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⩥⩥文&编辑|禅心凡语LiNO
Southern Tibet, China
"Genbara Pass"
This is the "Gengbala Pass", located in the township of Metuobeibang in Tibet, which is the focus of the Sino-Indian border dispute, the forefront of China's southern Tibetan region, and the "extreme place" of India's vain attempt to advance northward.
In 1954, the 18th Army of the People's Liberation Army entered Metuo, Tibet for the first time, and encountered a moving and emotional past in this "Lotus Secret Land".
"Grown-ups... Above, the villain is guilty!"
"Keep going, but you can't get out, handsome them, have you gone back?"
Back to the southwest of the township
I saw an old man with gray hair, messy beard, and ragged clothes, lying on the ground, kowtowing, trembling his body, a little difficult, and said a few words of slightly rusty Chinese.
It turned out that he was a veteran of the border army in the late Qing Dynasty, in 1911, he had followed Zhao Erfeng, the minister of the Qing Dynasty in Tibet at that time, and was separated from the team when he was chasing the rebel King Bomi.
The Grand Canyon of the Brahmaputra River
In the face of the Yarlung Zangbo River Grand Canyon, the rugged and dangerous snow-capped mountains in southern Tibet, and the cruel natural environment with changeable seasons, this Qing Dynasty veteran was finally ruthlessly isolated on the way home. ”
A history of blood and fire on the riverside that has been sealed for a long time seems to be slowly emerging in front of our eyes:
The British invaded Tibet
Old Lhasa
At the end of the 19th century, British India was established, and in December 1903, Britain launched a second war of aggression against Tibet, invaded and occupied Lhasa on August 3, 1904, and demanded that Qing government officials sign the humiliating Treaty of Lhasa.
Feng Quan, the Qing Dynasty's minister in Tibet at the time, resolutely refused to sign the treaty, and was later murdered by the British colonists using the local Tusi.
The continuous aggression and expansion of Britain in Tibet greatly stimulated the Qing court to act quickly, and then carried out a series of measures in Tibet.
Zhao Gongerfeng entered Tibet
In 1908, Zhao Erfeng was appointed Minister to Tibet and Minister of Frontier Affairs of Sichuan and Yunnan, and in 1909, after defeating the rebellious Tibetan army attacking Batang.
began to march into Tibet, and finally kept the Sichuan border and the entire territory of Tibet, a land of more than 1.5 million square kilometers!
On February 12, 1910, Zhao Erfeng led the Sichuan Border Army into Lhasa, announcing that he would strip the 13th Dalai Lama of his title, and on February 25, the Dalai Lama fled to British India.
Counterinsurgency in southern Tibet
While presiding over various affairs in Tibet, Zhao Erfeng also organized a particularly far-reaching and far-reaching counterinsurgency and garrison in southern Tibet.
At that time, the British and Indian authorities had begun to infiltrate southern Tibet, continued to invade and expand, and began to collude with the Bomi separatist forces.
Zhao Erfeng did not hesitate to deal with the forces of the White Horse Qingwen entrenched in Bomi, and decisively ordered them to be eliminated.
The geographical location of Bomi is very important, it is connected to Gongbu (Nyingchi) in the west, Kang-Tibet in the east, and southern Tibet in the south.
Dense forests in southern Tibet
In June 1911, under the deployment of Zhao Erfeng, the Qing army launched the Battle of Bomi, and the Qing army stationed in Tibet was divided into two routes, the east road was the Sichuan border army, and the west road was the Qing army stationed in Tibet, and began to attack Bomi.
The "Battle of Bomi" was the most arduous battle experienced by the Qing army since it entered Tibet.
On the way to the march, the natural environment along the way is harsh, and many places are extremely difficult to cross, and there is no road at all.
"There are thousands of cliffs, and there are thousands of years of snow. ”
"There are thousands of cliffs, and the mountains are covered with snow for 10,000 years, and they are eternal! The mountains are narrow, and the mountains are narrow, and the rivers and rivers are sometimes traveling, and the marching is so painful!"
In the end, the Qing army, with extremely tenacious will, defeated the rebels and captured the king of Bomi alive, Baima Qingweng, and opened a passage into southern Tibet.
The Qing army troops that entered southern Tibet were composed of the Eight Banners and Green Battalions stationed in Chengdu and the 33rd Mixed Association of the New Army.
