Preface
Have you ever wondered why the "cantaloupe" we eat now is called that, where did it come from, and what is the story?
The rise and fall of a generation of heroes Galdan
In the 17th century, it was during the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty. Known as the "First Emperor of the Ages" by later generations, this monarch reigned for 61 years and can be described as one of the most outstanding emperors in the history of the Qing Dynasty. Under his rule, the Qing Dynasty entered the "prosperous era of Kangqian", and its national strength became stronger and stronger, and its territory continued to expand.
But at the same time, Kangxi also faced challenges from all sides, the most difficult of which was Galdan from the Mongolian Dzungar tribe.
Born in the Dzungar tribe of Mongolia, Galdan studied Buddhism in Tibet since he was a child, and later, with his military talent and strategic vision, he unified Mongolia and established the Dzungar Khanate. He was known as the "demigod", and along with Emperor Kangxi and Peter the Great, he was known as the three most ambitious emperors of eastern Asia in the 17th century.
After Galdan ascended to the throne of Khan, he was ambitious and began to provoke the Manchu regime. He first used the excuse of marrying Kangxi's favorite daughter Lan Qi'er as his wife, and Kangxi had to agree.
Subsequently, Galdan repeatedly launched attacks on the Qing Dynasty border, all the way to Beijing, only more than 700 miles away from hitting the Forbidden City. In the face of Galdan's pressing step by step, Emperor Kangxi finally couldn't bear it anymore and decided to personally lead the army to the royal car, and launched a fierce contest with this "grassland hero".
Kangxi personally conquered Galdan three times
In 1690, Kangxi led an army of 100,000 to conquer Galdan in Mobei for the first time. Under the strong firepower of the Qing army, Galdan's army was defeated and finally had to retreat.
However, Galdan cunningly deceived the Qing army with a trick of surrender, and expressed his willingness to live in Mobei forever and rule by dividing the border with the Qing Dynasty. Kangxi had to temporarily agree to Galdan's sue for peace, and the two sides ceased fire.
However, Galdan did not stop there. In 1696, he once again gathered 6,000 elite cavalry, and united with Tsarist Russia, and once again invaded southern Mongolia.
Kangxi once again mobilized 100,000 Eight Banners Force, divided the troops into eastern, western, and central routes, and personally led the army to the second expedition. In the "Battle of Zhaomoduo", the Kangxi army once again defeated Galdan, and Galdan's wife Anutana Kedun was killed by the artillery fire of the Qing army.
In order to completely eliminate the remnants of Galdan and prevent its resurgence, the Kangxi Emperor once again led his troops to conquer Galdan for the third time in February 1697. By this time, Galdan's army had been disheartened and disintegrated. In the end, Galdan was embattled and betrayed, and in desperation, he committed suicide by poisoning, ending his life.
At this point, the rule of a generation of "steppe heroes" Galdan was finally completely defeated by the Kangxi Emperor. This not only marked the consolidation of the Qing Dynasty's dominance in Mongolia, Xinjiang, Tibet and other regions, but also laid a solid foundation for the prosperity and unification of the Qing Dynasty.
The rise and fall of Galdan is undoubtedly a magnificent historical chapter. With his military talent and strategic vision, this heroic man in the Mongolian steppe once became one of the three major emperors along with Emperor Kangxi and Peter the Great.
But in the end, he could not escape the fate of being completely defeated by Emperor Kangxi's three personal expeditions. This not only marked the consolidation of the Qing Dynasty's dominance in the border areas, but also laid a solid foundation for the prosperity and unification of the Qing Dynasty.
A meticulous gift from the country of Hami
In the three campaigns with Galdan, the Kangxi Emperor not only demonstrated his outstanding military talents, but also won the awe and submission of the small border states. Among them, the state of Hami, located in the eastern part of Xinjiang, is one of the small countries that expressed their gratitude to the Kangxi Emperor.
During the invasion of Galdan, the Hami Kingdom provided information to the Kangxi Emperor, and provided material support when the Kangxi Emperor personally conquered Galdan, making great contributions to the eradication of Galdan. Emperor Kangxi was very satisfied with the king of Hami, and not only gave the king of Hami the title, but also issued a seal letter and promised to protect the cantaloupe.
