Northern Xinjiang of China, Tianbao of Wuhua. In the early years of the Qing Dynasty, Russia was salivating over the vast land and rich products of the northern frontier of the mainland. They know that in the vast sea of northern China, there is inexhaustible wealth. They looked far away from Eastern Europe, and their ears seemed to ring the pleasant camel bells and majestic folk songs, and the long camel caravan and heavy belongings seemed to flash in front of them.
But then, fledgling Russia was afraid of the mighty eastern powers and the brave Mongols. Once bitten by a snake, he was afraid of the well rope for ten years. Once upon a time, the wave of conquest of the Mongol iron horses terrified the whole country in Russia. Zhebe, Subutai, and Badu, who had personally led the Mongol iron horse, attacked the Black Sea and the Baltic Sea coast with lightning speed; The princes of Rus could only beg for power from the conquerors. The Russians have vivid memories of that bloody and horrific history.
The Muscovite principality, which got rid of the rule of the Mongol Golden Horde, established a new court, and dared to call the Tsar, could not shake away the shadow of that memory. However, wolf ambition combined with greed drove Russia cautiously to begin a tentative encroachment. The Russian colonists burned, killed and plundered. In the process of their expansion, the Tatars, who were not well armed, relied only on strong bows and arrows, and were not well organized enough, could not escape the fate of death or slavery.
The Russians rejoiced in their victory. The pace of expansion has accelerated. In forested areas and tundra, rivers and lakes and seas dotted with rivers were favorable to the invaders. But going south, it is a steppe devoid of forests and rivers inhabited by nomads for generations. The situation here is very different and the terrain is open, which facilitates the unified action of the large number of nomads. They are strong and have a historical tradition of conquering other peoples, and they are not only good at defending themselves, their attacks are even more formidable.
The Erut Mongols are such a people. During the Ming Dynasty, they were once strong and prosperous, called Wala, and at the end of the Ming Dynasty, they were retranslated as Erut, also known as Moxi Mongolia. In the 17th century, the Eruts were divided into four main groups: Dzungar, Durbot, Turkut and Heshuot. The ancient writers described the Erut tribe as follows: the golden khan sat in a huge felt tent, surrounded by his wife and children, and his people were prosperous and subservient; His herds of cattle and sheep are innumerable; He was also visited by a messenger who bestowed on heaven, not a winged angel from heaven, but a living Buddha who was born from the land of Brahma Buddha.
The Erut Mongols in the Irtysh River valley lived in peace with the Tatar tribes. It used to be a nomadic paradise. But, unfortunately, the Russians came. The Tatars could not stop the Cossacks from moving south. The Erut Mongols had to take up arms and resist the invasion.
Early 1607, on the Irtysh River. The mountains are majestic and continuous, covered with cedars and low-lying meadows in the foothills. Everything is so harmonious and peaceful. Unfortunately, the mountain rain is already coming here. The sound of the Russian leather drum is already ringing in the ears. The bullied Tatars and the Erut Mongols, who were about to be invaded, were united in blood. The Mongols with swords and bows swore to the death to resist the Russian invasion. The mighty Russians were the first to attack. They surrounded the small fortress of Kurla on the banks of the Irtysh River. The allied Erut Mongols and Tatars, stubbornly resisted; The two sides fought fiercely.
The Cossacks who came from afar were paralyzed, and more than 300 people camped on an island formed by the confluence of two tributaries of the Irtysh River. At night, it was rainy and dark, and the troops, exhausted by the long journey and battle, fell asleep one after another. The nomadic army, which learned of this information, sent an elite army in the middle of the night to quietly touch the enemy's camp. After crossing the river, they pounced on the enemy with lightning speed. In the darkness and chaos, the Russians did not have time to take up arms and were crushed with little resistance. The Russians, who thought they were invincible, scattered in all directions, were either killed or fell into the river, and died at the bottom of the river because the armor was too heavy.
In the battle on the banks of the Irtysh River, the Russians suffered more than 300 dead and wounded. Faced by this setback, the Russians understood that naked conquest by force would not work against the brave nomads, and that it was necessary to use both hard and soft, coercion and deceive.
At the end of 1607, Duke Sira Gagagarin, a general in the Russian city of Tabra, came to the Irtysh River valley under the banner of peace and goodwill. It is inhabited by the Durboji and Türgunt tribes of the Erut people, the Mongols mentioned above who once united with the Tatars to defeat the Russians.