It was well equipped for its time, with a Krupp cannon and a Maxim heavy machine gun in addition to a new type of feeding rifle.
On the way to pursue the rebels, the Kawabian army and the British and Indian troops met unexpectedly, and a bloody strangulation began.
When Zhao Erfeng's forward battalion pursued along the Brahmaputra River to the Gengbala Pass (now Motuobei Township).
Three fortress groups appeared in front of me, and I don't know when they were built, and for a while, the border troops were a little dazed.
"What's the situation, this is my territory, when did the British devils come? By the way, there are a bunch of guys with rag heads!"
A group of border soldiers, some of them were in a mess, shouted loudly.
"What should we do, those traitors, can we still chase them?"
"Lord Xiong, mark down to ask you, what should you do next?" said a sentry commander.
"What to do, Zhao Dashuai has an order, this gang of bandits must be annihilated, not one is left, the British dare to bare their teeth, and they will be killed together!"
"However, there seem to be a lot of British devils on the other side, there must be at least a thousand people, we are only four or five hundred, we can't fight hard, I order!"
"All at once, dig trenches and build fortifications on the spot!"
"Also, take the two Krupp cannons and three Maxim heavy machine guns we brought, aim at the British devils, and set up a position for Lao Tzu. ”
At this time, the armies of both sides were unprepared, everything happened too suddenly, and the two teams were getting closer and closer.
The Anglo-Indian Army (short for the British Army and the Colonial Indian Army) on the opposite side quickly reacted.
Gurkha infantry
The British army sent the elite in their hands, the "2nd Gurkha Infantry Regiment", and ordered a death squad composed of hundreds of Gurkhas, wielding a glittering Gurkha scimitar (dog-legged knife) in their hands, along the mountain pass, soaring murderous aura, rushed up!
“面对于后来被英国吹嘘，举世闻名的廓尔喀战斗民族，此时的清军没有啥子心理压力，只因在一百多年前的乾隆时期，大将军福康安就曾打废过廓尔喀人的战斗意志。 ”
Sino-Indian counterattack
"More than 50 years after this war, we were once again scrapped by our heroic People's Liberation Army, and we have always been full of confidence in the face of the Gurkha battles. ”
At a distance of one or two hundred meters, the two sides will soon collide head-on.
Here in the mountain pass, although the mountains are undulating, the end of the Qing army's position is located on the high side, towards the low side.
Condescending
Because the enemy rushed too fast and the distance was too close, at this time, there was not enough time to set up the position, and it was too late to fire artillery and set up heavy machine guns.
"It looks like these things are trying to fight us hand-to-hand!"
"Brothers, are you afraid?"
"Don't be afraid!", his subordinates replied in unison.
"Do you dare, follow Lao Tzu and kill these grandsons!"
"Dare, dare, dare," the soldiers roared.
Xiong Fu, the official of the big battalion, roared angrily, at this moment, his blood was surging, his eyes were on fire, he took off his shirt, and was the first to jump out of the trench!
"Brethren, all bayonets!"
“杀！杀！杀！”不绝于耳...
Then, a piece of snowy bayonets, stabbing obliquely like a forest, facing a Gurkha scimitar, sparks in all directions, have been twisted together!
"Clouds of blood mist filled the mountain pass, and the smell of blood poured into everyone's noses, blood and flesh flew sideways, roars, cries for help, and agonizing screams of pain before dying. ”
"The sound of the blade impacting, the sound of cutting the body, all kinds of sounds are endless, and the bloody and blurred strangulation picture is extremely tragic!"
"One by one, the lives are constantly falling, and this hot land on the snowy plateau has long been boiling, gradually turning into a sea of corpses and blood. ”
"The bloody white-knuckle strangulation, which lasted for a whole hour, the Gurkha death squads, defeated, retreated. ”
At this time, the patrol battalion that then rushed to participate in the battle arrived at the battlefield, and under the command of the co-commander Zhong Ying, they came up and fired continuous artillery bombardment at the crowded place of the British army.
Although the number of troops he led was small, more than 1,000 horses, he was equipped with 16 French-made mountain cannons, 24 machine guns, and even advanced equipment such as long-distance telephones and cross-river barges. ”
Sure enough, after more than ten rounds of heavy shelling, the British army suffered heavy casualties, and the Qing army rushed forward, immediately repelled the remnants of the British and Indian troops in the front, and occupied three fortress positions in the mountain pass.