In order to express his gratitude to Emperor Kangxi, King Hami decided to present a unique gift - "Shanshan melon". This melon grows in Shanshan County in the northwest of Xinjiang, and its flesh is delicate, sweet and delicious, and it is loved by the locals. However, due to the extremely harsh growing environment, only Xinjiang has such conditions, and there is no "Shanshan melon" to eat in the Qing Dynasty.
King Hami realized that this was a great opportunity, so he sent a minister with his retinue to transport the seeds and seedlings of "Shanshangua" to the capital.
In order to ensure the freshness of the melons and fruits, the ministers took great pains in the transportation process: they carefully cared for the melon seedlings along the way, turned the soil in the bucket every day, and sprinkled water on them; During the day, when the sun was shining, the attendants opened the roof of the carriage and let the warm sunlight shine on the young seedlings; At night, they close the roof of the shed and let the fruit grow quietly at night.
Finally, after more than five months of arduous trekking, the ministers of Hami arrived in the capital with these "Shanshan melons". When these golden melons and fruits were presented to Emperor Kangxi, Emperor Kangxi was immediately attracted by them. He tasted a few pieces carefully and was immediately full of praise, but when he called this melon, he accidentally called it "cantaloupe".
Since then, this fruit, which was originally called "Shanshan melon", has been given a new name - "cantaloupe". Even today, people still use this misnomer, and few people know its true origin.
As a small country, Hami naturally trembled in the face of the powerful Qing Dynasty, for fear of offending this "Emperor of the Ages". Therefore, when Galdan invaded, Hami did not hesitate to provide intelligence and material support to Emperor Kangxi, and made great contributions to the eradication of Galdan.
To show his gratitude, King Hami decided to offer a unique fruit - "Shanshan melon". This kind of melon and fruit is very popular in Xinjiang, but it is unheard of in the Central Plains. King Hami hoped that through this unique gift, he could further win the favor of Emperor Kangxi.
In order to ensure the freshness of "Shanshan melon", the ministers of Hami can be described as painstaking. They take good care of the seedlings, turning the soil and watering the water along the way, and adjusting the shading and shading according to the changes of day and night to ensure that the melons and fruits can grow healthily during transportation. Finally, after more than five months of arduous trekking, these "Shanshan melons" arrived in the capital.
When Emperor Kangxi tasted this golden, sweet and delicious melon fruit, he was immediately attracted by its deliciousness. It's just that when calling this melon, he accidentally called it "cantaloupe".
Since then, this fruit, which was originally called "Shanshan melon", has been given a new name. Even today, people still use this misnomer, and few people know its true origin.
A small slip of the tongue has affected more than 300 years
Emperor Kangxi's inadvertent slip of the tongue, coupled with the passage of time, not only made the name of "cantaloupe" more resounding, but also made this delicious fruit a well-known delicacy today.
This story also teaches us that sometimes history is like this, and that small things can have unexpected long-term effects. Cantaloupe is not just a fruit, it has become a piece of history, a culture, and a heritage.
If it weren't for the fact that it originated in historical texts, I'm afraid we would never know its true origins. But then again, we are still very happy now, after all, we can eat fresh cantaloupe without leaving home!
This small change in the name of the fruit reflects the inheritance and changes of history and culture. An inadvertent slip of the tongue has affected for more than 300 years, making a fruit originally called "Shanshan melon" forever fixed as "cantaloupe". This not only makes the fruit's name even louder, but also makes it a unique cultural symbol.
epilogue
Even today, we still use this misnomer, and few people know its true origin. This story teaches us that seemingly trivial things in history can often have unexpected long-term effects. A fortuitous slip of the tongue changed the naming of a fruit and affected the inheritance for hundreds of years.
The inheritance and change of this culture also reflects the complexity of history. A small fruit has become a twisted and moving historical story. It witnessed not only the rise and fall of the Qing Dynasty, but also the complex relationship between the small frontier states and the central dynasty.
Even today, we can still taste this delicious "cantaloupe", but the story behind it is not well known. The inheritance of this culture is not only reflected in the naming of fruits, but also in our understanding and cognition of history. Only by deeply understanding the stories behind these can we truly feel the weight of history and the charm of culture.