The Western Regions, whether in ancient chinese or in modern literary works, always carry an exotic and hazy beauty. “
Grape wine moonlight glass, want to drink pipa immediately urge
”，
As a part of the ancient Western Regions, Xinjiang was an important economic and military region
。 In modern times, however, it was once in danger of being far away from the motherland.
The verse "The general has not yet returned the border, and the sons of Huxiang are full of heavenly mountains" is a tribute to Zuo Zongtang's heroic feats of recovering Xinjiang and his efforts to build the Xinjiang region. The imperial court believed that "other ethnic groups are forced to be in place, and the homeland is newly returned, so it is called Xinjiang." "Of course, the Xinjiang region divided during the Qing Dynasty was different from the current division, but it was all the inherent territory of the mainland and could not be infringed. But
Recovering Xinjiang has not been smooth sailing
thereinto
It is necessary not only to resist foreign insults, but also to cultivate internal affairs.
China with internal and external troubles
Since the opium war began in 1840 and entered the modern era, China has experienced hardships and setbacks.
There are foreign capital and righteous powers invading China, and inside there is the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom stirring up trouble
After losing the foreign war and signing an unequal treaty that humiliated the country, and internally losing an important economic point in the south, the Qing government was experiencing the same plot as the dynasties that perished in the past.
Some Qing court bureaucrats, recognizing the power of the Western ships and cannons, in order to solve the situation of the Qing Dynasty's internal and external difficulties,
It was decided to "enrich the country and strengthen the army" to maintain the rule of the Qing Dynasty.
Therefore, in the 1860s and 1890s, this part of the people began to learn Western culture and advanced technology, and carried out a self-help movement called the Western Affairs Movement, "Shiyi Long Skill to Control Yi" and "Shi Yi Long Skill to Strengthen Self", but the fundamental purpose was still the same
Suppress the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and maintain the inherent Qing dynasty rule.
Westernization movement
It did last for the Qing Dynasty to some extent,
The Taiping Rebellion was quelled and the chaos in the south was stabilized
。 However, the momentum of the peasant revolt had already been stirred, and in 1864, under the influence of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and the Shaanxi-Gansu Huimin Rebellion,
There was also a peasant uprising in Xinjiang.
And the phenomenon of multi-regime division has arisen on the ground.
National vendettas, wars between regimes,
Then it was invaded by a foreign tribe led by Agubai,
Xinjiang is also plagued by disasters and difficulties.
In 1867, Aguber eliminated the small regimes one by one, and the sphere of influence was established from Kuqa to Korla
"The Kingdom of Zhedsharhan
He established himself as a Han Dynasty, and invaded northern and southern Xinjiang in 1870, so far,
The Xinjiang region has been completely reduced to the pockets of others.
During Agubo's occupation of Xinjiang, he carried out brutal rule, oppressed the people, and deliberately misled them, resulting in the intensification of ethnic contradictions.
In addition to Agubo's foreign invasion, there was also military pressure and illegal intervention by the great powers
。 Tsarist Russia has long coveted China's territory, and after forcing the Qing court to sign the Sino-Russian Beijing Treaty in 1860, it has signed unequal treaties many times, forcibly occupying more than 400,000 square kilometers of territory. The British, after the conquest of India, were also right
The southern Xinjiang region is salivating,
Constant harassment of the southern Xinjiang region. In order to stabilize his political power, Aguber cooperated with Russia and Britain.
But all that's true
It did not attract the attention of Qing court officials
They indulged in the self-inflicted results of destroying the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom,
Ignore the crisis on the frontier
。 Even if someone rushes to send the military intelligence to the capital, it is still difficult to get support. Finally ," the wolf came, and in 1872, with the help of the Agubo regime, Tsarist Russia captured Ili and sneaked into Urumqi, which were military strongholds. Ili was severely damaged and the land of Shaanxi and Gansu was threatened, and the Qing government realized this
The northwestern frontier has reached a critical moment.
Be in the midst of danger
In 1874, when NorthwestErn Dji was suffering, the Japanese occupation of Taiwan added oil to China on the hot pot.
The Qing court is now attacked on both the east and the west,
Faced with the question of whether to defend the coast or the defense.
Li Hongzhang believes that the defense should be abandoned
Pay attention to the southeast coast, "the salary of the suspension, that is, the salary of coastal defense." There were also people among the princes who strongly supported him: "Li Hongzhang's request is to temporarily suspend the Western Expedition."