Just when the Qing army was preparing to erect the Yellow Dragon Banner of the Qing Dynasty on the position it had just occupied, it saw dust rising from the mountain pass, the sound of horses' hooves, and hundreds of Indian Sikh cavalry, holding sabers, rushed up with great momentum!
“这是一支印度锡克族骑兵营，曾经在北京的八里桥，击败过清军的蒙古骑兵，这支军队不简单，但对于此时已经杀红了眼的清军，连廓尔喀人都干残，抱着头巾留个大胡子多个啥，一会也一样。 ”
"Sikh cavalry battalion"
The "Gyabara Pass" is the highest peak in the area, and this point must be defended no matter what the cost.
"The whole fierce battle of the mountain pass lasted from early morning to dusk, and in the face of the enemy's subsequent arrival on the battlefield, the indeed brave Sikh cavalry battalion launched a decisive charge again and again. ”
"Xiong Fu, the official of the big battalion, has no fear, is still unstoppable, although he has suffered several wounds, he is still wrapped in wounds and holding a knife, leading his subordinates, and fighting without retreating..."
Qing Army
The battle lasted a whole day, and the Qing army at this time seemed to be relaxed on the surface, but in fact, the pressure was also very huge, but fortunately, the Qing army carried this time, Krupp cannon and Makqin heavy machine gun, plus Zhong Ying's patrol battalion firepower was added, and in terms of overall firepower, it has surpassed the British and Indian army.
The intensity of the battle at this moment, it is difficult for both sides to maintain it for long, it depends on who can survive to the end.
"The British army's attack on the top of the mountain has not stopped for a moment, and it is very persistent, although it launched several fierce charges one after another, all of which were repulsed by the Qing army. ”
British Army
After repeated defeats, the British and Indian troops finally attacked a gentle area halfway up the mountainside, and the situation of the Qing army was a little tense. ”
At this critical moment, another patrol battalion of the Qing army rushed over, and when they saw the arrival of reinforcements, the soldiers cheered!
shelling
Next, under the order of the commander Zhao Yunlei, the patrol battalion launched a super fierce fire output and artillery fire coverage against the British position from the flank.
"The Anglo-Indian troops, who had already rushed to the high ground, could not bear the huge casualties this time, and began to flee down the mountain, colliding with the teams that continued to rush up behind, trampling on each other, and many people could not stand and fell into the Brahmaputra River!"
In this way, along the Brahmaputra River, there were people wailing and falling into the turbulent river. ”
At this moment, the Qing army seemed to have awakened their blood, and all of them rushed out of the trenches, and the rifles lined up in a forest, forming rows of cold and cold guns!
"As the Qing army continued to advance through the spurs, the British and Indian troops who collapsed and fled were all over the mountains, crying endlessly..."
The commander of the British army, who had been observing from the edge of the battlefield from beginning to end, saw that the general situation was no longer possible, and it was too late to leave, so he turned around on horseback and galloped south!
“接着，清军在大炮和火力不断攻击之下，发起了全面进攻，最后，英印军大败，争相夺路逃命。 ”
So far, the Qing army has completely recovered the "Gengbala Pass" and achieved a great victory.
Now it seems that if it had not been for the bloody battle between the Qing army and the British and Indian armies in the mountain pass, and the final and complete elimination of the separatist forces in Bomi, it would have been very likely to lead to a further deterioration of the situation in southern Tibet.
The British colonizers' sphere of influence may have annexed the entire southern Tibet region earlier, and expanded to Bomi or even further away, with unimaginable consequences.
From today's point of view, it is very likely that the border line under the actual control of China and India will continue to move northward, and more land will be lost, and the border contradictions and conflicts between China and India will be far more than that.
The Battle of the Gambara Pass was a far-reaching event, and it is a pity that with the passage of time, few people know about it today, and it has even been ruthlessly forgotten by the years.
Zhao Erfeng's many actions in southern Tibet were the last time that the Qing government exercised effective governance and sworn sovereignty over the region.
Eleventh hour
On December 22, 1911, Zhao Erfeng was designed to be lured and arrested, the last one in the late Qing Dynasty, the iron-blooded governor who went out to fight for the country, was about to usher in the last moment of his life.
Full of flowers
Judging from the picture, he is still very calm, without too much fear, this flower-haired old man with desperate eyes and helplessness, in the midst of countless complaints and snoring, splashed the earth with blood, and finally died tragically on the streets of Chengdu.
