# Shule County

Shule County, also known as Yengisheher County or Yengixahar County, is a county of Kashgar Prefecture, in Xinjiang, China. It is located to the south of Kashgar. In ancient times, the Shule area was once the home to a Xiyu oasis civilisation, the Shule Kingdom.

## Etymology

Shule originally referred to Kashgar's new city, built by Han Chinese settlers, located 6 miles (9.7 km) from the old one. Shule may have been an attempt by the Chinese to transcribe the Sanskrit name for Kashgar, Śrīkrīrāti (lit. 'fortunate hospitality'). The county's Uyghur name literally means "Kashgar New City".

## History

On May 31, 2012, Sidik Kurban was sentenced by Shule County Intermediate People's Court to fifteen years in jail and five years deprivation of political rights for 'inciting ethnic separatism' related to involvement in 'illegal religious activities'. For a decade, he had overseen home-based religious schools for eighty-six students.

## Administrative divisions

The county includes 3 towns and 12 townships.
| Name | Simplified Chinese | Hanyu Pinyin | Uyghur (UEY) | Uyghur Latin (ULY) | Administrative division code |
| Towns ||||||
| Yengisheher Town (Shule Town) | 疏勒镇 (英协海尔镇) | Shūlè Zhèn | يېڭىشەھەر بازىرى | yëngisheher baziri | 653124100 |
| Hanerik Town | 罕南力克镇 | Hǎnnánlìkè Zhèn | خانئېرىق بازىرى | xan'ëriq baziri | 653124101 |
| Yapchan Town | 牙甫泉镇 | Yáfǔquán Zhèn | ياپچان بازىرى | yapchan baziri | 653124102 |
| Townships ||||||
| Barin Township | 巴仁乡 | Bārén Xiāng | بارىن يېزىسى | barin yëzisi | 653122200 |
| Yanduma Township | 洋大曼乡 | Yángdàmàn Xiāng | ياندۇما يېزىسى | yanduma yëzisi | 653122201 |
| Yamanyar Township | 亚曼牙乡 | Yàmànyá Xiāng | يامانيار يېزىسى | yamanyar yëzisi | 653122202 |
| Baghchi Township | 巴合齐乡 | Bāhéqí Xiāng | باغچى يېزىسى | baghchi yëzisi | 653122203 |
| Tazghun Township | 塔孜洪乡 | Tǎzīhóng Xiāng | تازغۇن يېزىسى | tazghun yëzisi | 653122204 |
| Yengierik Township | 英尔力克乡 | Yīng'ěrlìkè Xiāng | يېڭىئېرىق يېزىسى | yëngi'ëriq yëzisi | 653122205 |
| Kumusherik Township | 库木西力克乡 | Kùmùxīlìkè Xiāng | قۇمۇشئېرىق يېزىسى | qumush'ëriq yëzisi | 653122206 |
| Tagharchi Township | 塔尕尔其乡 | Tǎgǎ'ěrqí Xiāng | تاغارچى يېزىسى | tagharchi yëzisi | 653122207 |
| Ermudun Township | 艾尔木东乡 | Ài'ěrmùdōng Xiāng | ئەرمۇدۇن يېزىسى | Ermudun yëzisi | 653122208 |
| Aral Township | 阿拉力乡 | Ālālì Xiāng | ئارال يېزىسى | Aral yëzisi | 653122209 |
| Harap Township | 阿拉甫乡 | Ālāfǔ Xiāng | ھاراپ يېزىسى | harap yëzisi | 653122210 |
| Yengiawat Township | 英阿瓦提乡 | Yīng'āwǎtí Xiāng | يېڭىئاۋات يېزىسى | yëngi'awat yëzisi | 653122211 |

## Economy

As of 1885, there was about 85,400 acres (555,448 mu) of cultivated land in Shule.

## Demographics

As of 2015, 350,301 of the 377,029 residents of the county were Uyghur, 25,709 were Han Chinese and 1,019 were from other ethnic groups.
As of 1999, 93% of the population of Shule County was Uyghur and 6.7% of the population was Han Chinese.

## Transportation

Shule is served by China National Highway 315 and the Kashgar-Hotan Railway.

## Notable persons

* Almikhan Seyit / Alimihan Seiti (ئالمىخان سېيىت / 阿丽米罕·色依提) (in Uyghur), claimed to have died at 132 years old

## Historical maps

Maps including Shule:
* Map including Shule (labeled as Yangishahr) (1917)
* Map including Shule (labeled as SU-LO) from the International Map of the World (AMS, 1966)
* From the Operational Navigation Chart; map including Shule (labeled as SHULE (SU-LE) (walled)) (DMA, 1980)
* Map including Shule (Shu-le) (DMA, 1983)
* Map including Shule (labeled as SHULE (SU-LE) (walled)) (DMA, 1984)