Xinjiang Sultanate
From Mw
Introduction the xinjiang sultanate aslo know as the Hui Uprising
Contents |
[edit] Background
The Qing conquered and annexed East Turkistan and Zungharia in the eighteenth century. During the conquest they completely destroyed the Zunghar. However there hold on the region was always precarious.
There where three factors that formed the backdrop of the revolt by the people of Xinjiang against the Qing occupiers. The weakening of the Qing dynasty due to rebellions such as the Yunnan War, and subsequent tax pressure on the state; the increasing raids by Jahangir Khwaja from the Khoqand Khanate region, and lastly the belief of an impending massacre of the Tungan by the Qing.
[edit] Khoqand and Khwaja Incursions
The Khoqand had emerged as a strong political power in Central Asia in the 1740s, just a decade before the Qing conquest and decimation of the Zunghar. The leader 'Abd al-Karim Bi had built a fort at a place called Eski Qurghan (Old Fort) and renamed it khoqand. The subsequent decline of the Zunghar and the rival Ashtarkhanid Dynasty at the hands of Nadir Shah Afshar allowed the Khoqand Khanate to expand so that under the rule of Irdana between 1770 CE (1183 AH) - 1799 CE (1213 AH), the Khoqand Khanate extended to Namangan, Andijan and Quramma. This brought them into direct contact with the Qing where there was numerous diplomatic contact and even the diplomatic gesture of calling themselves subjects of the emperor [1] . However relationships became strained because of the presense of the Khwaja Sarimsaq the son of Burhan al-Din from Kashgari. The Qing feared he would incite uprising in their newly aquired territory. There was also disputes over the Khoqands middle role of trade between China and Russia as the border town at Khiakata between the two emerging empires had closed. The Qing responded by prohibiting the marrage of the Khoqandian merchants and the Kashgarian women [2].
Eventually the Khwaja leader in exile Jahangir son of Sarimsaq escaped his surveillance under the Khoqand ruler Umar Khan (who received a stipend from the Qing for keeping him under house arrest) and fled to the Qirghiz. Together they raised an army of 300 men and attacked the border of Kashgar[3]. He was defeated but returned again in 1822 CE (1237 AH). Again he was defeated. However this time the Qing sent a small number of troops to destroy the Qirghiz base in Narin. They where totally destroyed by the Qirghiz. Finally in 1826 CE (1241 AH) Jahangir raised a much larger army and once again marched on Kashgar, this time with the help of Muhammad Ali the current ruler of the Khoqand they took the Manchu fort, and proceeded to take Yanghissar, Yarkand and Khotan.
[edit] Oppressive taxation
The Qing followed a policy of appointing local leaders and tax collectors, overseen by local garrisons. The region was heavily subsidised from state money drawn from other provinces [4] to the tune of 1,800,000 liangs. The increasing incursions along with the growing cost of garrisoning the region and marching troops up from other provinces combined with the high cost of the Taiping rebellion in 1850 CE (1266 AH) and Opium Wars resulted in a dramatic decrease in state subsidies. This financial crisis manifested itself as increasing taxation on the Muslim population of Xinjiang. So not only had the population borne the brunt of the increasing incursions by the Khwaja in exile and the Khoqand, but they where being oppresively taxed.
[edit] Rumours of Tungan Massacres
The Tungan had received wind of orders to exterminate them. This was set against the backdrop of Qing orders to massacre the Tungan in other provinces such as Yunnan that resulted in Yunnan War. According to a local called Sayrami, the Great Khan relayed in a letter that the Usunggui Chamuza muslims have fled from the British occupation of Burma, and that he was worried they would instigate rebellion amongst the Tungan. He then went on
|
If they go to that region, it is possible that the Tungans in that area would become friendly with them and the common people will become disorderly. As soon as you read this edict, exterminate the Tungans in tcity and, then report the result to me, the Great Khan for theTungans are the people of a large number, and their nature and behaviour are different from us. If they got a scent of our weakness, we would become like evening and they would become like morning[5] |
However the official Qing side directly from the edict of the Tongzhi Emperor himself , dated 25th September 1864 (23rd Rabbi al-Thanni 1281) was that this was just a rumour.
|
The Present disturbance by Muslim insurgents in all parts of Xinjing is agitated by asburd stories fabricated by cunning people who fled from the interior region. It seems to me that they were worred good Muslims (lianghui) might not trust their words, so they , after having circulated a rumor that the Muslims would be massacred, scared them and made them join [6] |
[edit] Xinjiang Revolt
The rumours and the tyranny resulted in large scale Tunga uprising across Xinjiang in Kocha, Kashgar, Ili, Kokhand, Yarkand and various other regions.
[edit] State Administration
The Xinjiang Sultanate was ruled as an absolute monarchy. All major decisions about the state apparatus and functionality were decided by Yaqub Beg[7]. Yaqub Beg placed his central headquaters and residence (Urda). It comprised of four rooms:his private space at the back, an audience hall, the kitchen and store and a waiting space for his pages, and finally a royal guards room.
The state boundaries borderd Ladkh, Aqtash, Sarhadd, Terk Dava to the West and to the north Tughat Dabatn.
[edit] Ya'qub Beg's Rulership
[edit] International Relationships
[edit] Collapse of the Sultanate
[edit] See Also
[edit] References
- ↑ Daqing lichao shilu, Qianlong-24-9 genshen Qinding ingding Zhungaer fanglue
- ↑ V.S Kuznetsov, Tsinkskaia imperiia na rubezhakh Tsentral 'noi Azii (Novosibirsk:Izd-vo 'Nauka' 1983 p.60
- ↑ Qingding pingding huijian chiaojin niyi fanglue. Chao Zhenyong (130;Taipei:Wenhai Chubanshe repr 1972)
- ↑ Daqing lichao shilu, Xianfeng-3-4 guisi
- ↑ A Manuscript of Tarikh -i hamidi in the Gunnar Jarring Collection, Lund Sweden 33-34r
- ↑ Daqing lichao shilu, Tongzhi-3-8-guisi
- ↑ a
- Hodong Kim Holy War in China - The Muslim Rebellion and State in Chinese Central Asia 1864-1877 ISBN 0-8047-4884-5