After Zhao Erfeng's death, some of his measures were gradually abolished, and Tibet returned to the isolated and closed state of the past, until the founding of New China and the central government sent troops into Tibet.
With the outbreak of the Wuchang Uprising, the Xinhai Revolution began to unfold throughout the country, and the Qing officers and soldiers stationed in Tibet were cut off from the supply of food, grass and ammunition, and finally caused an internal mutiny, and had to disperse and return to the interior in a chaotic situation.
Wuchang Uprising
Due to countless unimaginable difficulties, a large part of the tens of thousands of soldiers from the Sichuan border who entered Tibet died on the way back, and only a small number of them finally returned to Sichuan and the interior after going through countless hardships.
What is very impressive is that most of them have not even been able to find their bones so far, and even Chen Quzhen, who became the king of Xiangxi in the future, survived by luck, and lost the love of his life, which is unforgettable until his death...
Chen Quzhen (1882~1952), known as Yujun, was born in Fenghuang County, Xiangxi in September 1882, graduated from Hunan Wubei School in 1906, and was a member of the League.
During the Republic of China, he served as the chief of staff of the First Route Army of the Protector of the Law, the commander of the 10th Independent Division, the commander of the New Sixth Army, and the lieutenant general of the Military Committee of the Republic of China.
In May 1949, he was appointed as the deputy commander of the appeasement of the Hunan-Hubei border region, in mid-October of the same year, Chen Quzhen led his troops to revolt, in 1950, he served as a member of the Hunan Provincial Government of New China, and died of illness in Changsha in February 1952.
"Wild Dust Dream"
In his later years, Chen Quzhen recalled the life-and-death love with his lover Xiyuan, and wrote a strange book "艽 (qiú) Wild Dust Dream", whose writing is beautiful and breathtaking.
In the book, Chen Quzhen recounts his experience of following the Sichuanbian Army to the west from 1909 to 1912, entering and leaving Tibet, and depicts the scenery of mountains and rivers, human customs, and social life along the way.
Tibetan female Xiyuan
When he writes about Nishihara's death, everything came to an abrupt end.
"The rest of the book is so far, the liver and intestines are broken! Yu Shu has also dropped out of writing since then..."
"Writing this, I'm already broken! I can't write this book anymore..."
The long journey home
When Chen Quzhen set out from Tibet that year, a total of 115 soldiers from Hunan and Xiangxi who had no food and no supplies for more than seven months, and continued to die and go missing along the way, in the end, only seven people survived!
“十不存一矣！终散落于祖国山河大地之上...”
Qamdo Kawabian Military Cemetery
This is Shuodu Town, Luolong County, Qamdo, Tibet, where the soldiers of the Sichuan Border Army who were buried here were the soldiers of the Sichuan Border Army who accompanied Zhao Erfeng's westward expedition, they were lucky, and more soldiers who entered Tibet will never find their remains.
Due to the limited conditions at that time, the tombstone can only be engraved with large stones instead of shallow words, such a simple cemetery, is the last destination of their lives, as can be seen from the picture, there are people here to repair and maintain, I sincerely thank them for their protection actions.
"Xu Gong ~ Filial Daughter ~"
"Fu Gong ~ Filial Piety ~"
"The people are gone, and all things are silent,
There is no blood, only green mountains. ”
Border army cemetery at the end of the Qing Dynasty
"Salute: Those good sons who have gone to the border for the country and dedicated their youth without regrets!"
"Oh~~ Tears gently wiped, swallowed the wind and sand of the years, threw the best years, and paid the price of youth. ”
"When parting blooms and grows new branches, the snow melts from winter to spring, and leaving home takes away care. ”
“再高的悬崖与山顶，都已在你们的脚下，你们的身后，永远有等待你们的家...”
Salute to the martyrs
In those years, those soldiers of the Sichuan Border who accompanied Zhao Erfeng on his westward expedition loyally defended the dignity and territorial integrity of the motherland with their blood and bodies in the era of many disasters and hardships in the country.
"Some history should not be forgotten, they were also thousands of children whose parents cared for their lives, a hot-blooded man, on the monument of the motherland's resistance to foreign aggression, there should be their unyielding deeds..."
Tibetan "where eagles can't fly"
The Sino-Indian border is 4,655 meters above sea level
"Zhan Niangshe Outpost"