Editing Aladdin (section)

==Setting==
The opening sentences of the story, in both the Galland and the Burton versions, set it in "one of the cities of China".<ref name=Plotz1>Plotz (2001) p. 148–149</ref> Beyond that, nearly everything else in the rest of the story is more consistent with a Middle Eastern setting. For instance, the ruler is referred to as "[[Sultan]]" rather than "[[Emperor of China|Emperor]]", as in some retellings, and the people in the story are [[Muslims]] and their conversation is filled with Muslim platitudes. A [[Jews|Jewish]] merchant buys Aladdin's wares, while [[Buddhism|Buddhists]], [[Taoism|Daoists]], and [[Confucianism|Confucians]] are not mentioned.{{fact|date=April 2025}}

Notably, [[ethnic groups in Chinese history]] have long included [[Chinese Muslims|Muslim groups]], including large populations of [[Uyghurs]], and the [[Hui people]] as well as the [[Tajiks]] whose origins go back to [[Silk Road]] travelers. [[History of Islam in China#Tang dynasty|Islamic communities]] have been known to exist in the region since the [[Tang dynasty]] (which rose to power simultaneously with the prophet [[Muhammad]]'s career.) Some have suggested that the intended setting may be [[Turkestan]] (encompassing [[Central Asia]] and the modern-day Chinese autonomous region of [[Xinjiang]] in [[Western China]]).<ref name=Moon1>Moon (2005) p. 23</ref> The Arabicized Turkic [[Kara-Khanid Khanate]], which was located in this region and had a strong identification with China, bears a strong resemblance to the setting, their rulers even adopting the Arab title of [[Sultan]], even going so far as to adopt the title of "Sultan of the East and China", which was used alongside Turkic titles such as [[Khan (title)]] and [[Khagan]]; however, chancellors were referred to as [[Hajib]] rather than [[Vizier]].{{fact|date=April 2025}}

For all this, speculation about a "real" Chinese setting depends on a knowledge of China that the teller of a folk tale (as opposed to a geographic expert) might well not possess.<ref name=honor1>Honour (1973) - Section I "The Imaginary Continent"</ref> Although the story was first recorded in French, early Arabic usage of China is known to have been used in an abstract sense to designate an exotic, faraway land.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ajammc.com/2017/08/10/who-was-the-real-aladdin/|author=Arafat A. Razzaque|website=Ajam Media Collective|title=Who was the "real" Aladdin? From Chinese to Arab in 300 Years|date=2017-08-10 }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://time.com/5592303/aladdin-true-history/|title=Was Aladdin Based on a Real Person? Here's Why Scholars Are Starting to Think So|magazine=Time|access-date=2020-07-07|date=2019-05-23|author=Olivia B. Waxman}}</ref>