The best strategy
。 ”
In fact, they just think that the Xinjiang area is too far from the Central Plains, and the land is not very fertile, the development is not good, far less than the rich southeast coastal area can bring sufficient taxes. And now the Qing army is limited, facing Tsarist Russia, Britain and Agubo to recover Xinjiang,
It is difficult to recover and defend, and sending troops to Xinjiang is really irrational behavior.
Then
Zuo Zongtang vigorously defied public opinion and insisted on sending troops to retake Xinjiang.
"Once the guanwai is withdrawn, it is difficult to protect the fence" and "it is impossible to close oneself off and defend itself", proposing that Tsarist Russia is a major problem for the great Qing dynasty, and if it is not eliminated in time, it will seriously endanger the Qing Dynasty. Zuo Zongtang pointed out the real stakes:
"It is the one who values Xinjiang, so he protects Mongolia; the one who protects Mongolia, so he defends the Beijing Division."
Just like when Shi Jingyao was dedicated to the Khitan Youyun Sixteen Prefectures, it completely affected the entire political pattern and historical process later.
If you lose Xinjiang now, the consequences will be unimaginable
。 There was no shortage of knowledgeable officials in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, who agreed with Zuo Zongtang's proposal and were willing to temporarily give up the right to dispatch the army. Finally, in the advice of Zuo Zongtang and other people of insight,
The Qing court decided to hold the camp at the same time.
Zuo Zongtang proposed:
The east is coastal defense, the west is cypriot defense, and the two are equally important
It is not to lift up the east side, but to the west, and the emphasis is not on average use, but there is a priority and urgency. "I have to say that Zuo Gong has a very good understanding of coastal defense and Cypriot defense, and the salaries of the northwestern Cypriot defense are very urgent, and they are allocated to coastal defense, which is afraid of causing riots; and
Xinjiang will not be recovered
The Shaanxi-Gansu army has been restricted for a long time,
Not only will it not be possible to disarm and reduce costs to provide coastal defense, but it will also drag the national military strength behind.
In 1875, Zuo Zongtang was appointed minister of Chincha to supervise the military affairs of Xinjiang.
The Qing court gave him fifty million taels of silver to keep Xinjiang.
The successful recovery of Xinjiang afterwards also proved that Zuo Zongtang did not live up to the expectations of everyone, and the Xinjiang region also developed successfully.
Territorial issues are not taken lightly
In 1876, Zuo Zongtang, who was in his sixties, led the army
Expedition to Xinjiang in the west.
Zuo Zongtang first judged the hour and sized up the situation, adapted to local conditions, and formulated an overall strategic policy:
First north and then south, slowly advancing into the rapid battle
。 First attack the weak forces in northern Xinjiang, seize people first, and then provide logistics in Daxingtuntian in northern Xinjiang, and slowly deal with the stubborn forces in Agubo in southern Xinjiang. In addition, we should slow down the rapid battle, prepare grain and grass early, and make quick decisions.
And in order to strengthen the military strength, save food and save food,
Zuo Zongtang reformed the army, emphasizing that "soldiers are noble and solid
Eliminating the idle, wounded, sick, and nobles who went through the back door greatly strengthened the overall quality and combat effectiveness of the army. Moreover, Zuo Gong, who had undergone the foreign affairs movement, brought firearms to the army, so that the army had more spare power when facing the enemy.
After a long period of preparation, in 1876 Zuo Zongtang took an oath to march in Suzhou. In August, the Qing army conquered the ancient pasture land,
and retake Urumqi
。 In November, the Qing army conquered Manas and other places, and the northern frontier was pacified. In the spring of the following year, after the Battles of Toxon and Turpan and the Battle of the Eight Cities in Southern Xinjiang, the Qing army broke through the enemy camp. So far
In just over the past year, Zuo Zongtang has recovered Xinjiang
, defended The Territory of China.
After the Sino-Russian Ili Treaty of 1881, Tsarist Russia withdrew its troops under pressure and the situation, and Xinjiang completely returned to the embrace of the motherland. It can be said that
Recovering Xinjiang was the most meaningful and valuable thing that the late Qing Dynasty did when the building was about to fall.
Although in modern times there are still many hostile elements and separatists who want to separate Xinjiang from China's territory, these pests are vulnerable to the mainland's strong economic and military strength.
In the new era of China, Xinjiang will no longer be ignored because it is far from the interior, the people of all ethnic groups in the country will work together to build the country, and the mainland's ethnic policies that suit the times and national conditions have also allowed the people of Xinjiang to identify with the country from the bottom of their hearts.
Xinjiang's strategic position is extremely important,
Just like the "Belt and Road" policy implemented by the mainland now,
Xinjiang has become a pearl of economic development in the northwest with the support of tourism, cotton and oil export trade.