Chinese government, not wishing the Daghur to fall under Russian sway, resettled them. By the early 20th century many Daghur lived in Heilungkiang, around the city of Hailar, and in the Nen River valley near the city of Tsitsihar. Their chief occupations are agriculture, logging, hunting, stock raising, and horse breeding. The clan system prevails. Their religion is shamanistic, although some are adherents of Tibetan Buddhism.