After the last battle, the peaceful tranquility of the past has been restored. The hypocritical Gagarin was treated with courtesy by the Mongols, admired the scenery and learned about the prosperity of the place. The snow can reach a foot here, and dogs like wolves pull sleds and run like flying. On the snowy field, the brown orphan is very eye-catching, not afraid of people at all, and has a more beautiful appearance and better fur than other places. The mythical and legendary "golden fleece", the sable, can be seen everywhere.
Gagarin pottery. He couldn't wait to put this fertile land on a sled and transport it back to Russia. He instigated three inches of uncorrupted tongue, and did everything he could to deceive and coerce: the absolute monarch of all Russia, the lord of many kingdoms, the great monarch and Grand Duke Shash Vasily Ivanovich, the wise and the mighty, the mercy, etc. You nomads are like trees without roots, water without a source. Or transfer to Russian citizenship!
The hospitable Mongols calmly sent Gagarin away, unmoved. Back in Gagarin in Tabla City, the gorgeous picture of the Irtysh River valley always seems to be shaking in front of him: snow, brown foxes, sables... Gagarin, who could not succeed, could not sleep peacefully. Two years later, he sent Golupin to the Turkish Special Army again.
Golupin first repeated the old story in an attempt to lure the Mongols into submission. His unreasonable demands were sternly rejected by the Mongols. Embarrassed, Gorubin tore off his hypocritical face and roared: "You must swear allegiance to the Tsar. Otherwise, you are not allowed to be nomadic. The Russians will teach you a lesson with knives and guns! "
The chief of Türgunt and Orlek were furious when he heard this, he drew his sabre, cut off a corner of the table, faced the lords, and made a generous statement: "This is our nomadic land, we nomads, we nomadic wherever we want." Whoever eats the bear heart leopard galls and dares to stop us, then his fate will be the same as this table! ”
The lords cheered in unison, drew their respective sabers, and raised them high to show their refusal to submit. After failing to persuade Gosai, Gosai closed his position and fled from the Turk Special Department.
The Russians, who had twice hit a wall in the Turkut department, turned their attention to the Heshuot department. The Russians translated the title of Shuolei Ubashi, the head of the Heshuot tribe, Huangtaiji, as Altan Khan, which means golden khan. The territory of the Golden Khan was Russia's only way to the East. Therefore, Russia is keen to take the place for itself.
In 1616, the Cossack expedition, led by Chumenets and Petrov, with gifts given to the Golden Khan in the name of the Tsar, shouldered the mission of subordinating the Heshuot department, and came to the shores of Lake Ubudsa after hardships. He treated visitors from afar with courtesy. The young son of the Shuoli Ubashi sect led fifty lords, according to the custom, brought wine and meat and greeted them two miles from the camp. In the golden yurt, the highly courteous Chumenets and Petrov brazenly declared: "You should express your desire to submit to the Tsar by practical deeds, pay tribute to His Majesty with local goods, and swear allegiance according to your customs." ”
The princes and lords of Heshuot, who acted on orders, were all about the friendship of the landlords, and did not stop the excessive demands of the Russian envoys. They took a restrained attitude. The Russian envoys were settled half a mile from the felt tent of Rubash. A few days later, the Ministry of Washuot held a traditional worship ceremony. Shuoli Ubash Huntaiji decided to receive the Russian envoy at the Buddhist worship ceremony. He sent horses to the Russian envoy's residence and welcomed the Russian envoy to the Hutuktu Monastery.
The temple has a festive atmosphere, with felt tents covered with colorful floral cloths, blankets and felt on the floor, and pictures painted on parchment on the walls. The lords were dressed in colorful and satin festive costumes, and the stars were hugging one person like a moon: he was the leader of the Heshuo tribe, Shuo Shuo Shuo Shuo Shuo Shuo Huang Tai Gu. "Altan Khan" in the minds of the Russians. Although he was over his age, he was burly and strong, wearing a golden satin robe and sitting cross-legged on a felt seat half knee high.
When the Russian envoy spoke, Shuoli Ubashi took off his hat and greeted the Tsar's health; The Russian envoy presented a gift in the name of the Tsar, which he respectfully accepted. After that, the grand worship ceremony begins. Shuoli Ubash ordered his prophet Hutuktu to lead the chanting class to recite the scriptures. After chanting, Shuo Lei led the lords to set up a banquet to entertain the Russian envoys. The next day, the culmination of the religious ceremony, Shuo Lei, together with the chanting class and the lords, held up statues of gods made of gold and bowed down. At this point, the worship ceremony at Hutuktu Temple came to an end.
On the fourth day after the worship ceremony, Shuoli sent two envoys, brought gifts, and accompanied the Russian envoy to meet the Tsar. He also presented gifts to the envoys: three horses each, a sheepskin cloak decorated with beavers and sables, a maiden, and sixteen sheep. The Hoshots were benevolent to the Russians. But how did the Russians, who were hypocritical on the surface and ambitious behind their backs, receive their goodwill?
Triumphant Chumenets and Petrov boasted everywhere that "Altan Khan had been annexed to Russia" and described the mysterious "Russian naturalization ceremony"—actually a Buddhist worship ceremony." The Mongols did not have the habit of swearing allegiance at all. The Russians realized the truth from the meagre gift presented to the Tsar by Shuoqi, but still deceived themselves.
At the same time that Chumenets and Petrov sent envoys to the Ministry of Heshuot, Russia sent Tomirko Petrov to the Kazakh tent. Dari was the nomadic land of Batur, the chief of the Dzungar tribe.
The fierce Dzungar nomads herd horses and herded camels on weekdays, and when the bell rang, he jumped off his horse and hump, held the scriptures with his hands, rattled the bells, and recited the sutras religiously. In wartime, they rode horses and armed with fast knives and charged bravely. They worshiped the Ming emperor as they worshipped the Buddha. They paid tribute to the emperor with pleasure and sincerity: two hundred camels, and a thousand horses and sheep. They tried to believe in the religious Buddhism of the Han people and learned the Chinese script. Obviously, it has become an integral part of China. Tomirko, who learned the truth, left here knowingly.
However, aggressive Russia will not rest until it achieves its goals. A year later, Ivanko Saveliev, who had the same mission, once again sent an envoy to the Dzungar Ministry and came to the Kazakh tent. Batur was extremely disgusted by the Russian envoy's return and ordered his men to arrange for them to settle three arrows away from the Taiji camp. The snubbed Russian envoy barely built a lodging place with felt and robes.
The next day, Bajar ordered to summon the Russian envoy. Felt blankets in the tent. Batur sat cross-legged, flanked by sons, wives and lamas. The weak-hearted Russian envoy repeated the old tune and persuaded Batur to submit to the tsar. Batur talked and laughed and was noncommittal. The Russian envoy failed to make a plan and made another plan, claiming that "Altan Khan has been annexed to Russia." The shrewd Batur was very alert and decided to agree to the request of the Russian envoy to send someone to meet the tsar, hoping to take the opportunity to send someone to spy on the truth.
Batur, considering Russia's scheming and insidious cunning, sent the old and heavy Buga and the eloquent Kovodan to accompany the Russian envoy to meet the tsar. Buga and Kovodan were received by the secretaries of the Russian Ministry of Envoys. The secretaries of the Ministry of Envoys were domineering and asked like cannons: "What is your purpose in sending an envoy to Russia by Baturtaiji?" "Do you have Batur's letters?"
The old Buga calmly responded: "None of us can read, let alone write, so we have not brought any letters, but we are willing to relay what Batur asked us to state to His Majesty." The cunning secretary Poyakov said: "Altan Khan of the Golden Horde, as well as some nearby tribes, have unconditionally accepted the noble rule of the tsar. Batur wants to submit and obey His Majesty the Tsar in everything, which is wise! ”
Kovodan asked wittily: "Altan sent an envoy here, that is too far away." Probably his brother sent someone to see the tsar? "You don't know anything about the real situation, how can you say that?" Secretary Savoie was a little breathless, "What do you have to make the tsar happy?" You should be wise enough to seek refuge from the Tsar early. Poyakov aggravated his tone, his eyes fierce.
Covodan said with disdain: "Just say what you want." As for the rest, without Baturtaiji's order, we would never have agreed! After that, Kovodan and Buga asked to return to the Dzungar department. The Russians had no choice but to send them back.
The Russians, who were hitting a wall everywhere, decided to change their approach. They learned from the process of sending the envoy to the good that there was a contradiction between the Dzungar department and the Heshuote department, so they tried to stir up trouble, weaken the border defense of northern China, and reap the benefits of the fishermen.
The Mongol nomads were jealous and hateful, and they greeted the murderous Russians with fire and sword, treated the "peace" envoys with hata and wine, and covered the earth with water, and the soldiers came to block them. On the contrary, the Russians, under the veil of humble gentlemen, are an abhorrent and vile face. A fierce battle between the fierce nomads and the murderous Russians is about to begin.